On this Sunday after the Epiphany, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. Last Sunday, we reflected on the manifestation – the “Epiphany of the Lord.” But this Epiphany did not end with the story of the Magi; instead, that was only the beginning of God’s manifestations.
The Baptism of Jesus was another occasion of his Epiphany, where God revealed himself to the people. At the time of his baptism, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus, and the voice of the Father attested to the identity of the Son: “You are my beloved son; with you, I am well pleased.” God’s revelation or manifestation of himself, and therefore, today we are celebrating yet another Epiphany. And next Sunday, we will continue to celebrate the Epiphany – the manifestation of the glory of God at the wedding feast at Cana.
Why did God decide to become a human? Precisely, to show himself to us. With his baptism, Jesus began his walk with his people – like God walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He walked on the streets of Palestine, he went through the various towns, taught in their synagogues – through all these, he showed himself to the world, and he manifested the Epiphany of the face of God. God became human to show us the true face of God.
“The people were in expectation,” thus begins today’s Gospel. It is easy to imagine their expectations: the slave expected freedom; the poor, a better condition of life; the exploited longed for justice, the sick wanted healing, and the humiliated desired for the recovery of dignity. All aspired to a new world.
Jesus, the Son of God, desired to mingle with sinners. The Israelites expected a God who destroyed sinners and rewarded those faithful to him. But this was a faulty image of God. Jesus did not attack sinners; instead, he sat down to dinner with them; he did not condemn the adulteress but defended her against those who judged and despised her; he did not drive away from the sinful woman but let her caress and kiss him. Jesus got into the waters of Jordan together with many people who wanted the baptism of repentance.
The Gospel speaks of three images to describe the event of the baptism of Jesus. First, the ‘Heaven opened,’ then, ‘the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove,’ and finally, ’a voice came from heaven, You are my beloved Son, with you, I am well pleased.’
“The heaven opened.” It means that heaven was once closed. What does this image mean? In the Old Testament period, Israel was always guided by prophets, kings and judges who acted on behalf of God. But many centuries before the birth of Jesus, there were no more prophets, and the people began to feel that heaven was closed, and God had abandoned his people.
For your reflection
With Jesus taking the human form, God the Father has let heaven open. The door of the Father’s house will eternally remain open because the Son has left his home and decided to live with us, humans. He will accommodate every child who wants to enter, even if someone comes home very late.
Father Josekutty Mathew CMF
