Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:1-11

Sunday, January 11, 2009

First Sunday after Epiphany

Baptism of the Lord

Life with children is at once challenging, inspiring, frustrating and rewarding. For those of you who have or are now raising kids, I’m not telling you anything new. They try our patience one minute and melt our hearts the next. They confound us with their ability to ignore the obvious (unmade beds, dirty clothes on the floor, toys scattered about so much that a person can’t even walk across the room) and then they amaze us with their ability to see things we have long forgotten how to look at. They see beauty in the world with amazing clarity -- like the “sparklies” the morning sun makes as it shines off the frost on the car windshield, or those pretty, bright yellow flowers in our yards that we call dandelion weeds. We cringe at their brutal honesty when they so freely point out, “Daddy, your belly is big and soft,” and we are moved at their genuine honesty when they hug tightly, kiss wetly and say nightly “I love you.” They see, do and say things far differently than we adults do. One of the things I fear as I watch my own children grow is the loss of their unique perspective.

I suspect that I am not alone when I say that as we get older (I mean more mature) we often assume that there is only one way to look at the world – our way and our way is the right way! When we limit “truth” to only existing in our way of seeing things, we often fail to perceive and receive the many surprises and blessing God offers us. When we open our eyes, however, and allow ourselves to see things from a different perspective – like looking through the eyes of a child – we are often able to experience God in ways we never imagined. We move beyond simply seeing what we know to being able to know what we see.

Our Gospel text this morning is an example for us where people have often failed to see the whole picture. Consider again what Mark is describing. The scene opens with John the Baptizer being identified as fulfilling the ancient prophecy of a messenger coming to prepare the way of the Lord. This preparation included John preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. “I baptize you with water,” he says, “but one is coming after me who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Then Jesus shows up and was baptized by John. Mark makes it clear that something special, something important is happening. As he comes up out of the waters of the Jordan, Jesus has a vision. He sees the heavens being ripped open. The Greek word used is schizo and it means literally ‘torn apart.’ It is unique to Mark. The only other time Mark uses this word is to describe the curtain being ripped apart from top to bottom at Jesus’ crucifixion.

Jesus sees the Holy Spirit descended on him. Again the Greek is much more descriptive – literally the Spirit is descending into him. He hears a voice from heaven calling him “beloved Son” and expressing pleasure, giving approval for his obedience.

In Jesus, through Jesus, Mark sees God acting in a decisive way. The kingdom of God is being inaugurated. Jesus’ baptism, in Mark’s Gospel, is the epiphany event for Mark. God’s presence in the world is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Baptismal rites were not new to the Jews of Jesus’ day. They had been around for a while. Jews baptized Gentiles who wanted to become Jews – it was an act to wash away the godless culture, the unbelief, the unfaith of the Gentile world. The Qumran community practiced a washing ritual very similar to baptism. These practices certainly had the understood component of cleansing. Even today our baptismal rituals have cleansing as a component. But to limit our understanding of Baptism to only being an act of cleansing, of washing away of sins, is to miss the whole point of the water ritual.

We bathe as an act of preparation. Before we put on clean clothes, we bathe. Before we go out to a party or take our boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse out to eat we bathe. Before we go to work or go to church, or do any number of other things we bathe. We bathe because of what we have planned for after the bath.

There is no birth story in Mark as there is in Matthew and Luke. In this Gospel, God comes to humankind not as a little baby but as Lord, Judge and Redeemer. In order for God’s peace and justice to be established, Christ must confront human sinfulness. This event as recorded by Mark is not meant to provide us information about any self-understanding Jesus suddenly came to recognize. Rather, Jesus’ baptism suggests that Jesus is preparing himself for his earthly ministry.

Just as Jesus’ baptism was an act of preparation, our baptism is a preparatory act as well. Today as we consider Jesus’ baptism, we need to hear anew John the Baptizer’s call to the people of first century Jerusalem. The Lord does not come to an unprepared people. Repentance and baptism are the means of preparing for the Lord’s arrival. That message is true for us today. You see, the biblical idea of repentance is not so much a turning away from sin as it is returning to God. In the exodus, God led the people who had returned to him. In Isaiah, God brings the exiles back when they returned to Him. These images of hope and renewal remind us that returning to God is the proper response to God’s grace.

As we remember the baptism of Jesus we are compelled to consider our own baptism. Baptism is not some rite in which we take a little bath. What God communicates to us through the sacrament of baptism enables us to look at life in a new way. Baptism prepares us for what comes after – living lives dedicated to Christ.

Consider the questions you respond to during baptism. Consider the words of the blessing over the water. Turn with me to page 50 in your hymnal.

(Baptismal Covenant IV)

When we allow the activities of our work and school to eat away at the time for family, for worship, for service to others, we are not living sacramental lives. We are not being faithful to the covenant we made. We turn from God. The good news is that we can still experience the rule of God in our lives. Jesus’ earthly ministry was all about turning the people back to God.

Baptism is not something we do. Baptism is not your act or my act or the church’s act. It is Christ’s act in the Church for the Church. By it we have been cleansed, we have been made part of the church and we have been prepared – prepared to live sacramentally, prepared to live committed lives in worship of and for Christ our risen Lord and prepared to serve others in our community in Christ’s name. It means remembering to look at things like children again, things that maybe we have lost sight of.

In a moment you will be invited to reaffirm your Baptism. You will have the opportunity, if you desire, to come touch the water; dip your hands in the water; touch the water to your forehead and to remember your baptism. When we are baptized God offers to us the same revelation, the relationship He has with Jesus. Because of Jesus’ baptism God gives us the opportunity to choose to receive the Spirit, the choice of divine childhood, the chance to live and act as God’s children in God’s family. It gives us identity. It gives us meaning. It gives us acceptance. It gives us purpose.

So, today, let us remember our baptism and be thankful.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.