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Waters of PromiseJanuary 13, 2008 Baptism of Our Lord There is no audio file for this week's sermon. Sometimes the gospel is quite simple, and often when it is most simple it is most difficult to accept. This is especially true for preachers. We’re trained to look deep into our sacred texts in order to excavate what to ordinary eyes and ears goes unnoticed. Yet I fear that, more often than we are willing to admit, our excavating overlooks an important truth begging to be proclaimed, yet for some reason is kept at some distance. It was Mark Twain who once said, “It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” [1] True indeed. Yet even (and perhaps mostly) in their occasional simplicity, the gospels and the One of whom they speak remain complex and mysterious, and maybe that is why Jesus still looms so largely 2,000 years after his birth. Jaroslav Pelikan, the great Yale historian, did not overstate it when he said, “Regardless of what anyone may think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries.” [2] Just think about the many faces of Jesus we’re titillated with today. In some circles he’s the “personal savior” who offers forgiveness of sins and assurance of heaven. In others he is “Christ the King,” enthroned on high as judge of the world punishing the wicked and rewarding the righteous. (If you’re wondering what this Jesus looks like, just look up into our apse mosaic. You can’t miss him). There’s Jesus the conservative Republican, and Jesus the liberal Democrat. There’s Jesus your friend who walks with you and talks with you, and there’s “Prosperity Jesus” who is invoked chiefly as the provider of financial abundance and personal fulfillment. There’s Jesus the fiery social reformer, and Jesus the hard-edged cultural warrior for family values. And let’s not forget Dan Brown/DaVinci Code Jesus who teaches cryptic, mysterious sayings, marries his prostitute lover, father’s children who grow up to rule the world in secret, and establishes a Church whose sole purpose is to conquer the world and keep everyone ignorant. In other words, there’s a Jesus for every single one of us, but there’s no guarantee that he’s the same person. It’s hard to reconcile all these different images of Jesus with what we have read earlier in our service. The prophet Isaiah anticipates a messiah for Israel and describes him as such: “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will await his instruction.” (Is. 42.1-4) In our Epistle lesson, St. Peter, having been filled with the Spirit of God, stands before a mass of people and describes Jesus in this way, ‘You know the message God sent to Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – he is Lord of all…He went about doing good and delivering those who were oppressed…for God was with him. [They] put him to death, but God raised him from the dead…’(Act 10 selections, paraphrased). Matthew records that at his baptism in the River Jordan God said about Jesus – “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” That’s it. Who is Jesus according to these texts? The answer is actually quite simple: He is God’s beloved, who came to preach peace, to do good, to deliver those who are oppressed, and who will bring justice to the nations. Their collective image of Jesus is consistent. Jesus’ mission is a tall order, to be sure, but you might be wondering: what exactly does it have to have to do with life in New York City at the beginning of the 21st century? The same thing it has at all time and in all places: everything. Remember that earlier I said that what is simple is often harder to accept, and I believe that is so in this case because here’s the point: the simple identity presented of Jesus in today’s readings is also intended to be our own. In our baptisms we claimed several things: a) that we die to our old selves, our old sin, our old ways of being and thinking, old aspirations and visions of our life; b) we are raised to a new life – a life characterized (defined) by the life of Jesus, in whose name we are baptized; his purpose or vocation becomes ours – to bring justice to the earth, to preach peace, to do good, to deliver those who are oppressed, and to trust that we are God’s beloved, as is everyone who comes our way; c) lastly, we become part of the community of Jesus that seeks to live that life together, and who together are committed to creating the world he died for. So what this means is that at our baptisms, regardless of where and when they took place, we were given to one another. We became family. Suddenly that simple identity isn’t so simple. No wonder we look to Jesus the friend, or “Prosperity Jesus,” or even “Dan Brown Jesus” because that Jesus works for us, not we for him. It keeps Jesus a distant, mysterious presence rather than the brother and savior who claims our lives as his own. And in claiming us Jesus gives us our true calling, or vocation in life. A.J. Conyers has said of vocation, “'Vocation' is distorted by two disastrous misunderstandings: a secularized idea of 'career' and a monastic concept of the religious life. Both are less than the biblical idea of vocation... Vocation is about being raised from the dead, made alive to the reality that we do not merely exist, but are 'called forth' to a divine purpose." [3] So friends, the baptisms we remember today - Jesus’ and our own - remind us that Baptism itself is not a rite of passage or simply a family celebration. Baptism is that moment when we are marked as Christ’s own forever and given our life’s purpose. That’s why we remember and renew it each year, because in doing so we are reminded of our vocation, our divine purpose in life, and together we celebrate our recommitment to it. My most memorable baptism took place a few years ago. The child I was baptizing was older than the normal baptismal candidate and so she had some conception of what was about to happen to her. She arrived at church early that day and was in the sanctuary before me. As I walked in shortly before the service was to begin she spotted me. With a joy and enthusiasm I rarely see, she pointed at me and exclaimed in a loud voice, “Hey, you’re going to baptize me today!” She was grinning from ear to ear. It caught me off guard, but I responded to her by saying, “Yes I am. Now tell me, why are you so excited about it?” And with a calm, matter of fact confidence she said, “Because I’m going to be part of God’s family.” And it really is that simple and that grand. What we celebrate today is our place, our vocation, our calling as the great and glorious family of God. That little girl knew she was God’s beloved, and she was proud to be a part of God’s family. Do you know it? Do you trust it? Aren’t you proud to be a part of this great tradition and family of faith? If so, take your place at the river, remember your baptism, celebrate it, and then, dripping with the waters of promise, let’s go out together to live our divine vocation. [1] Mark Twain, public domain. Previous sermon: Spiritual Entrepreneurs • Next sermon: The Rev. Dr. Richard Lischer, guest preacher All past sermons |
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