The Revolution to Change the World!
Baptism of Our Lord Year C
I discovered the cure for political blues. The cure for xenophobia. The cure for immigration paranoia. The cure for depression about our paralyzed central government. I recommend this cure for anyone. I found this goodness at the Federal Courthouse in Greeneville, TN. The courthouse was nearly empty when I arrived, but for our people. In a third floor courtroom, I witnessed a friend join a group of 42 others to become citizens of the United States of America. A Federal Judge presided, saying: “This is my favorite part of the job. You folks have worked so hard to get here and I am honored to welcome you as new citizens of this country.” He told them: “Your traditions will enrich our lives, and our traditions will enrich your lives.”
Then the group which hailed from 29 countries swore an oath. They forsook their prior allegiances to homelands and foreign political leaders. They vowed to support the Constitution. They promised to live as good citizens, to defend this country, to work for its good. The Judge told them that no matter who they were when they walked into that courtroom, they would walk out as American Citizens. He asked for a show of hands of those who had foreign born kids under the age of 16 at home. “When you swore this oath of citizenship,” he said, “Those children automatically became American citizens too.”
Citizenship is a revolutionary act. It is a revolt against anarchy, against personality cults. It is a revolt against chaos and injustice. It seems such a small thing… say a few words… sign your name and you’re in. But in reality, citizenship changes everything. Our morning scripture describes a revolutionary change even bigger than that.
Jesus’ people lived under the boot of Roman rule. A few profited handsomely, carrying water for the empire. Some hated the Romans so much they took matters into their own hands. A group called the Zealots were sort of the Al Qaeda of their day, violently opposing Roman rule. But most people in Palestine suffered silently; they tried to just get by, daring to hope that one day their land would be free. They waited for the long-expected Messiah God had promised to send his suffering people. “The Coming One” would usher in a new era of God’s rule on earth… and most folks longed for the revolution to begin.
This week’s scripture tells of a time when people gathered around John the Baptist in the Judean wilderness, near the Jordan River. They were “filled with expectation” when John told them that a Savior was close at hand. John called out: “Judgment Day is coming! The Day of God’s Elect! Prepare for the revolution. Your pedigree won’t help. Your religious robes won’t do you any good. You’ve got to turn from your sins. The Messiah is coming! He’s swinging a winnowing fork, separating wheat from chaff.”
And what was the sign that you were committed, that you were all in? By the thousands, people stepped into the water to be baptized of John. The word meant “Dip intensively, plunge, immerse, or cause to perish by drowning or sinking (as a ship).” The revolution is at hand, said John, and old lives and sensibilities, old persistent sins have to be plunged into the depths… drowned in the deep… left behind… so we can rise and step forward together as God’s People. Down into the water people went, turning away from their old lives, their old homes, their old loyalties… on that day they swore allegiance to a new homeland, a new King, a new way of life.
It was on that day when Jesus stepped out of the crowd and went down into the water too. He had no need to prepare for the coming judgment… he was the coming judgment. But he identified with those who were baptized and with their need for baptism. Jesus agreed with John’s assessment that the revolution had begun, and dedicated himself to lead. Jesus’ baptism was an ordination of sorts. He came up out of the water ready to do his part to change the world.
Luke says: 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." The revolution found its Leader.