The Baptism of the Lord Year A
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17
Today’s gospel passage describes Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the river Jordan. The location is important because the Holy Land holds deep theological meaning.[i]
The Jordan River was the last boundary that the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua crossed over to enter the Promised Land. Prior to crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites were led by Moses out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the desert, where the Israelites wandered for forty years.
God miraculously parted the waters for the Israelites to cross through the Red Sea, and God parted the Jordan River for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, God did not part the Jordan; instead, comments Pitre, God opened the heavens and sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.[ii]
God the Father parted the sky and not the waters of the Jordan because, unlike Joshua who led his people into a Promised Land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:3 RSVCE) in this world, Jesus, a new Joshua,[iii] leads his new people into a Promised Land that although present in this world is beyond this world since this Promised Land is the spiritual reality of
Heaven.[iv]
As the Heavens above were parted, the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove. The parting of the sky, explains Pitre, signifies that Jesus is not only a new Moses, who leads people out of slavery, Jesus is not only a new Joshua, who leads people into a Promised Land of freedom, Jesus is also a new Noah, who leads people out of the ark to, borrowing an expression from Bishop Barron, to “Edenize the world” to reorder the entire world so marred by sin, sadness, and misery which are like the chaotic waters that threatened to sink the ark, but the ark, representing the Church, could not sink because God ensured that it remained afloat. When the time comes for the waters of sin, sadness, misery, and death to recede, God will send the Holy Spirit to us as he sent a dove to Noah.
The Holy Spirit invites us to leave the comfort, security, and safety of our homes and go out into the world to evangelize, to spread the Good News, to show the world how to love in a truthful manner, a love that constantly seeks the best of others by drawing them into ever deeper relationships with Jesus Christ.
Our mission is to go out into the world, and there as an extension of Jesus’ presence in time to teach and live a love that is different from the form of love people often experience. The love we often experience is selfish love, taking love without concern of giving anything good to another. The love that we have been given by our baptism is love that is a perfect balance between receiving and giving, reflecting the eternal flow of love between the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit as they mutually give and receive one another.
The perfect, harmonious love of the Trinity was evident by the Jordan River at Jesus’ baptism by the Father’s Voice, by Jesus his “beloved Son”, and by the Holy Spirit hovering above in the form of a dove.
Today, may we examine ourselves in light of this perfect love to see if we are out of balance in how we love, in how we receive and give love. Perhaps some of us at times are givers but poor receivers of others who want to love. Or maybe some of us expect to receive love but give little in return. – Most Blessed Trinity teach us to be receivers and givers of love in accordance with the love of Jesus Christ, the perfect lover. – May God Bless You – Fr Peter
[i] Brant Pitre, “The Baptism of the Lord (Year A),” catholicproductions.com.
[ii] Brant Pitre, “The Baptism of the Lord (Year A),” catholicproductions.com.
[iii] The English name Jesus is based on the Latin Iesus, which in turn comes from the Greek name Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs). This Greek name is based on the Hebrew name Yeshua (ישוע) which is a shortened form of Yehoshua (יהושע) meaning God saves and when translated directly from Hebrew into English is rendered Joshua.
[iv] Pitre compares Jesus to Elijah (2 Kings 2) who was taken up by God from the Jordan River into Heaven. Brant Pitre, “The Baptism of the Lord (Year A),” catholicproductions.com.
Catholic Evangelization 