Doubtless Jesus did not enjoy the opposition his ministry engendered. He proclaimed the love of God and for that there were attempts on his life several times before his ultimate trial and execution. After one of those attempts St. John reports that Jesus “went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.” Jesus went back to where it all began, to where he heard the heavenly voice say “You are my beloved son,” to where the Holy Spirit descended upon him. He needed to take a time out to recall what inspired his life of service in the first place. That is a good practice for us to adopt as well. Over time we accumulate so much baggage from the difficulties woven into our lives. Going back to when we began this journey of faith in a serious way, going back to recover the “first love” that inspired us, going back to the initial encounter with Christ that motivated our spiritual lives can for us, as it did for Jesus, give the courage and confidence to continue as we have begun in this walk with the Lord.
