Luke 3:21-38
It was one of the rare occasions where all three Persons of the Godhead were manifested together. On such occasions, we are prudent to pay especially close attention. The Son is baptized, the Spirit descends in bodily form like a dove and the Father speaks.
The words of the Father, “Thou Art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased,” are powerful not just in themselves but also in their placement chronologically. The Father does not offer these after the resurrection, or the cross; these are not given in response to a teaching or a miracle. In terms of the ministry, Jesus had not yet done anything.
While the doctrine of divine love may be in our heads it is often absent from our emotions or our gut-level reality. The world's system of merit-based love has so permeated our lives and experience that we project it onto God. We may not say it, but we feel, “God will love me if I do good and if I do it well.” Or “God loves those who accomplish great things for Him.” But as far as we know Jesus has yet to preach a sermon, teach a lesson, perform a miracle, or cast out a demon and yet the Father declares His affection and delight. What better way to begin a ministry, or for that matter a day, than to start with the realization that apart from any merit of accomplishment the Father is moved by great and tender emotion?
Most of the frustration of life is built on the frustration of failing to meet expectations; expectations that are set for us or are self-imposed, prospects of career performance, personal success, individual greatness, expected purity. Like a hamster on a wheel, we exert effort but we never achieve what we hope for and, therefore, we live with a sense of personal disappointment and perhaps divine rejection. Trapped by our own performance expectations we must stop, listen and make part of our very being the voice of God, “You are my precious and delightful child and I'm glad you're mine and, this, apart from anything you can or plan to do.”
"Lord, grant me the grace to live in Your love for me. AMEN"
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