After Christmas, after the birth at Bethlehem, there is a another beginning in the life of
Jesus, as there is with us. This beginning is marked by baptism, by the acceptance of one's relationship with God,
and of one's calling to do God's will in the ministry to others which God haschosen for us.
As we read the account of this event in the Gospel According to Matthew, it would seem that it "almost didn't
happen." John, who had been baptizing just about everyone up to that point, had some strong reservations based
on the subject of "worth." It is a subject that always seems to get caught up in discussions about this
topic.
It strikes me that there is some sort of assumption about a different status between the baptizer and the baptizee,
or between those who have been verses those who have not, as if the one doing the baptizing, or the ones who are
already on the "inside" are supposed to be greater or more righteous than the others.
This story about Jesus' baptism is far more about choosing an identity than it is a story about worth or the washing
away of sin. This is an occasion for making a life commitment to God, and for a public affirmation of one's belonging
to the household of God.
Jesus, at about the age of thirty was marking the end of one era of his life and the beginning of a public life
of ministry. Remember that the Greek word for "repent" used in the New Testament is "metanoia,"
meaning a change of mind, or a change of direction. We have no idea what had preoccupied Jesus for the previous
28 or 29 years; where he had been; or what he had been doing. Tradition suggests that he was in Nazareth, running
the carpentry business of his deceased father Joseph, and caring for his mother Mary. Wherever he had been and
whatever he was doing, he has now chosen to turn from it, change directions, and turn toward the Gospel mission.
What is important is not what Jesus was turning from, but what Jesus was turning towards ... he is, as he tells
John, turning toward the fulfillment of righteousness, toward the doing of the will of God.
Both Matthew and Luke record that words from heaven accompanied that event. "This is my beloved with whom
I am well pleased."
What powerful words of affirmation these are. What a way to begin a new stage of one's life. What a way to feel
before setting out on a new course. What a thing to know before any special act has been undertaken, any special
thing done. What a word to carry with you into the light of a new day.
I think most of us can remember as children longing to hear words of affirmation from our parents. I cannot tell
you how many times I have heard stories of adults who still remember bringing home a report card that they were
proud of, showing it to a parent, longing to hear the words "well done, that's wonderful," and yes, hearing
those words, but all too often followed with, "Don't you think you could have done a little better here in
this subject... don't you think if you had taken more time, or if you had put more effort into it, you could have
won that trophy, or gotten on that honor roll?"
We all long for "unconditional" words of affirmation, unqualified acceptance and love.
The whole story of Jesus' ministry begins with affirmation. Even before Jesus had any idea what God had in store
for him...before he had told a single story, even before he had healed a single person, there is affirmation. God
speaks those longed for words, "With you I am well pleased,"…while Jesus is still coming forth from the
water dripping wet - before he has taught even one lesson or called one disciple. It goes without saying that this
is a significant moment in the story of Jesus' ministry, a significant moment in his life as a whole.
"Beloved" - Henri Nouwen wrote a whole book on the word - is what God longs to say to each of us when
we claim our true nature through baptism. When we perform the sacrament as a ritual we are asked to give the "Christian
name." We administer the water calling the child by that name, but we also call that person by a new name
just in case they have never heard it before -- "child of God." We should remind them of that heritage
often, until they claim the name for themselves, and are confirmed as members of the household of faith, in much
the same way that when at birth we gave a child his/her name, and then continue to call them by that name until
they realize, "hey, that means me!" and answer to it. As they grow in the family we tell them what the
family name means, its background and traditions, its hopes and dreams, and we constantly try to challenge them,
to help them to live up to that name and carry it on to the next level.
Jesus' explanation for his own actions at baptism was in order "to fufill all righteousness."
Righteousness is an interesting word. It is found 232 times in the bible - and in close to half of those occurrences
it refers to the righteousness of God - to God's love and God's justice, to God's saving activities and purposes.
In other words, contrary to the popular understanding, the word "righteousness" does not primarily refer
to someone who is living a good life, but rather refers to a state in which the way of redemption is actively offered
or illustrated by someone. To be righteous is not just to be good - it is to be in the right kind of relationship
with God and with others - to be in a relationship which brings salvation, which brings wholeness, affirmation,
and the good news of God's love, to others.
Righteousness is something active - not simply a description of one's moral state. Proverbs 11:4 says - "Righteousness
delivers from death." and again in Proverbs 15:9 we read, - "God loves the one who pursues righteousness"
and in Proverbs 21:3 we see these words - "To do righteousness and justice, is more acceptable to God than
sacrifice."
Baptism is not something we do -it is something we claim God does. In baptism we are claiming God's promise of
love for the baptized, and we are making our vow or promise of support and fellowship. So, the one baptizing has
no elevated status - in fact, the institutional status or office of the one baptizing is quite meaningless, as
far as God's promise is concerned. Anyone can baptize a person in a crisis - as at a time of impending death.
In Isaiah, we hear the first of the Servant Songs with which Jesus identified himself. The servant is called to
"bring forth justice to the nations," and the passage goes on to describe exactly how the servant is
to do that; specifically, not by making a big to do about it ("not crying out, not shouting, not making his
voice heard in the street"). Instead, true justice is achieved through the quiet but unceasing persistence
of the servant and has as its goal an interior transformation, a change of heart and mind--without breaking bruised
reeds or quenching dimly burning wicks. Instead, far more dramatically, by taking us by the hand as a covenant
and a light to the people. A true revelation…a real epiphany!
If the efficacy of baptism depends on my righteousness, then there are a number of souls wandering around this
planet who are clearly in need of a new sprinkling. But God just uses me, uses all of us, as a cracked and leaky
pot, to pour God's love and grace on open and receptive souls. What we might see as wasteful is God's own redemption
at work.
I'm sure you all know the illustration of the water carrier, yoke like implement across his shoulders, a clay pot
at each end. One pot was cracked, so every day as he made the trek to the well, filling each vessel he returned
home to find one already half empty. What a total waste of time and effort. How pitiful and foolish a man. Yet
one could easily see where he had been, for all along the path he traveled flowers grew, watered faithfully everyday
by what fell from the leaky pot.
Jesus underwent baptism for that same reason, to remind us that it is God in our actions, not our actions themselves,
that do the work. If John could minister to one "of whom I am not worthy to remove his sandals," then
you and I, and every Christian, should be out there sharing the good news that has claimed us with others.
I found the following story about Dave Thomas, the founder of the Wendy's restaurant chain, who died recently in
"The Entrepreneur's Library." He said:
"Faith honestly doesn't come from out of nowhere. It is a product of your moral convictions. But what do you
do when your convictions are challenged? It is faith that gives you the strength to go on believing. Don't wear
it on your sleeve; roll up both sleeves and do something about it. When I was 11 years old, my adoptive grandmother
took me to Michigan's Gull Lake to be baptized by immersion. I really felt that I was accepted by God when I was
baptized. But what I remember most about my baptism was that my Grandma made it happen. For her, Christianity meant
more than a doctrine you talked about on Sundays. It meant working hard in a restaurant, seeing to the lodgers
she rented rooms to, tending a big garden, doing the canning, and taking care of the farm animals every morning.
And it meant teaching her grandson about faith."
Baptism is a an entry into the family of God, yet many of us live as though we were only employees, able to work
for God, and able to go back to our own lives when we felt a particular job was finished. With the "employee
idea" it is easy to work God into your schedule. If one is truly a child of God there is no schedule, it is
state of being. No escape, unable to run away, fearful and wonderful at the same time.
We are not "foster children," those who often share the responsibilities of the family, but do not receive
the benefits of truly belonging. We are adopted, and thus encouraged to see ourselves as part of the family forever
- in good times and bad.
But the "employee" concept is so much easier, and much more popular.
A colleague of mine had scheduled three baptisms for this Sunday -- two adults and an infant. The infant's parents
were out of town for the holidays, and had not been seen at worship since the 16th of December. So my friend called
last week and left a message to get in touch with her to finalize the baptismal arrangements-no return call.
She returned the call again on Monday. On Tuesday, the mother called while the pastor was out to lunch and left
a message with the secretary: no baptism, they'd made "other plans" for the weekend. Friday night the
father called at home. "Terribly sorry. Hope we haven't screwed things up. We forgot about the baptism and
made arrangements to take down our outside Christmas lights this weekend."
What does one say?
Or what of the person in every church who was asked to teach Sunday School last Fall, or serve on that committee
who said, "Oh…not now,.. but perhaps after the first of the year. My son plays soccer, his games are on Sunday
mornings. You may not see much of us this fall because of the schedule."
Saw them Christmas eve…but gee…now we're into volleyball, this time it's the daughter and, you guessed it, her
games are on Sunday mornings too!
Some have even suggested our employee relationship should be elevated to actual CEO status Christians: "Christmas,
Easter, and Occasionally." In terms of our baptism we are just a step up from "Sprinklers". Those
are the folks you see three times in their lives: when you sprinkle them with water, when you sprinkle them with
rice, and when you sprinkle them with dirt.
In baptism it has never mattered what we were turning from, but it makes all the difference in the world whom you
are turning to and who you are turning into.
The Taoist say that water is the strongest of the elements. A stone in a stream will always be warn away by the
water -- it may take time, and it may take patience, but eventually the water always prevails. May if be so for
now. Amen
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