Mark 1:9-11 “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” vs. 11
We only get a couple of glimpses at what might be called the “interior life” of Jesus in the gospels. The first is here during Mark’s account of his baptism by John. For one reason or another (Mark does not say) Jesus had come from Nazareth and joined the crowds at the Jordan who were listening to John preach. He then went down into the water and was baptized. Then when he was coming out of the river he had an experience of the transcendent God that changed the direction of his life. The heavens were torn apart and he heard and saw the Divine Word–”You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” He never forgot those words–they were his call to mission and they shaped his entire ministry. They remind us that Jesus’ life was shaped by grace and affirmation–and so is ours! We do not find salvation because we follow the rules and satisfy the demands of God. Our salvation is by grace and by grace alone. God comes to us, as we are, and offers words of love.”I love you,” God whispers to us in our awakening, in our baptism, however it is that we encounter the Divine for the first time. We are the beloved children of God and that’s the way it will always be until the close of our days.
Thought for the Day: When did I first realize that I am loved?
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