me? I should be baptized by you!” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be like that for now;
so that we may fulfill the right order.” John agreed. As soon as he was baptized, Jesus
came up out of the water. All at once, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of
God come down, like a dove, and rest upon him. At the same time, a voice from heaven
was heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved; he is my Chosen One.”
Reflect.
What does it mean to be chosen by God? The nation of Israel knew themselves to be
God’s chosen people – a people he had brought out of slavery in Egypt, a people
uniquely his own. God also promised to send his chosen one – a servant of the Lord
– to end the dominion of death and open the gates of heaven. Jesus was the Chosen
One, confirmed by the voice from heaven at his baptism. At our baptism, we became
part of Christ’s body, God’s adopted children. We too have been chosen as Saint Peter
says, without partiality. But what does it mean to be chosen? It does not make us
powerful, entitled to throw our weight around to get what we want. Instead, we are
called to be servants of the Lord: gentle and steadfast, bringing justice to all, even
the most lowly, sharing the good news, even to the ends of the earth.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022