| January 21, 2007
You are welcome to reflect on this message “That's My Boy!"
Luke's spotlight is more on the “dove and the voice” than the baptism. "Now when ... Jesus was baptized, he prayed, and heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21-22). Messianic expectations were soaring and many Jews thought John was the Messiah. But he protested, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
“Water baptism” had a history in Judaism. “Holy Spirit baptism” was rare. But “baptism with fire?” Now that’s new! And the people were just getting used to the idea about how much that was gonna hurt, then to everybody's surprise, including John--who shows up to be baptized but Jesus? No axe-wielding arsonist; just a gentle carpenter, upon whom the Spirit had chosen to roost; whom God ordained as his beloved Child. And that’s it. But people couldn't believe it. Because it was easier to believe in a God of judgement and wrath, instead of a loving, merciful one. Therefore, John must be the Messiah, not Jesus.
But Jesus’ presence with the sinners has raised a question that’s perplexed the church for centuries, because John's was a baptism of repentance. What did Jesus have need of a bath like that for? Jesus was there because he wanted to be, not because he was guilty, but because he wanted to express his oneness with those who were. This solidarity with the common people showed what a big spirit Jesus was. The creed says “he was without sin.” But that didn’t keep him from joining those in the Jordan, because he didn't come to claim purity or power. He had “power to still the storms,” but he used it to empower others; to love somebody, not lord over them. His only tool was a towel, not a sword. So he got in line with a bunch of sinners and took his turn with them. Its hard for me to envision God standing in line for anything.
No wonder the church had trouble with it! But it was after his baptism, “while he was praying,” that something remarkable occurred. Heaven opened up and the clouds parted and bright light poured through. A bird-like figure akin to something straight out of the heart of God settled on his shoulder. And a voice from somewhere other than earth declared: "That’s my Boy! And I like him!" So what did Jesus do that was so pleasing to God? At this point he had not done much in his public ministry. He was just beginning his public ministry. The only thing Jesus did that was pleasing to God, was get in line with the rest of the people in the Jordan River. And that just tickled God pink! God loves it when we identify with each other; instead of separating ourselves from one another. God likes it when we stand together and cooperate like Jesus did, instead of standing apart, segregating like we do. Jesus aligning himself with sinners is so atypical of our tribal loyalties. We learned very early that it’s not to our advantage to be identified with “the wrong crowd;” the poor, the blue collar, uneducated, or worse, somebody with an “accent!” (Tell me about it!)
When I was a teenager, I was always getting in trouble with my Mom for running around with kids older than me because they had a car. As I got older and learned how the world works, I now understand her concern. We can see both the benefits and disadvantages of being identified with somebody who can damage our "reputation.” So most folks cast their lot with the brightest and best. Or richest. Or prettitest. Conversely, we stick with those who look like us and think like us and distance ourselves from the folks across the tracks. We'd much rather be name-dropping, in circles of prominence, with somebody who can get us somewhere, than to spend time with the street people.
You know, it's hard to fly with the eagles if you waddle around with the ducks! When Jesus was baptized by John, he was waddling around with the ducks! Yeah, his slate was clean. But he neither condescended nor hesitated to align himself with the deficient and downtrodden. His baptism was a sign of solidarity. Note that the Gospel writers show that Jesus could care less about how baptism is done. He’s more interested in how getting baptized ought to do something to you: whether your baptism is wasted or not. It stands to reason that you ought to come up out of the baptismal waters better than you went in. ‘Cause Jesus went under the Jordan as a carpenter, but he came out the Christ! He’s the same person, but drenched with a different direction. His being was the same, but his doing took a radical turn, that kept him in hot water the rest of his days.
Not a bad definition of repentance is it? It has little to do with sin, but everything to do with change. That’s what made the Wise Men wise. When Herod instructed them to come back by the palace after they found the Child, so he could “worship him.” Matthew says “They went back home a different way.” That’s a good model of repentance. To change our old ways, try something new, God's way. In that sense, Jesus repented. He went down into the water of baptism his own person, a private man, and he came out God's person, a public figure, destined to be at the center of religious and political controversy. That's something of what baptism meant for Jesus.
So Jesus took the trouble to get baptized, just like he left heaven and came down to earth. And put on the clothes of humanity when he could’ve stayed God. He submitted to be submerged, when he could’ve stood over on the dry banks and supervised. That’s what’s so great about Jesus: he wasn’t too good to be one of us. Jesus has always served from within our midst, never standing outside: identifying with us, taking on human skin, wading into the water with us, joining us on a tree, to show us how it's done; not just tell us.
Think about this: If Jesus had not been baptized, that would’ve been a sin! He who had every right to separate himself from us, to not be one of us or with us, that would’ve been sin! But he took the plunge alongside the rest. And so it happened that “he who was without sin” got baptized by John to avoid the sin of standing apart. We have a Messiah who’s not our dictator but our Servant; one who never asks us to go anywhere he’s never been first; from dust to ashes, through Gethsemane’s garden, from the stable to the grave, Jesus knows what we’re up against and still talked about “abundant life.” He chose to be a part of earth-things in order to carry out the purposes of heaven-things. That’s a Savior I can get next to. One qualified by baptism.
In Alice Walker's novel, The Color Purple, she gives a striking example of identification that sheds light on why Jesus was baptized. The main character, Celie, has a son who was raised by her sister, a missionary in Africa. He falls in love with a girl there and wants to marry her and bring back home to America with him. The girl refuses his proposal, because she’s afraid of being rejected in this country, and for good reason. Because she had scars branded on her face from a tribal ceremony. She feared that in America, her husband would find other women more attractive and desert her. But he assured her of his love. And to show that he meant it, the young man had marks identical to hers cut into his own face. That’s solidarity.
You may also recall your own baptism, if you had one. I remember mine well. I was only a youth, but I remember who did it, when it was done, and what I had on. And I sure remember the temperature of the water! I even have a dated certificate to prove I was baptized in 1950. I guess so someday I might wanta go to heaven! But it's not as important how I was baptized as it is that I was baptized. And whether or not I’ve wasted it. All my life, I’ve tried to make my baptism mean something. Because like anything that matters, baptism becomes real only when you put into practice what it stands for. And an awful lot of people never make it to that point, because they either don’t remember it, or they get bogged down over methodology that divides us. We’re great at twisting things to split over!
Yeah Jesus got baptized. That was Jesus’ ordination, where his identity was affirmed and his calling solidified. And that’s the only agenda this church needs: to be who we are, and do what God wants us to do. So our word today is don’t waste your baptism. As long as we don’t forget our identity as God’s children who is well-pleased with us; or neglect our mission to serve others in his name, we can know that our baptism will mean something to somebody. When John baptized Jesus in the Jordan long ago, it was not wasted. Let us not waste ours.
Prayer: God of the deep waters, hear the prayers of your baptized people, as we try to be faithful to our baptismal promises. Yours is the water that washes us clean. Yours is the death that saves us from the grave. Now may yours be the life that we now live through Christ our Lord, who makes love believable, and eternal life possible. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Back |
