Baptism of the Lord

Luke does two significant things in his presentation of the baptism of Jesus.  First, he gets John the Baptist out of the picture as quickly as possible.  Luke allows John to say, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.”  This points out clearly that John was the forerunner to the main event.  Then his final words: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  Exit John.

The second thing Luke does is to ignore the actual moment of Jesus being baptized.  He doesn’t say anything about the baptism.  What is important happens after it is over, when Jesus is praying.  Then, the heavens open.  Then, the Holy Spirit comes “in bodily form like a dove.”  And it is then that the voice speaks – while Jesus is praying.  Luke wants us to focus on the words spoken.  “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  Listen again to those beautiful, tender words.  “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

These words are heavy with meaning.  They refer back to the Hebrew Scriptures.  Jesus knew the book of Isaiah and those portions we call the Servant Songs.  These are poems in which God speaks about his servant and says: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.”  This servant was the one sent to bring justice to the nations.  He was marked by compassion, and would not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick.  This servant was the one sent as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind and bring freedom to captives.

Jesus heard a voice speaking to him and a road opened before him.  He knew it was the truth, God’s truth.  And in this truth was his calling.  That’s the meaning of the word vocation – a calling.  And the Spirit who came in bodily form was the spirit of truth, God’s truth.

This feast of the Baptism of Jesus invites us to think of our own baptism, that event which first told us who we are and what we are to do in life.  Sometimes we forget, or lose awareness of its meaning, or even ignore it.  But God called to us at our baptism: “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Our calling is to live as beloved, as one who pleases God.  We are daughters and sons in the beloved Jesus.  We have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  We are the body of Christ in the world, sent to bring justice and compassion, to be a light in our world, salt that gives savor, and bread for the hungry.

We are to know we are and always will be God’s beloved, swept up into the mystery of the dying and rising of Jesus, and the new life possible in the Holy Spirit.  We are called to continue the journey, together, as a community, in his name.  Coming out of the water and listening to the voice that calls is a lifelong task.  Like Jesus, we need to listen again and again for the voice of God.  And we will need to make decisions.  Notice that Luke’s Jesus is constantly going off to pray.  And this calls for a going out into the world, taking on the mission of Jesus: to be light, savory salt, fresh bread, and rich wine, beloved daughters and sons in whom God forever delights.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor