Isaiah 43:1-7 (NRSV)
- Thus says the Lord,
- he who created you, O Jacob,
- he who formed you, O Israel:
- Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
- I have called you by name, you are mine.
- When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
- and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
- when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
- and the flame shall not consume you.
- For I am the Lord your God,
- the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
- I give Egypt as your ransom,
- Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
- Because you are precious in my sight,
- and honored, and I love you,
- I give people in return for you,
- nations in exchange for your life.
- Do not fear, for I am with you;
- I will bring your offspring from the east,
- and from the west I will gather you;
- I will say to the north, "Give them up,"
- and to the south, "Do not withhold;
- bring my sons from far away
- and my daughters from the end of the earth--
- everyone who is called by my name,
- whom I created for my glory,
- whom I formed and made."
Psalm 29 (BCP., p.620)
Acts 8:14-17 (NRSV)
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
Blog Reflection
I would like to begin by pointing out the similarity between the First Sunday after the Epiphany which appears two weeks and five days after Christmas, and Pentecost Sunday. They are both point us to the Third Person of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit. They also display another comparison that we might want to pay attention to. They both talk about the intimate connection between Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and a defining moment in Salvation History.
The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ appears to be a turning point in the revelation of God. Jesus who's Epiphany we celebrated last Sunday with the visit of the Magi, now shows another manifestation. Jesus was no ordinary guy taking a bath. He was the fulfillment of the promise of God. Such a fulfillment would not conclude with this revelation of God in Christ. On the contrary, would be one of many narratives of God becoming tangible, while still remaining mysterious.
Though the reading from Isaiah has it's own context and history which should not be disregarded, it does shed some light on Jesus' Baptism and what that would mean for those who would follow in his footsteps. In the reading, the Second Isaiah is drawing from the historical significance of Israel's redemption through the Red Sea. He is recognizing that in the midst of hardships and disappointments, we tend to forget that God has acted on our behalf in the past, and is still present now. Though God is doing something new in the here and now, we need not cling to what is behind us completely, but, we must place our hands in God's and move forward. We must move forward with God, even though we are approaching what is unfamiliar and what most disturbs us. Stability in God is about being true to where God is leading us, even if it challenges and/or changes what we have previously understood.
I understand the mystery [of Christ's Baptism] as this. The column of fire went before the people of Israel through the Red Sea so that they could follow their brave journey; the column went first through the waters to prepare a path for those who followed. As the Apostle Paul said, what was accomplished then was the mystery of Baptism. Clearly it was Baptism in a certain sense when the cloud was covering the people and bringing them through the water.
But Christ the Lord does all these things: in the column of fire he went through the sea before the people of Israel; so now, in the column of his body, he goes through Baptism before the Christian people. At the time of the Exodus the column provided light for the people who followed; now it gives light to the hearts of believers. Then it made a firm pathway through the waters; no it strengthens the footsteps of faith in the bath of Baptism. (Liturgy of the Hours, Volume I, Advent and Christmas Seasons. p.613).
In the reading from Acts we see an intimate connection between Baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. From a Sacramental point of view, we can see the relationship between Baptism and Confirmation. On a spiritual level, the grace of God through the waters of Baptism that cleanses us from sin and makes us part of the family of God, is later Confirmed by that same magnificent grace through the Apostolic ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. As is the case in our Baptismal Covenant on page 416 and 417 that grace is bestowed upon us, but not without our own commitment to Christ and the Church, which includes the love of neighbor and striving fore peace and justice among all people, and that we respect the dignity of every human being. This commitment is not something we take upon our own accord, but we ascent to do so, with God's help.
How do we look to God's help to fulfill our Baptismal Covenant? How do we love our neighbors and respect the dignity of every human being?
We have witnessed some very powerful events over this past month about how wealth and power are far more important to many, than upholding the dignity of human life. When it is impressed upon us that it is much more urgent to address the issue of violence on video games, but not reduce the large number of assault weapons and high clip magazines in the hands of those who threaten the well-being of all of us, it is clear that life and dignity are not a priority. When Christianists continue to use violent rhetoric towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, individuals of different races, classes, cultures and religions, and Christians do not question but accept that kind of thing, our Baptismal Covenant does really mean more than a ritual we do not pay attention to.
As Jesus approached John to be Baptized, the question arises: If Jesus was without sin, why did he need to be Baptized?
For Jesus the emergence of John was God's call to action; and his first step was to identify himself with the people in their search for God.
But in Jesus' Baptism something happened. Before he could take this tremendous step he had to be shure that he was right; and in the moment of Baptism God spoke to him. Make no mistake, what happened in the Baptism was an experience personal to Jesus. The voice of God came to him and told him that he had taken the right decision. But more--far more--that very same voice mapped out all his course for him.
God said to him, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased'.......The Baptism shows us Jesus asking for God's approval and receiving the destiny of the Cross (p.45,46).
As the Holy Spirit confirms Jesus and the voice of God declares him as God's beloved, and approves and gives him a destiny, so does God do for us. Like Jesus who has the cross as that destiny, so do we. The Cross which will call on us to surrender our prejudices and selfishness for God's will in others who are different from ourselves. In other words, once we are given the destiny of the Cross, we also have the hope of the resurrection; meaning, new life. A life by which the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed so that She can move on our hearts and the hearts of others to end violence, oppression and the marginalization in society and the Church.
We are challenged here to recognize others as God's beloved in Christ. Whether they share our religious point of view or not. Whether they share our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression or not. Our race, cultural background, physical/mental challenge, language, wealth status, economic status do not make us any less beloved of God. If we are to live up to the promise in our Baptismal Covenant, then with God's help we must recognize in all persons, including ourselves, God's beloved, with whom God is well pleased.
Amen.
Prayers
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him
with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his
Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly
confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p. 214).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815).
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