The First Sunday
after the Epiphany, January 13, 2008
A Baptism for Us
The Rev. Robert B. Wood, St. Aidan’s
Episcopal Church, Alpharetta, Georgia
One of the great places in Georgia to
visit is Callaway Gardens. A few years ago, my family and I got to
visit, walk the trails, go to the butterfly habitat, and see a show at
the Nature Center called “Birds of Prey.”
There was a medium crowd on a chilly day
that got to see many talents, many talons. Owls with huge wing spans;
hawks with incredible eyes; eagles with majesty and power. I’d seen
many of these birds on TV before—like watching the war eagle descend
before an Auburn game. But being right there, up close, was pretty
cool.
And as you might guess, there were no
smaller birds around in the show, no doves or anything that might let
the hawk show off the power of its talons. Nevertheless, I can
envision what it would look like for a dove to come in for a
landing…much like we hear the Holy Spirit did that day by the Jordan
river…descending beautifully, gently like a dove…not in the form
of a dove, but like a dove…anointing Jesus with words of favor
from God.
The story of Jesus’ baptism comes around
each year about now, two or three weeks after the story of Jesus’
birth. In that short time (on our calendar) Jesus has gone from
infant to adult. The small group of witness around the manger has
turned in to a large flock of men and women by the Jordan River. But
unlike Bethlehem, all the people had not come there to see Jesus.
They had come to repent, to listen to John the Baptist. What they
ended up hearing was God, whose words and actions anoint his son and
begin his public ministry.
In truth, I wonder if this baptism was
an event for Jesus or an event for us? I mean, did it do something
for him—change him, give him confidence, or something—or was the
benefactor of his baptism really us?
It’s not like his baptism is a lot like
ours anyway—except for the water. Ours is for the forgiveness of sin;
he was sinless. Ours is for inclusion in the body of Christ. There
is never a time when the son of God was unincluded. Jesus goes into
the water and comes out the same. We go into the waters of baptism
and come out different people—reconciled, forgiven, in Christ, and
bonded to God. Jesus baptism did not establish his bond to God and
Holy Spirit, but it made that bond known to humanity. That’s why I
believe his baptism is more for us, not so much for him.
How then do we benefit? Well for one,
we hear directly from God. Not through a prophet. Not on Stone
tablets. Those were good, but God’s voice is better. Second, we get
an important good glimpse of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit—together in one place. It’s moments like these that people
looked back on as the faithful came to understand the three in one and
one in three. So here is the Son in the water, God speaking from
heaven, and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. We also benefit
that the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, not an eagle with a power
of the earth, or a hawk to spy out sin, or even a wise owl. [The
Holy Spirit is often connected to wisdom, you know.] But here—a dove.
The dove is a stranger to malice. It
is not feared for its beak and talons…no weapons or arrows. What was
it when Noah sent out a bird for signs of hope? A dove—who returned
with an olive branch—and here is another. Descending like a dove, the
Holy Spirit shows a new olive branch to humanity—“not [to just] one
family from the ark, but [to] the whole human family.” (John
Chrysostym)
That
olive branch—the new hope for the world—is Jesus himself. That makes
the power of dove the power of love…heard in the words God speaks:
“This is my son, the beloved.” This is the one I love, and through
him, my love will come to you.
One thing that did not come from the sky
that day was fire-and-brimstone. Not a moment for the future church
to plug into Lent. Truthfully, Jesus’ baptism is almost as far from
Good Friday as you can be. Yes, this is an Epiphany moment—an ah-ha
after seeing God’s public display of salvation and His display of
love.
Matthew has painted this picture for us,
and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words…or are the 12
words enough? “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well
pleased.” This are the main words we need to hear—and more than
likely good for Jesus to hear too. Would those words go to his head?
Give him a superiority complex? Keep him above the fray? Or will the
words go to his heart? Influencing the way he will reach out to
others—disciples, tax collectors, men, women, criminals.
What about the hearts of those on
Jordan’s banks? They’d come out that day with hearts heavy from sin.
Will they be moved to draw closer to this Jesus? And you? Will those
words (“well pleased,” “beloved”) make it to your heart? To know
Jesus as a loved Son…and to know yourself as in Christ by your
baptisms, and therefore beloved hiers? Will you understand yourself,
your being, differently after hearing them? Basically, can you accept
your acceptance? Can you really receive the gift of love that was
meant for you?
There are some who may not—some who will
just see barriers—even when love and opportunity are right in front of
them. A priest from England—and a few generations back—named George
Herbert—wrote about those feelings himself—and love’s enduring
response. His poetic words provide for me an “ah-ha” moment every
time I read them.
Love, (III) by
George Herbert
Love bade me
welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust
and sin.
But quick-eyed
love, observing me grow slack,
From my first
entrance in,
Drew nearer to me,
sweetly questioning,
If I lack’d
anything.
A guest, I
answer’d, worthy to be here:
Love said: You
shall be he.
I the unkind,
ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannon look
on thee.
Love took my hand,
and smiling did reply,
Who made the
eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I
have marr’d them: let my shame
Go where it
doth deserve.
And know you not,
says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I
will serve.
You must sit down,
says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit
and eat.
This day, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
bid you welcome. Love from heaven bids you welcome. May the Love of
God and his beloved Son descend upon you as a dove, inspire your
soul, your building of family and church, your engagement of work and
world.
Do not draw back, but be drawn in by
God’s holy gift of love.
© The Rev. Robert B. Wood. All Rights
reserved.
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