"You are my beloved child"

Mirador Jesuit Villa Bamboo Grove in Baguio City. Photo: Fr JM Manzano SJ

M

ark immediately introduces his gospel with these words: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). What does this expression ‘son of God’ mean? In Hebrew: בני האלהים‎, romanized: bənê haĕlōhîm, literally: "sons of the gods" is a phrase used by the Hebrews and Judaeo-Christians. Mark uses this title as God’s benediction upon his Son as a confirmation of his true identity. Before Jesus, this title “sons of the gods" was used of the angels, messengers, guards and courtiers of God. All agents who exercise God’s power and who share God’s will and enact it are the ‘sons of God’ or the powers of God. It is used also collectively of the people of Israel, who are God’s beloved children, lovingly cherished by God as their Father or Mother. I have three points in my reflection of "Son of God" about the three who uttered it.

The first to utter the title “Son of God” was not a human being and neither was it used to give praise to Jesus. The unclean spirits were the first to spill the beans. In matters of the good and evil spirits, we can rely on St Ignatius of Loyola especially in his fourteen rules of the discernment of spirits. During retreats following the Spiritual Exercises, we are told about an angel of light: "At first he will suggest good and holy thoughts, and then, little by little he strives to gain his own ends by drawing the soul into his hidden deceits." Even in matters of the Sacred Scriptures like in our gospel today this angel of light or the enemy of human nature could out stage anyone of us. He is very capable too of ‘benedictions’ or of speaking well of others and of the Son of God himself. But even though the evil spirit was the first to utter this in Mark's gospel, it is not attributed to the evil one. For sure he did not invent it. He knew it from someone. In fact if the evil one could practice proper citation, he would say, "You are the Son of God according to your Father."

This brings me to my second point. We backtrack to Mark 1:9-11 on the Baptism of Jesus, we hear Mark’s assertion of Jesus as Son of God; however, in a quite different and unique way because it comes from the Father's lips telling it to his son—“You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” Among all the titles we have of Jesus what stands out is what is couched in the Father’s tender words, who is the source. At Jesus’ Baptism, he affirms who Jesus is, that is, he is the Father’s beloved Son. Here lies the deepest knowledge of our Lord about himself. This is the wellspring of Jesus’ power to drive away demons, to calm the storms and to heal various diseases. Let us not think we take no part in this. This speaks of our own identity too because we have been made like Jesus as adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Couldn't you hear what he is saying to you? “You are my beloved child.” There is a constant temptation to look elsewhere in our life journey for similar affirmations–from friends, family, religious superiors and formators. We say beautiful things to each other but these will always pale in comparison to our Father’s words of affirmation. We must not look elsewhere if we want to know who we are deeply. The prodigal son searched for it outside and often in dangerous, shady and shaky places. Our Father has said it first and he will say it always, and we are always sure he will say the same thing. It never changes no matter our sinfulness. In God there is only more love. Go back and draw strength from his words: You are precious, before you were born I formed you like clay in the potter’s hands and knitted you in your mother’s womb.

Finally, we come to the first human being to hail Jesus as ‘son of God’ in Mark’s gospel and he is not an apostle, nor even a follower of Jesus. It was the Roman centurion, as he was standing at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ lifeless body, who exclaimed "Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15: 39). What is the meaning of this? First, it was the evil spirit, this time it is an outsider or an unbeliever. Why does God continue to give unfunny jokes? Well, it is because “Deus Semper Maior”–God is always more. He is a God of surprises. He cannot be contained in our small bigoted minds. But this does not mean we cannot know him. It is said, “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it" (Deuteronomy 30: 11-14). Will you trade the tender words of God about how precious you are, how he formed and knitted you in the womb for something else? Anything less or more of this is from the evil one. Beware, watch out! Will you still look for earthly affirmations apart from your Father's or Mother's in heaven? By virtue of our God-given human freedom we can look elsewhere as long as we like, but in the end let us not forget God has said everything already that we need to know about his being a God of relations, i.e., God-with-us, and it will be so always. Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ