Mt 3.13-17 Jan 11-25 Unburden the Soul: Faith, Forgiveness, and Mental Freedom

Today’s edition focuses on the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  This is only recorded direct episode of Jesus interacting with John the Baptist.  To give you some context, John was inviting people to the Jordan River for a spiritual cleansing.  This spiritual cleansing has been referred to as Baptism.  John the Baptist was not the first to use this model of using water to wash away sin.  There are many examples in Scripture of special rituals used to described spiritual washing.  Two examples from the Hebrew Testament are Ezekiel 36:25 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness.” From Isaiah 1:16 we have “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes.”  From the New Testament we have Hebrews 10:22, “Our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”  There are others but you get the point.   This raises the question, why did Jesus request a spiritual practise that was used to wash away sin when Jesus did not sin?

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Transcript

Hello, and thank you for joining me on “A Psychologist Looks at Scripture.” I am Peter Doherty—a Catholic priest and psychologist—and I am pleased you can join me.

In this podcast, I draw from my background in psychology and scripture studies to provide fresh insights into the Gospels. The human sciences and spirituality are more connected than people realize.  Healthy spirituality has its roots in healthy psychological functioning.  The Gospels were written 2000 years ago but the core teachings remain appropriate today.  I apply the Gospel teachings to contemporary realties we are living. The Gospels consistently invite us to deepen our faith, find new wisdom, and grow spiritually. There is always something more to discover.

Each episode runs about 7 to 10 minutes.  I know you are busy, so I keep my podcasts short.  If you have time and are interested, please check out the earlier episodes listed on the podcast website and on YouTube.  Thank you so much for being part of this journey!  Your support encourages me to keep podcasting.  Please let me know if you have questions and/or comments, they truly matter—as they help this podcast remain relevant to my listeners.

The Gospel, Matthew 3:13-17 that we are examining in this podcast will be read in Churches on January 11, 2026.

Today’s edition focuses on the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  This is the only recorded account of Jesus directly interacting with John the Baptist.  To give you some context, John was inviting people to the Jordan River for a spiritual cleansing.  This spiritual cleansing has been referred to as Baptism.  John the Baptist was not the first to use this model of using water to wash away sin.  There are many examples in Scripture of special rituals used to described spiritual washing.  Two examples from the Hebrew Testament are Ezekiel 36:25 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness.” From Isaiah 1:16 we have “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes.”  From the New Testament we have Hebrews 10:22, “Our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”  There are others but you get the point.   This raises the question, why did Jesus request a spiritual practise that was used to wash away sin when Jesus did not sin?

There are several examples found in the New Testament and in the Hebrew Scriptures   indicating that the Messiah was morally perfect and did not sin. Isaiah 53:9 states: “He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth”. ​In the New Testament we have 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”.  I suspect Matthew tried to clear this up when John  expressed surprise that Jesus was coming to him instead of the other way around.  According to this account Jesus recognizes the problem and points out that this baptism was to fulfil all righteousness.  That answer raises a few questions for me.  Why did Jesus submit to John’s Baptism?  Likely Jesus did so for a couple of reasons.   Jesus often taught by example.  The best example of this is Jesus washing the feet of his disciples found in Jn 13:1-17.  

The intimacy of this teaching is significant. He could have just talked about service, but he went further by demonstrating service which had a significant impact on the disciples and most noticeably upon the apostle Peter.  Secondly, by submitting to Baptism Jesus was showing his support for John’s ministry of repentance.  Both Jesus and John preached about the need for the people to repent, to acknowledge and take responsibility for their sins and make changes in their life. 

We have two scriptural references found in Matthew 3:6; and Mark 1:5 where crowds confessed their sins publicly and were baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness.  Jesus Himself gives this teaching His full endorsement—it's a powerful call to anyone serious about growing deeper in their spirituality.

While its primary purpose is spiritual, confession can have significant implications for mental health. Research suggests that verbalising one's feelings and experiences, whether in a religious context or not, can be therapeutic.  Confession encourages individuals to express their deepest emotions, regrets, and burdens. . This act of verbalizing one’s actions can serve as a form of emotional release, similar to the concept of catharsis in psychology.  

Seeking forgiveness and receiving absolution in confession can alleviate feelings of guilt and anxiety. This release of negative emotions can have a profound impact on mental well-being.  Confession fosters self-reflection and personal growth. It encourages individuals to examine their actions, make amends, and strive for improvement, promoting a sense of purpose and emotional well-being.  Sharing one’s struggles with a trained professional can be helpful in healing and beneficial for mental health.

Several studies and articles have explored the psychological benefits of confession and its relationship with mental health.  I encourage my listeners to check out the article; “The Healing Practice of Confession” published in Spirituality and Health written by Aaron Murray-Swank.  You can find this article on the National Library of Medicine website.  

Another source is   “Bless Me, for I Have Sinned ...: Behaviour Change and the Confessional”  found in the Journal, Canadian Family Physician, written by Folk-Hun Leung and co-authored with Andrew Leung, this piece written in 2009 draws parallels between Catholic confession and medical counselling, highlighting benefits like catharsis, structured self-examination, and commitment to behavioural change for mental well-being.

So, in conclusion the “Baptism of John the Baptist” teaches us that taking responsibility for our mistakes and failures with a serious committment to do better is a necessary tool for growing in our spirituality.  It sounds simple but I know its not.  Acknowledging our needs and taking responsibility requires humility, maturity and a trust in God.  Laying down the burden of unnecessary secrets can be freeing but also terrifying.  Recongizing that when we are listening to shared secrets we are standing on holy ground.  

Thank you for joining me today.

Next Sunday, January 18, 2026 I’ll be sharing a new podcast episode on John 1:29-34, where we will read more about the mission of John the Baptist.

If you’re new here, I invite you to check out previous episodes on major podcast platforms or YouTube. And for my regular YouTube listeners, please consider subscribing and sharing the podcast with friends who love Scripture.  Also, I invite YouTube listeners to post in the comment section where you are from.  I would like to thank my listeners from Sheila-Tracadei I appreciate knowing where my listeners are from.

New episodes come out every Sunday, focusing on the week’s Gospel. Your feedback and questions are always valued and helps our community grow.

A big thank you to Heather Patel Doherty and Richard Coulombe for their wonderful help in preparing each episode.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.

May God richly bless you!