1st Sunday after the Epiphany (Matthew 3:13-17)  01/09/2011

The celebration of the Baptism of our LORD

“Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him…” (Matt 3:17) Throughout the week I have been imagining John standing at the edge of the Jordan River, watching Jesus approach the crowd that surrounded John as he baptized them in the River. (As he watched Jesus approaching,) John must have thought, “now the real baptizing will begin,” but instead Jesus asks John to baptize him. John is surprised…what a curious request; the Messiah would like John to baptize him? As I considered how John must have felt in that moment, I thought of the curious events of life that we encounter and I was reminded of the classic children’s book written by E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web. White’s classic story of the “terrific” little pig Wilbur is full of curiosities. First, Wilbur was born the runt of a very large litter and his future did not look to be very long until he was saved by the protests of a young girl named Fern. Wilbur’s life was spared, but only to be sold to Farmer Zuckerman so the little pig could be fattened up and sold for Christmas dinner. Once again, Wilbur’s life was saved, but this time by an ingenious (or perhaps miraculous) spider named Charlotte. And so the story continues – every time the plot appears to be headed in the expected direction of “normal” life on the farm (and to the detriment of poor Wilbur) we are surprised to discover that the story has taken a curious turn in a new direction…a direction that causes everyone to wonder what could possibly be going on?

As we have now passed through the time of Christmastide, the curiosities of the Christmas story are no less puzzling than those experienced on Mr. Zuckerman’s farm. Joseph and Mary are required to travel to Bethlehem to be counted in a census just as Mary was about to give birth to her child (a long and difficult journey). The Christ-child was born in a manger rather than in a clean and comfortable home (a home befitting the King of kings). And now, on this Sunday after the celebration of the Epiphany we hear Jesus approach John and request to be baptized in the Jordan River. John confidently believed Jesus to be the Messiah and was surprised to be asked to baptize him. We hear in the Gospel, “John would have prevented him, saying “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” (Matt 3:14) Just a few verses earlier in Matthew’s Gospel account we hear John the Baptist tell the crowds, “I baptize you with water…[but] he (the Messiah) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matt 3:11) And now Jesus has asked John to baptize him; reassuring John in his protest by saying, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt 3:15) John quickly consented to Jesus’ wish and Jesus joined the people as one who was baptized in the river – publically joined with the community as one washed clean before God…and the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus. Although John resists the curious twist in the story, Jesus reassures him that this is meant to be…and God exclaims approval for all that has been done. John has learned an interesting lesson (a lesson for us as well) – life presents some curious twists, but the work of God just might be discovered in the midst of that surprising curiosity.

On this first Sunday after the Epiphany, we remember and celebrate the Baptism of our LORD Jesus Christ. And on this day we also reflect on the promise of baptism to us, God’s people, and the meaning of baptism in our lives. In our Baptismal Covenant (found on page 304 of BCP) we give thanks for the new life that comes from the saving waters of baptism and we make some promises: we promise to follow Christ, to resist the evil of sin, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ through word and deed, and to serve Christ by serving others. The promises of the Baptismal Covenant may seem to be a tall order and we might wonder how to live our lives in such a manner, a manner that could hope to achieve all that we have promised. But in the Baptismal prayers we pray that we may have hearts that are open to the grace and truth of God and be filled with God’s holy and life-giving Spirit. Baptism washes us clean and brings us into the promise of the death, resurrection and new life of Christ. In today’s world, those who follow Christ must be even more aware of the curious surprises of life because, like John at the River Jordan, we might not recognize the work of God as it enters into our lives. As God’s plan unfolds around us we may be called to participate in ways that seem surprisingly curious to us. But if our hearts are open to the grace and truth of God, our questions are answered with reassurance and we are strengthen and inspired to participate in the work of God in ways that we had never considered possible.

As E.B. White concludes his wonderful story of Charlotte’s Web, we discover that Wilbur, the terrific little pig, lived a long happy life on Zuckerman’s farm and was the most popular pig at the county fair. Who would have ever imagined that the little runt of the litter (the pig that was not supposed to amount to anything), would have lived such an amazing life? Wilbur’s amazing life was possible because a young girl and a creative spider dared to follow a path that presented some curious turns and twists. John the Baptist, reassured by the words of Jesus, dared to baptize his Lord and Savior in the River Jordan…and the heavens opened up in approval. As children of God, we are baptized into the new life of Christ; a new life that promises the eternal love of God; a new life that asks us to open our hearts to the possibilities of God’s grace and truth. The next time you are surprised by a curious turn of events, look closely around you, for Christ may be calling you to open your heart and act in a new way.

AMEN.