“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and (we all) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’” Matthew 3:16-17
A few weeks ago, on the Sabbath, we were walking out of the temple, when we found some merchants in the town square. Right away, some of our elders told them they could not be there because it was the Sabbath and they were not allowed to conduct business. They told us that they were only there because they had some news to share. They said that they had crossed the desert, and they had encountered a prophet called John the Baptist, who was baptizing converts in the Jordan River.
Right away, I knew who they were referring to. It was Elizabeth’s son. I had heard that he had abandoned Ein Kerem after Zacharias’ death. There were rumors that he was living with the Essenes near the Dead Sea. The Essenes were a Jewish sect who practiced poverty, daily retreats and celibacy. I never found out whether the rumors were true, but now, he was living alone in the desert.
The next day, Jesus told me that He was going to close the shop for a few days, and He was going to go to the desert to find John. “When will you go?” I asked Him.
“In a few days,” He said.
I decided not to ask Him anything else. After all, He was already thirty-years-old, and I had a feeling that His famous hour was fast approaching. He had to make His own decisions, and I had to respect them.
Two days later, He left. He gave me a kiss and He told me that He would return as soon as He could. This time, He refused to take anything for the journey.
News continued to arrive regarding John the Baptist. They said that he “had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” (1)
Jacob, the shepherd, had gone to see him too. I found out through Sarah, his daughter. I used to babysit for Jacob when he became a widow and the children were small. Sarah loved me like a mother since she was so young when she lost hers. She was now preparing her wedding. She was betrothed to Luke, a farmer from Cana, a town nearby. They had met the previous year when Luke came to visit his aunt who lives in our town. It was love at first sight, and Luke comes to visit her every chance he gets. They got engaged earlier this year. I will miss her very much when she moves to Cana.
When Jacob returned, he was a changed man. He was very emotional. He told me how John had baptized him in the Jordan River. He said that there are hundreds of people coming from all over Israel to be baptized, but that John tells them: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (2)
He then looked at me and continued his story: “While I was there, Mary, I saw Jesus. He was in the crowd of people waiting to be baptized. But when John saw Him, he said: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”’ (3) Jesus asked John to baptize Him, but John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ (4) But Jesus convinced him, and John baptized Him. “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and (we all) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’” (5)
I had to hold back my tears listening to Jacob share this story with me. He then looked at me, and said: “Mary, your Son in the Messiah, the Son of God.” I looked at Him, and I just smiled.
Yes, my Son is the Messiah, the Son of God. And His hour has arrived.
Reflection:
Let’s remember a time in our life when grace came to us "unbidden and without explanation." How did I respond?
Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
- Matthew 3:4-6
- Matthew 3:11
- John 1:29-30
- Matthew 3:14
- Matthew 3:16-17
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
1. The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of
Agreda
2. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet
4. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun
All Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise specified.
No comments:
Post a Comment