Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 / Acts 10:34-38 / Matthew 3:13-17
Going overseas for holidays during the mid-year and year-end school holidays is a popular trend among Singaporeans.
So much so that if we don’t go overseas for holidays, some people might even ask us, “How come you don’t go overseas for holidays?”
So, going everywhere for holidays is a popular trend among Singaporeans, (going everywhere except to the moon).
Then it comes to packing up the luggage for the overseas trip.
Some pack light as they intend to go shopping overseas. They buy things like food, souvenirs and clothes.
Then there are some who pack like as if they are migrating to another country.
And even then, there will be always something that they forgot to pack in, like nail-clippers, cotton buds, body powder and whatever.
But whether lightweight or heavyweight luggage, the thrill is in the excitement of going overseas for a holiday.
But besides going overseas for holidays, there are also people who go overseas for a pilgrimage.
There are many overseas pilgrimage sites to choose from.
Going to the Holy Land is a popular pilgrimage.
And the Holy Land pilgrimage would also likely to include a visit to the river Jordan.
It is somewhere along the river Jordan that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist.
The river Jordan is a river of revelations.
When the Israelites crossed the river Jordan into the Promised Land, the waters stopped and they crossed over, just like how they crossed the Red Sea as they left Egypt.
It was along the river Jordan when Jesus after His baptism, was revealed as the Beloved Son of God.
Jesus came down from heaven, took on human nature, and His baptism shows that Jesus is like us in all things except sin.
In a way, it can be said that Jesus left heaven and came to earth with very few belongings.
Jesus laid aside His glory and majesty, and in humility entered into humanity.
His baptism affirms his human nature, as well as initiated Him into His mission of salvation.
Jesus was baptised so that He can begin his mission of salvation.
We are baptised so that we can receive the gift of salvation from Jesus.
And salvation means that we set our sights on heaven because we want to go there.
With baptism, it is like preparing ourselves to migrate to heaven.
With this thought of migration, then we must know what we need to hold on to, and what we need to let go off.
We need to hold onto our baptismal promises and become like the water that we are baptised in, so that we can be the water of love and life for others.
This world thirsts for the waters of love, waters of love that bring about life and growth.
Being baptised in the waters of life and love, let us also share these waters with others.
And may the waters of our baptism wash away and cleanse us and help us to let go of the fires of sinful desires.
Those sinful desires like pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, burn away our focus and longing for salvation, and also burn away our focus and longing to be with God in heaven.
May the waters of our baptism bring about growth of holiness with the fruits of the Holy Spirit and growth in virtues like Humility, Charity, Chastity, Kindness (or Gratitude), Patience, Diligence, and Temperance (or self-control).
In His baptism, Jesus is revealed as the Beloved Son, and God’s favour rest on Him.
May our baptism also remind us that we are God’s beloved children, and His favour rest on us too.
Let us continue the saving mission of Jesus by sharing the waters of life and love with others.
Let us also lead them to baptismal waters of salvation, and to let them experience God’s life-giving love.