The Baptism of the Lord
“What’s a worthwhile investment to you?”
This was the question one of my professors posed to us students as he started the class.
I wasn’t a business major, but immediately my mind went to investing money.
I think if we were to get that question today, that’s where most of our minds would have went.
But he took the question a bit further.
“most of the time we want a good return on our investments…”
We expect that a movie will be good when we spend time and money at a movie theatre to watch one of the latest films.
We expect that if we make a financial investment in the stock market, some time later, we’ll get a return of sorts.
If we send our kids or ourselves to get music lessons or sports clinics, we believe that it should help.
When we buy food in the grocery store or at a restaurant, we expect it to be good
And when we use our utilities at home, we expect them to operate as they were made to.
And the professor then looked around the room at each one of us.
“But my students, there are things in life where we not only expect to be ripped off, we want to be ripped off…”
“…And for most of you here today, you are looking to receive and to do the bare minimum…”
“Why spend so much money to go here if you do not want the best return on your investment?”
“You expect it for just about everything else”
Needless to say, the room was silent as everyone’s eyes were intently fixed on the professor
And this is how I imagine the scene as John the Baptist is speaking to the crowds in today’s Gospel.
We get a scene very early on in John’s Gospel where so many people seem to be lost
