Readings: Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11
Picture: cc Arne Müseler
My dear friends, have you made up your mind yet? Have you decided whether or not to get vaccinated against Covid-19? What will affect your choice? As you know, this new virus has made our world a more dangerous place. And the vaccine promises us safety from danger, immunity against infection. But some may still hesitate to get vaccinated, because they are unsure how safe the vaccine is. Various voices tell us different things. Some say it’s safe. Others otherwise. Yet others say it depends on which vaccine we get. So our decision will likely depend on which voice we choose to trust.
Danger and safety, promise and trust. We find these same things in our readings today. In the gospel, when Jesus allows himself to be immersed in the waters of the Jordan, something new is happening. For though the baptism performed by John signifies repentance from sin, Jesus is without sin. So what does the Lord’s baptism mean?
The second reading helps to explain, by reminding us that our world is a dangerous place. Not just because of Covid-19, but because of the virus of selfishness and sin, of deceit and division. The deadly effects of which we saw painfully played out in the US Capitol this past week. Yet the reading also says that, in Christ, we Christians find safety. By our faith, we can overcome the world.
And it is to assure us of this that Jesus allows himself to be immersed in the waters of the Jordan. He does so not so much to demonstrate his desire to repent, as to promise his followers immunity against infection. The voice from heaven further strengthens this assurance. You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.
But that’s not all. The second reading goes on to remind us that we can trust in the Lord’s assurance, especially because his promise to accompany us in the troubled waters of our sinful world leads also to the shedding of his precious blood, the laying down of his own spotless life. As a result of which, we his followers now enjoy a share in the power of his Spirit.
Danger and safety, promise and trust. All this helps us to better respond to the call, in the first reading, for us to come to the water. What does this mean, if not to first accept the assurances of Christ, to receive the generous gift of his life and love, as we are doing here at this Mass. From which we then gain the strength and courage we need, in the Spirit, to follow in the Lord’s footsteps. To allow ourselves to be immersed, not just in the peaceful pool of sacramental baptism, but also in the turbulent reality of social engagement. To become witnesses in the world to the power of his love.
Sisters and brothers, could it be that becoming a Christian is much like deciding to get vaccinated against Covid-19? The decision we make depends on whom we choose to trust. If so, then in whose voice will you place your trust today?
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