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Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by
him. John tried to prevent him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to
me?” Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now,
for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.
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The
journey inward is one that is
often full of fear and
difficulty. We do not like to face ourselves. When we do, we have
to make some
choices. Bruce Wayne had seen both of
his parents murdered. He had had a
horrible childhood accident that would haunt him for life. As he
began his life of dedication to good,
he had to face his hatred, his loathing of other human beings. He
had to master the art of the destruction
of others, but he had to place it in the proper perspective. Bruce
Wayne--later Batman--had to choose the
good. Even though his evil instructor
suggested that he choose a life of devastation, Bruce Wayne chose
compassion
and justice.
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One of
the most
interesting times to think about in Jesus’ life is the time
immediately before
his Baptism by John. He had reached
maturity. What was his thinking? Was he contemplating the
life that he was
going to lead? Was he aware that his
actions were to be both divine and human? Was he formulating in his
mind exactly how he would teach about the
Kingdom of God? And what were his
thoughts as he watched his cousin John preach a baptism of repentance?
For the people who would follow Jesus, his Baptism was one of the early theological problems. Jesus was the Son of God and obviously in no need of a baptism of repentance. In Matthew’s account of the Baptism, Matthew recalls that Jesus gave the reason for his Baptism, telling John the Baptist, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” meaning that it was right that the people see the importance of the baptism of repentance. If Jesus was going to be one of us, and if people were to see the importance of the baptism for repentance, then he must be baptized. Jesus’ choice to be baptized at the beginning of his public life, and Bruce Wayne’s choice of good as he began his public life of commitment to justice both present to us the importance of beginning well. A person who is beginning a public life, that is, a person who has most of life in front of him/her must think about what the future will be like. Such a person, if sincere, will identify immediately a necessity for a good beginning no matter when it is. It is a beginning that will consist of preparatory learning, a study of future life-choices, and in general, a reaching into their souls to identify what is truly important as their futures dawn. |
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THOUGHT
What are the most important elements of learning for a person entering into adulthood? PRAYER Good and gracious God, your Son chose to begin his public
life by
accepting a baptism of repentance, thus showing us the importance of
beginning
life in a spiritually healthy way. Help
us choose to prepare ourselves as best we can for our future whatever
it will
be. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007 Capuchin
Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |