First Glipmse

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

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John the Baptizer had all of the country agog. This man we call the last of the fiery Old Testament prophets, contrary to what we might have expected, was “packing ‘em in”; standing room only. What we might at first glance regard as a negative message, a message people often would want to distance themselves from, was finding wide acceptance.

The size of the crowds attracted to the Baptizer are a puzzle, but not without precedence and clues. Things were not well. Israel was an occupied country. There was constant tension between the Romans and the Jews. Imagine, if you can stretch that far, the U.S. under the domination of some other country whose forces have little respect for our values, our religion, our way of life.

Too far fetched to entertain? Perhaps, the victims of our own devices, our internal preoccupation we only gradually awaken to the fact that our culture has grown corrupt, that crime is rampant, that our political rhetoric is empty. Even our religion seems to have sold out to the prevailing consumerist mentality and has only superficial “feel good” advice to offer when people say “Is there any hope?”

How will things ever change? Have we, like the proverbial frog in the kettle, gone so far down “the road to perdition” that we can’t turn back! Then our situation, too, is ripe. Could be ripe for some powerful opportunist or…for  a figure like John the Baptizer,  one who preaches a word that has taken on such negative connotations – repentance.

The freight that word carries, when the listeners are frustrated, despairing is hope. Hope is the operative word; the key word for the day. (You may have noted that corporate America has adopted a number of ecclesiastical terms and phrases. “You gotta’ believe!” “Be positively evangelical about the product!” “We preach progress.” But no one in the business world has adopted a word shrouded in negativity  as  repent! )

Maybe that’s good. Maybe repentance is still is the province of Christianity, a word  not easily conscripted for service to ends other than religious. On the other hand, maybe that’s not so good. In our day no one is quick to respond to it because they don’t see the inherent hope in repentance.

I suppose either if you are self-satisfied, if things are going your way or if your self-image is fragile and you are a defensive, repentance is a threatening word, a perceived assault on you or the way things are.

 On the other hand if you’re fed up, or if you find your hold on life shaky, if you are feeling emotionally, morally bankrupt; if you take a good look at the depth of our absorption with self and can’t keep at bay a feeling of self-loathing (“this isn’t who I want to be or what I was created to be”)  then having someone,  even one as “between-the-eyes” as John, hold out hope  may come as a refreshing or interesting alternative for you to ponder,. It might put you squarely in that crowd of folks who are hitting the river upon John’s invitation to repent.

 Only the Pharisees are hanging back, saying among themselves, “The fellow has some valid points, but he’s so theologically crude, so unrefined in an ecclesiastical sense. This bears study; maybe the formation of a committee. Until then we find him simply… distasteful, maybe even dangerous. If the rabble are responding with such fervor that ought to tell you something. He’ll be a flash in the pan and then he’ll fade from the scene. For now the Baptizer is just a sideshow capitalizing on people’s guilt and generating false, fleeting hope.

Interestingly, John, had he heard what they were thinking, might well have agreed in part. “My job,” he might have said, “is temporary. I’m but an advance man for one who follows – the One who follows.  I am not worthy to tie his shoes. I’m the one who prepares the way and I will diminish, wane as He waxes. I announce repentance and get washed up in the waters of baptism. He’ll fill you up with the Holy Spirit… and fire you up. In common parlance – He’s the real deal.”

Then it is John’s turn to be shocked and appalled. He is standing waist deep in the river receiving those who responded to repent and as a sign are lining up to be baptized. “Next. Come forward; stoop; up out of the water. Next; forward; stoop; up…” and suddenly Jesus appears; steps up to the water’s edge and says “Next.”

John is flabbergasted; this normally unflappable, steely eyed prophet who tells it like it is regardless of who is in the audience, protests. “I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”

But Jesus insists. “Why is He doing this?” people from that day to this have asked. “Wasn’t he the Son of God? Sinless. He didn’t need to be washed clean of his sin!” Of course, neither does an infant baptized here in a Sunday service. One way we explain that is to say this baby hasn’t sinned yet, but you can be sure he/she will. They all share in the universal human condition – we are sinful creatures. Jesus doesn’t… share in that universal human condition. But there’s more to it than “washing away sin” – past, present  or future.

Recall, that this incident, which is recounted in all four gospels,  occurs right at the beginning of the Gospel story. Jesus hasn’t really come on the scene yet, hasn’t made his debut. His baptism serves as a signal act. Call it an inauguration, a kick-off, a launching.

But it’s what happened after the actual act of baptism that is key. That’s true for any adult baptized. The act is a “visible sign,” but it’s what happens after that contributes to the validity of the act. Mother Theresa was baptized; Adolf Hitler was baptized. Upon coming up out of the water, “suddenly the heavens were opened to him and a dove descended, alighting on him and Jesus hears a voice from heaven saying “This is my Son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased.”

It’s here at the beginning for Jesus, at the beginning of a New Year for us, that the curtain is pulled back, the veil lifted and although the voice is not directed to us, we get to overhear a statement of identity and affirmation. Something we could never come to ourselves is revealed. “Who is this Jesus?” we ask. “My Beloved Son” comes the answer.

I suppose the act of baptism to many today is a bit of a curious, if not antiquated, custom. Sometimes I get calls from someone obviously not too familiar with its meaning but with a lingering memory, who say “I wanna’ get the baby done.” Sounds as if they approach baptism with the same attitude as getting her ears pierced. It might help to remember that in the early church the celebration surrounding the baptism of Jesus was a much more important feast than Christmas.

Baptism does for us what it did for Jesus. It answers the single most important question in life: Who are you? At Jesus’ baptism, the question is answered. And the question is still being asked in baptism: “Who are you?” Answer: This is a child of God, be he infant or adult.

Baptism affirms identity, establishes identification. If part of being human is to suffer the pain of heartache, the agony of loss, the failed dreams, innocence surrendered or robbed, hunger, fear, illness, sin, death; then who stands with us? Who identifies with us? Who undergoes baptism with us though he need not for himself? This Son, beloved Son,  with whom God is well pleased.

AMEN

First Glimpse

A Sermon by

Dr. J. Lawrence Cuthill

January 13th, 2008

Winter Park Presbyterian