Sharing Ourselves!
Luke 3:15-22 (The Baptism of our Lord!), January 13, 2013
Today we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. Baptism is incredibly important in the Christian Church. This is especially so in our Lutheran Church. For us Baptism is 1 of 2 sacraments. As Lutheran Christians we often baptize infants where at least one parent or grandparent is practicing Christian faith. There are reasons for all of this. We should know them. All of this is important for us as we attempt to live our faith in a culture that is increasingly unaware of religious meaning.
This morning we are encountered by Luke's account of Jesus baptism being, seeking to find its way into us. Now Luke's account is unique. He doesn't seem the least bit concerned about who baptized Jesus, or even the question of infant baptism. Luke has other concerns.
So, I share 2 "reflections". If I were to ask who you are, to encourage you to tell someone who doesn't know you at all about who you are in less than a minute how would you do that? (give them time to reflect)
Jesus' baptism in Luke's gospel is all about Jesus' identity – corporately and particularly. Hear verse 21. "Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized"... Many people had come out to be baptized – and Jesus is with them. Jesus identifies himself with all those who are being baptized. People like YOU and ME. People with gifts and strengths, creativity, imagination, hopes and dreams. People with shortcomings, failures. People who may have lost hope in themselves or others or been beaten up in systems they found themselves part of...
" When all the people were baptized and Jesus also had been baptized." Jesus does not separate himself from these people. He journeys with them – even in his baptism. This is important to know. We are not alone – especially because of our baptism!
A second "reflection". Have you ever noticed that sometimes those who are not even remotely connected to the Church have the most insightful observations about God? One evening a New Testament professor from Princeton Seminary visited a high school youth group. After the professor finished speaking about the meaning of Jesus' baptism as a revelation of God's presence in Jesus, one of the students remarked without looking up, "That ain't what it means." Glad that the student had been listening enough to disagree, the professor asked, "What do you think it means?" The young man responded, "The story says that the heavens were opened, right?" "Right." "The heavens were opened and the Spirit of God came down, right?" "That's right." The young man finally looked up and leaned forward, saying, "It means that God is at loose in the world. And THAT'S DANGEROUS!"
I wonder if you have ever thought about your "baptism" that way? That it is dangerous – this being joined to Jesus Christ and his mission in the world!? Sometimes we might think of baptism "Oh, isn't he/she cute – the tiny baby – dressed in white, so innocent, so beautiful". And the baby may be cute – even beautiful. But there's so much more to our baptism! There is, as Luke points out in Jesus' baptism, being joined to others – first and foremost, Jesus. That can be dangerous. For, when we are joined to Jesus, we are given his identity. And Jesus' identity is always for and with others. That is both exciting and dangerous! When we are with and for others, even as Jesus is – and things happen to them, we become involved because we are involved. These others can no longer be "other" to us any more. They are now our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, "children of the same heavenly Father/Mother"- these ones who are being wronged, taken advantage of, even including the ones who are doing the wrong. Such being involved is anything but easy! But it can be GOOD!
When I was much younger I wrestled with whether or not to become a Pastor. A little later I wrestled with whether or not to get married. And after that we wrestled with whether or not to try to have children. Nearly 8 years ago I began to wrestle with whether or not to leave Vernon and a people I deeply loved to move here and become your Pastor. In all of that wrestling some of the same questions kept coming up. If I undertake that particular journey- what might happen to me? It's a frightening question – because we can't know. Embarking on any new journey in faith, in trust of God and others is frightening because we don't know what's going to happen. We also realize we can't control what's going to happen. We may have a thumb nail sketch of some of the details of the situation that we are living in now – although I suspect we deeply overestimate our control of the same. But in facing something "new" - a new career, a change in jobs, marital status or even where the focus of our life /lives will be directed we become more aware of the unknown.
I am convinced that Jesus was often aware of the unknown. I also suspect that is one of the reasons that he regularly prayed: to be reminded that He wasn't alone, and to avail Himself of God the Father's help. Today we see that Jesus is praying after he has been baptized. It is then that the Holy Spirit comes down upon him in a bodily form as a dove.
Shortly after this Jesus is driven out into the wilderness to be tempted by the Evil One. Yes, part of being God's child is dangerous stuff. We too may be "driven" places – some of which in our naivete we may have chosen – others which if it had only been up to us, we would have never ventured. Once we are there we are called to embody our identity. Our identity is forged again and again through Water, Word and God's Spirit – through all that is thick and thin. We remain God's own children, deeply loved, NO MATTER WHAT!
HOLD ONTO THIS PROMISE, THIS REALITY! Hold onto it by gathering regularly with other followers of Jesus, those whom God keeps claiming often despite us and themselves. Hold onto God's promise when all our other "identities" fall away or are stripped from us. Life has a way of doing that. But along with this promise of God, also know that we have a purpose arising from our identity. Life's journey is part of this discovery. We are not alone. We are never abandoned by God – even though at times we may feel abandoned, neglected, even insignificant. When the tests come as they surely do: when our kids say they don't like us or worse; or when that friend or loved one we had so counted on, just can't or won't love us anymore, or when the job we had given ourselves so deeply to ends – there is One who will never leave us. We are joined to Him in the waters of baptism. And nothing, not even fire or death can take from us the life and identity God gives to us. This is our identity to be shared, to live from. We are God's children. So, we are called also to love and forgive others, by God's grace. Let's share ourselves! Amen.