January 13, 2019

Cate Thorn

Baptism of Jesus     Isaiah 43:1-7     Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Today we celebrate the feast of the baptism of Jesus. It marks the next step in Jesus’ life as we patch together a sketchy biography from gospel accounts. First Jesus prophesied birth, then his naming in Jewish ritual of belonging, last week his significance honoured by Magi outsiders to the tradition. Each is hint and clue in this building story of Jesus’ significance. Today Jesus is baptised by John the baptiser. John prophecies of One to come who’s to inaugurate something new, new yet in continuity with the God of Jewish tradition. In short order Jesus comes, one of many to be baptised with a baptism of repentance, yet only upon Jesus, Luke tells us, does the Holy Spirit descend like a dove, “You are my Son the beloved, with you I am well pleased,” are the words bestowed upon Jesus from heaven.

After forty days being led by the Holy Spirit in wilderness places, Jesus returns. Almost immediately people are drawn to Jesus, to his teaching, as if mantle of leadership is bestowed on him. For those who tell Jesus story, his baptism marks a significant transition in his life. As if it’s a revelation moment for Jesus from which he steps into his identity, his vocation.

So it is, the Christian tradition asserts, for those who choose to be Christ followers. Baptism was a marker point of identity in Jesus’ life, so it is for those who want to emulate Jesus way of living and being and choose baptism. “In baptism,” the baptismal service declares “you are marked as Christ’s own forever.” Baptism marks a significant transition. Over time it’s come to be understood as a requirement for discipleship, by extension a requirement for inclusion as God’s own. This can lend some anxiety to the sacrament of baptism. Doubt lingers – if baptism puts people “in” are those not baptised somehow “out” of God’s care? Does this suggest a human institution has power to deem some included and thereby some excluded, denied fullness of God relationship? 

But listen to the beautiful words of Isaiah, “Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters … they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, the flame shall not consume you.” And why? “Because you are precious in my sight and honoured and I love you. Do not fear, for I am with you I will bring … I will gather you … everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

These words historically predate Jesus’ baptism. Jesus inhabits the tradition from which they come. Through, out of this tradition, redolent with words of love, of desire for relationship, John urges people to be baptised and “all the people and Jesus also” choose to be baptised. John urges people to turn to the One who calls, creates and loves them into being. Urges them to respond, accept their identity as one’s beloved, one’s who are to bring such ‘God-ness’ to life. God desires, initiates and gifts identity and relationship yet the choice to engage is left in human hands. In Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism, Jesus initiates with his choice, the direction of movement is then from God to Jesus, the Holy Spirit descends and a voice comes from heaven. Jesus’ identity is affirmed, he’s named as God’s uniquely beloved. 

Is our response necessary for God to love us? Is choosing to follow a religious way necessary for us to be included in God’s care? In his book ‘The Great Partnership,’ Jonathan Sacks writes, “The statement that every human being is in God’s image precedes both the universal covenant with Noah in Gen 9 and the particular covenant with Abraham in Gen 17, to tell us our humanity precedes our religious identity, whatever that may be.” Jonathan at time of writing was Chief Rabbi, firmly located in the Jewish faith. As Christians we’d claim a further covenant made in and through Christ, all such covenants are human response to God’s initiative.

If our being human, made in God’s image grants us divine reflection, what of religion? Does baptism make a difference? The church understands baptism as the sacrament through which people are made members of the body of Christ, the church. United in Christ, they gain access to God, to salvation, are saved. It can’t be denied - this expresses the tradition of the Christian church and its practices of faith. With integrity, the church seeks by this to express the immense gift of God in Christ. Efficacious is a word used of baptism, something changes. 

Baptised, not baptised, religious, not religious, in our journey through life does it make a difference? If you’re baptised, religious, it makes a difference, if you’re not it’s a moot point. Baptism marks a beginning, perhaps of an intention to orient our living in a particular way, a decision to look for and expect to find divine fingerprint all over creation. The “quite how?” well, let me leave you with part of a poem. A bit tongue in cheek, it names some of the challenges of joining a Christianity of journey rather than of destination, it’s by comic poet, entertainer and all-round lover of words Jude Simpson:

I ask you, what’s the answer, and you just ask me questions,
and I’m like, “hello, I thought you were God?” 
Can’t I just download you, pay-as-I-go to decode you

 - a quick fix listen on my i-pod?

I ask you, what’s the answer, and you say, “where does the wind blow?”
Well, if Dylan couldn’t find it, then I won’t get too far.
What’s with all this mystery? How can you say, “follow me”
when I don’t even know where you are?

Your religion needs a makeover, you’ve got to de-clutter.
Make it softer, gooier and spreadable like butter.
I need a faith I can talk about and not sound like a nutter.
You ought to be easy to follow.

Like, a hop-on-and-off open-top bus ride,
a manual with A to Z tabs down the side,
I want a sat-nav path to heaven, not a Lonely Planet guide.
I wish you were easy to follow.

I want a Roman road map to instant glory
a happy-ending-ever-after chick lit story
and you just tell me another foggy allegory
featuring corn and sheep and wine and clay pots.

What are you like? Do you want followers or not?
Far be it from me to tell you what’s what,
but if you did make it easier I’m sure you’d get a lot more believers, Jesus.

Give me bite-sized thoughts in a faith shape sorter,
No more spilt blood or living water,
just a pint-sized god who’s a straight talker.
Make it easy to follow.

I want fruit-flavoured shots of the Holy Spirit,
bite-sized, trite truths in Boyband lyrics
“love” and “above” – yeah, that should fill it.
Make it easy to follow.

I want facts on a plate – don’t want to have to question any,
artificial roses every 14th of February.
I want simple faith – blind if necessary.
Why aren’t you easy to follow?

You say, “you are not my servant, now you are my friend”.
You say, “I will be with you until the bitter end”.
And I’m like, “why bitter? – I wanted happiness on prescription.
Isn’t that the whole point of getting religion?
And besides, friendship’s harder – can’t I just buy the subscription?”
Can’t you be easy to follow?

Give me a clear-cut structure, not a friendship’s fragilities,
favourable rights with few responsibilities.
I could follow that plan – yeah – religiously.
That would be easy to follow.

I want Quicktime cut-price broadband access.
Simple principles, easily practiced.
Directly transactional prayers – the fact is,
my time is precious, so why should I work?
Why should treasure always require a search?

I want a message that’s acceptable without having to plead it,
that’ll make people instantly realise they need it.
Yeah, thanks for the Bible – but have you tried to read it?
You need to be easy to follow.

I want all the answers set out in a paperback
of less than fifty pages, in the buy-now-read-it-later rack
I’ll skim it on the train down to visit Auntie Kate 

and back – nice and easy to follow.

Everyone will warm to its convenient slimness.
It’ll be easily digestible and provoke a certain tingliness,
and every answer will be one sentence long, universally applicable, 

and in English.
That would be easy to follow.

You see, I think you need to focus and refine your vision,
if you want to market the brand they call “Christian”.
I say, “give me clarity”, you say, “will you marry me?”
With all due respect, Jesus, I don’t think you were cut out for religion. [1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jW1HpPhnpg