1/9: The Baptism of the Lord - God enters our sin

 

The Baptism of Christ

(Joachim Patinir: 1480-1524)

"Here is my servant . . . my chosen one."

The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010922.cfm

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is essentially the second of three epiphanies of Jesus.  Yes, while we are most accustomed to THE Epiphany, the famed visit of the Magi to the child Jesus and his mother, if we look at the Gospels we would see essentially three instances in which Jesus revealed to the world a window, a new light, of who he is: God become human among us. The Magi symbolize the wider world, the Gentiles, and how the world as a whole came to recognize that God had become human among us.

The second “epiphany” is that of our feast today, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist.  As our Lord is baptized, he comes out of the water and the Holy Spirit appears in “bodily form,” and a voice is heard: “This is my Son . . .”  The Son appears on earth to walk among us and share the fullness of the broken human condition.

 The third epiphany? Next Sunday we hear of the wedding at Cana where Jesus follows the lead of his mother and breaks upon the scene by turning water in to wine.  In that way, the first of his public miracles, he reveals to his disciples that he is not just an ordinary rabbi.  God is at work through him in an unprecedented way. 

But if you’ve ever pondered the question as to why Jesus was baptized you would be exactly in sync with the early Church which asked that same question. As the argument went: John preached a baptism of repentance from sin.  If Jesus submitted to John’s baptism, he must have been with sin. Yet, if our claim that Jesus is divine is true, how could he be with sin? And, if he is without sin, why would he be baptized?  So goes the issue round and round.

One historical comparison may help.  During the Second World War England and in particular the city of Londan became a target by the German air force.  In 1940 that famed city was bombed and destroyed most of the infrastructure of the city.  But, what about the Royal family, the King and Queen in particular.  King George and Queen Elizabeth, the parents of the present Queen Elizabeth II, were inside Buckingham palace on the day of the bombing on Friday 13th, 1940.  

What did they do?  Flee to the countryside? Leave the nation to fend for itself? More than one advisor strongly urged them to leave for the sake of saving their lives and the monarchy. Yet, despite their privilege and position, they remained in the city.  They shared the experience of that tragedy and literally went to the people to encourage them and build up their lives. To give them confidence and hope.  They entered the broken experience of the people and in the end built up the city and nation and won great esteem from the people. 

That is something of the same as to why Jesus was baptized.  Though there was no need for him to do so, yet he entered our sinful broken lives and invites us to share in his.  To remain with us in solidarity, to face the enemy of evil and division, and to heal and bring hope to humanity by calling us to the cleansing waters of baptism and inviting us to now share in his mission.  

The Gospel passage from Luke this Sunday brings us to see the result of what Jesus has done. Luke writes: “After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying . . .” One could imagine that Jesus had simply slipped into the crowd or patiently stood in line with the others, remained unnoticed, was baptized by John, and followed out of the water blending into the masses while quietly walking away in prayer.  So, it seems according to Luke and not without possibility at first. Yet, we know there must be something far more significant here.

As we come to the end of this year’s Christmas celebrations our attention now turns to another scene of revealing Christ to the world; this second epiphany. Today’s Baptism of the Lord reminds us of the process through which the curtains were drawn open for the world to receive the long awaited Savior.  Or as John says in the Gospel (Lk 3: 15ff) today: “The people were filled with anticipation . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Likewise, our first reading from Isaiah 40 says: “Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together . . .” The curtains are open and the spotlight shifts from John to Jesus as John fades from the scene.  Jesus is the One.

It reveals the truth of who Jesus is and uncovers part of that mystery. He is indeed God from God and light from light as we state in our Creed yet he is also fully human. His sinless condition did not make baptism necessary for him but for our sake it did.  In the act of submission to John’s baptism Jesus reveals to us not only who he is but in the same way who we are and what we are called to become. In being baptized our Lord took upon him our sinful nature and joined himself to us in the full experience of human life.  This great act of mercy for humanity is profound as it brings us the true hope of eternal life.

The other may be a more complex question - that of sin itself.  Do we sin because we are human? Does the baptism of Jesus become necessary because we are inherently a sin-prone people? We casually say that “no one is perfect” so is that just the way things are for us?  Do we uncomfortably put up with greed, lust, selfishness, violence, deception, pride, gluttony, killing and rampant evil because we are “only human?”

Jesus’ baptism shows us that to be fully human we are called to a higher moral standard.  We don’t sin because we are “just human.”  We sin because we are weak.  That guilt of original sin we speak of, first committed when humanity turned away from God through free choice, is washed away in baptism so the grace of the same Spirit which descended on Jesus at the Jordan may come on us. While baptism isn’t some sort of magic that will transform everything instantly it opens the door to faith and solidarity with Christ as Lord and savior.

Jesus showed us the better side of human nature and what direction our lives must turn to; what God’s intent is for us. That sin and selfishness, greed and pride, violence and hatred should not rule our world.  Jesus’ own entrance into our history makes all that possible by the Gospel he revealed to us.  His entrance on our stage is a new light, the brightest light to follow and emulate.  Compassion, mercy, love, healing are virtues of strength not weakness. That God wishes solidarity with all of humanity and offers to send his Holy Spirit to all who seek it and live by it. Our mission then is that of Christ himself and the Spirit received in baptism compels us outward to be missionaries of the Gospel of Christ himself.

During one weekly Sunday Angelus at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis stated the same reminder: “We Christians must do this: replace malice with innocence, replace power with love, replace pride with humility, and replace status with service.  Being disciples of the Lord means . . . not assuming closed attitudes but rather proposing the Gospel to everyone; bearing witness by our lives that following Jesus makes us freer and more joyous.” (Angelus: 1/19/14).

In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist we are intimately joined to Christ as our Word and our food.  Likewise we stand in solidarity with each other in forgiveness, love, support and our spiritual life.  Here we are strengthened to go out and be truly human and more authentically the presence of Jesus in the world of today. As we are baptized into Christ we preach his mission not by words alone but more convincingly by good example.  

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O God, whose Only Begotten Son

has appeared in our very flesh,

grant, we pray, that we may be inwardly transformed

through him whom we recognize

as outwardly like ourselves.

Who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever. 

(Opening Prayer of Mass)