Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
12 January 2025
By Fr Joseph Lam, PhD STD
With his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus’ public appearance begins. And the first words spoken to him are the words of the Father: “This is my beloved Son.”
This sentence is a great promise and confirmation. It is solemnly confirmed that Jesus is completely and unconditionally accepted by the Father.
This unconditional acceptance by the Father stands above the life and work of Jesus. It accompanies him and he lives from it. And this awareness of being the beloved Son of the Father, of being completely and unconditionally accepted, this awareness is deeply inherent in Jesus. It goes deeper than anything else he experiences. It goes deeper than the temptations in the desert, deeper than the rejection he experiences, deeper than the incomprehension he encounters, deeper than all the hatred he faces.
Jesus’ mission was a mission impossible. To follow in the footstep of John, the greatest man born of a women (Lk 7:32), was in itself a daunting task. Yet, to fulfill the task that he was assigned to, was even dangerous and demands his all, including his life. However, Jesus also knew that with God there is nothing impossible. To underline the graciousness of God’s presence in Jesus, Luke emphasizes that it was God, the Father, himself who called his Son beloved. In the Bible, “being beloved” by God is a profound testament to his grace and mercy. In Jesus, the beloved Son, God manifests irreversibly his mercy and grace.
“This is my beloved son”, this sentence defines Jesus’ attitude to life and self-confidence.
“I am the beloved Son. I am completely and unconditionally accepted”, this goes so far with Jesus that even the terrible abandonment by God on the cross does not plunge him into despair, but that he finds the strength to place his abandonment and fear of death in the hands of the Father.
“I am accepted. I am the beloved son of the Father”, this is clearly promised to him again at the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. Jesus lived from this experience.
Isn’t this one of the most important basic needs that we humans have? To be affirmed, accepted, loved? Nothing makes us as happy and as free as this awareness!
When I feel: I am accepted, then I feel good. I feel my strength. My life gains momentum. Nothing is too much for me so quickly. Then I can give what is in me. I can love. – When I am accepted, everything is good.
Now someone might object: That was the very special thing about Jesus, the incomparable thing, that he was so accepted by the Father. We cannot transfer that to ourselves. But – we can!
God says about each of us here and now: “You are my beloved son, my beloved daughter!”
The core of our faith does not consist in achievements, commandments and prohibitions, but in the fact that we accept God’s love, that we allow ourselves to be touched and gripped by it. – And that we then pass on the love that comes to us from God. Love as a response to being loved.
“We believed in love… God is love…!” What power! Such love that grows day by day!
We are all so accepted. God says to each of us: “You are my beloved child, in whom I find joy.”
The Father knows at Jesus’ baptism: they will crucify him… The stones will not be removed from our path…and many questions remain unanswered. – But deep down, deeper than our fears, deeper than our inconsistencies and sadnesses – everything is good.
“If God loved us so much, we must love one another. ”
Fr Joe Lam is the Parish Priest at Baulkham Hills Parish.
