Christ's First Words in the Gospels

"Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fullfil all righteousness." Christ said this to John when John complained that Christ should be baptizing him, but I believe that this statement is more than that. It is an expression of how we all have to live in our lives. It says:

1. We must accept our lives, the world, and what is happening right now.
2. We must do what is "proper" for us, that is, what our duty calls upon us to do.
3. Our goal should be to fullfil a purpose, that is, "all righteousness."

This statement outlines not only the basis of Christ's life but any of our lives. Is it an accident that these are the first words of the Gospels?

Of course, the most difficult word here is "righteousness." What is that? The word in the original Greek is dikaiosune which means the state that we are meant to be in, a state of virture and correct thinking, a state of completion, with a sense of justice, that is, that of getting and giving what is due.

So, why read the Gospels? Why think about religion? So we can accept our unique lives as the right thing for us, a position from which we can attain dikaiosune, correctness. What a great statement to begin the search for truth.