the blessing

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mk 1.9-11)

The parental blessing. This often becomes an issue in relation to marriage. I've been thinking about it and trying to understand what it means, how important it is. It's still a tradition, but is it just being polite or is there really something to the parental blessing?

It seems to me that the blessing that we really desire, and the blessing that really carries weight, is the blessing of God. The words that Jesus heard as he came up out of the water. God's favor. That means something.

Our desire for our parents' favor, their blessing on our life, seems to come from our deeper desire for the blessing of our Father in heaven. So it does symbolize something real. And of course there are many advantages to being in good favor with your parents (and the parents of your spouse). But ultimately we desire God's favor, and if we have that then the disfavor of your parents isn't a great setback.

I imagine it is also a desire of parents to give their blessing to their children. Both to be able to find favor and to be asked for their blessing from the child they love. To not be able to bless their child would be a great loss, I think. And it's even worse for them if they fail to favor that which God has favored.

What is most important is to see what pleases God. And be able to bless that with him, or experience that blessing. "You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased."