Many important events involve a public commitment by someone. For instance, in just a few days Donald Trump will again be inaugurated as President of the United States; during this ceremony he will place his hand on the Bible and state, “I solemnly swear to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.” Newly-elected members of Congress, and newly-appointed Justices of the Supreme Court, take a similar oath. When a man and woman are married, they declare in front of their families and friends that they will remain faithful to each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.” When a man is ordained a priest or deacon, he publicly swears obedience to the bishop ordaining him and to his successors, and a man or woman formally joining a religious order makes public vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Today a lot of people like to avoid commitments so as to “keep their options open,” but this idea contradicts our human nature. God created us with an inner need to give of ourselves by making a binding promise to something or Someone greater than ourselves. This is most especially true in regard to Baptism, which represents our commitment to live as true followers of Jesus. However, this Sacrament takes things one step further. Not only do we commit ourselves to God; He publicly commits Himself to us.
In the Gospel of Luke (3:15-16, 21-22) we see that, following the Baptism of Jesus, God the Father stated, “You are My Beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” By humbly accepting Baptism—even though He was completely free of all sin—Jesus identified Himself with God and publicly accepted His mission. Then God the Father directly identified Himself with His Son. The same thing happens to us when we are baptized. We’ve traditionally described this by saying that Baptism leaves an indelible mark on our soul, something that can never be removed or erased. Even if we later turn away from God through serious or mortal sin, He remains faithful to us, hoping we’ll restore our relationship with Him through repentance. Baptism makes us God’s children, and He takes a personal interest in each of us, wanting more than anything to be able to rejoice in our love for Him.
There are several important things to remember about this relationship. First of all, we have not earned or achieved this special status on our own. As St. Paul says in his Letter to Titus (2:11-14; 3:4-7), we were saved not by any righteous deeds we had done, but by God’s mercy—which means we should live in a spirit of gratitude and humility. Secondly, as proclaimed through the Prophet Isaiah (42:1-4, 6-7), being part of the people of God is good news—and we must live in a spirit of joy and hope, so that others will be attracted by the Gospel, the Good News of salvation. Thirdly, just as the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His Baptism, so too we receive the Spirit—and are thus empowered to fulfill our mission in life.
In the 4th century, there was a heresy or false teaching called Arianism, started by an Egyptian priest named Arius. He denied the divinity of Jesus, wrongly claiming that the Son of God was not in fact equal to God the Father. This demonically-inspired teaching quickly became widespread and influential; many people accepted it, including the Emperor Theodosius. The Emperor publicly promoted this heresy or false belief; at the same time, Theodosius made his sixteen-year-old son an equal partner with himself on the imperial throne. At a reception in the boy’s honor, an elderly Catholic bishop named Amphilocus spoke only to Theodosius. The Emperor was angry, and demanded, “Do you ignore my son? Don’t you know that I made him equal to myself?” The bishop calmly answered, “Sire, do you resent my apparent neglect of your son, because I do not give him honors equal to yours? What then must God think of you for refusing to worship His Son, Who has equal dignity with the Father?” (Msgr. Arthur Tonne, Five-Minute Homilies, p. 125).
The Emperor was trying to have it both ways—wanting people to honor his son, while refusing to do the same for the Son of God. We have to avoid wanting things both ways—expecting God to live up to His promises to us, while ignoring or downgrading our own commitments to Him made in Baptism. For instance, is it fair if we rarely spend time praying, except when we need something? Would we feel our children really loved us if they never spoke to us unless they wanted our help? Is it fair to ask for God’s forgiveness if we ourselves hold onto grudges against others? Could we in good conscience ask God to do more for us than we’re willing to do for someone else in need? If we had done countless favors for a friend over the years, and then asked for a favor in return, only to have the person respond with complaints or excuses, wouldn’t we feel we’d been taken advantage of? If we had given our lives for someone, as Jesus did for us, wouldn’t we expect to receive love and gratitude in return? Wouldn’t we feel entitled to more than indifference or a half-hearted response?
Jesus asks us to place Him first in our lives, to love everyone without exception, to forgive those who wrong us, to make reasonable efforts to grow in grace, and to practice our faith as best we can, even when it’s not easy. By being baptized, we’ve promised to do this. God accepts us as His own children, and offers us eternal happiness. We know He will live up to His side of the agreement, and that He’ll also help us live up to ours. Jesus’ Baptism was part of His commitment to God; our Baptism must have the same meaning.