JESUS’ BAPTISM – WASH US OF OUR GUILT; CLEANSE OUR SINFULNESS

“Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” Mark 1:9-11

In submitting to John’s baptism of repentance, Jesus identifies himself with us and He, who is sinless, takes on the shame and the burden of humanity’s sinfulness.  Christ’s redemption wiped away any debt we owed to God who made us to be better than settling for the tainted humanity we still seem to make of ourselves.

But there is another redemption that Jesus brought to us still erring sinners.  His baptism, passion and death removed forever any reason for a shame that would keep us from approaching God. There is no longer any need for us to stay away from God because we feel shame for the wrong things we have said, thought and done or for not doing the good things that we could have and should have done.

Like the prodigal son let us return over and over again into the loving arms of Jesus and of our awaiting Father. Jesus “washed us of that guilt and cleansed us of that sinfulness.” (Psalm 51)  He did this for each and every one of us who err, be we popes, priests, movie stars, presidents, thieves, murderers, mobsters or death row inmates.

Let Jesus’ actions wash away our feelings of guilt and unworthiness, along with its accompanying blindness to the full impact of Jesus’ life work and our work as His disciples:  spreading the Word.  Jesus’ coming among us means that God wants us to see ourselves as God sees us:  wondrously made to share in the fullness of our destiny as partakers of God’s life and goodness.

We all need this.  We all have this.  Let’s believe in this Good News and share it.  How will you do this during the coming week?

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