Is
42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:13-17
Today's
readings are associated with the Baptism of Jesus.
During
the First Reading from the Book of Isaiah, Is. 42:1-4, 6-7] we heard the
prophecy that the promised Messiah would be God's chosen Servant in Whom the
Divine Soul would delight. [Is. 42:1] The Messiah would have
the Spirit of God upon Him, bringing forth justice to all the nations, not just God's chosen people.
the Spirit of God upon Him, bringing forth justice to all the nations, not just God's chosen people.
As the
Servant of God, the Messiah would not cry or lift up His voice or make it heard
in the street. His mission would be modest and gentle in nature. The promised
Messiah would not force the people to conform to His teaching. The
transformation that would take place within those who heard the Word of God
would be an inner one, a change of heart.
This was
something beyond the comprehension of his contemporaries. The practice at that
time was different. When a king conquered a nation he killed or enslaved the
males, carried away the females and destroyed the city.
In 146 BC
the Romans conquered Carthage. The inhabitants of the city were massacred by
the disciplined legions who systematically moved from house to house. Some
historians suggested that the city may have held up to 200,000
inhabitants. The slaughter in the city was, however, substantial and probably
unprecedented in the European world up to that time. The survivors, possibly
numbering anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 people, were sold as slaves. On direct
orders from Rome, the city was subsequently set alight and, after ten days of
burning, demolished stone by stone.
Another
state-backed genocide may be found in the destruction of the Greek island
city-state and culture of Melos by the Athenian Empire in
416 BC. The Melians surrendered unconditionally to the Athenians, who put
to death all
the men of military age whom they took, and sold the women and
children as slaves'.
The
Assyrian conquests and Babylonian conquests were filled with many such
cruelties. Against this background Isiah prophesied that the promised
Messiah would not force the people to conform to His teaching. The
transformation that would take place within those who heard the Word of God
would be an inner one, a change of heart.
This is
the basic difference between the kingdoms established by force, and the Kingdom
of Jesus that was set on free conversion to the path of God. All the mighty
empires crumple within decades only a few lasted for a few centuries. But
the Kingdom of Jesus Keeps on growing and conquering more and more hearts even
after two thousand years.
In our
world we see nations are trying to establish peace, by developing and amassing
most modern weapons that can destroy even continents. Surprisingly this warfare
is being extended to space as well.
Jesus
came to the world with the message of peace. "And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened
to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on
him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am
well pleased.'
The same
spirit of God descended on every one of us. We are anointed to continue
the mission of Jesus. Jesus instructed his disciples to greet everyone with the
message of peace wherever they went. During the mass we greet each other
with the message, "peace be with you."
It
requires a lot of sacrifice to be messengers of peace. Let us pray with St
Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of
your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Satish