Epiphany 1 Yr A
Baptism of Christ
Matt. 3: 13 – 17
St. Mary’s, S.I.
13 Jan. 2008


WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?


    A MOTHER AND HER 5-YEAR-OLD SON WERE SHOPPING.  THE MOTHER WAS INTENT ON FINDING A DRESS FOR THE UPCOMING PARTY.  THE SON WANTED TO VISIT THE TOY DEPARTMENT.  AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO MOVE MOM ALONG, THE YOUNG LAD DECIDED TO STRIKE OUT ON HIS OWN.  IT TOOK THE MOTHER JUST A MOMENT TO MISS THE BOY AND WHEN SHE NOTICED HIS ABSENCE SHE WAS BOTH ANGRY AND VERY FRIGHTENED.

    SHE MADE HER WAY TO THE TOY DEPARTMENT AS QUICKLY AS SHE COULD, A FRANTIC PRAYER ON HER LIPS.  FORTUNATELY SHE FOUND HIM RIGHT AWAY.  SHE CAME UP BESIDE HIM AND TOOK HIS AREM AND ASKED HARSHLY, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

    THAT QUESTION IS FULL OF MEANING.  IT PRESUMES AN IDENTITY THAT CARRIES WITH IT CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS AS WELL AS PROHIBITIONS.  IN THE CASE OF THE LITTLE BOY, THE QUESTION WAS INTENDED TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE, “I AM THE PARENT, YOU ARE THE CHILD.  YOU DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!”

    THE QUESTION, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” ALSO CARRIES WITH IT A DEEP UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHER OR PARENT AND CHILD.  THE QUESTION, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” REMINDS THE CHILD THAT BEING A PART OF THE FAMILY CARRIES WITH IT CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROLES TO FULFILL.

    THE DEEPER MESSAGE MIGHT SOUND SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “PEOPLE WHO LOVE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER ARE CAREFUL NOT TO CAUSE THEM HARM OR FEAR OR ANXIETY.”
    TODAY IN THE GOSPEL ACCOUNT OF JESUS’ BAPTISM, HE TOO IS FACED WITH THE QUESTION, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”   THE QUESTION IS FIRST POSED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST.  ACCORDING TO JOHN, BAPTISM WAS THE OUTWARD SIGN OF REPENTANCE, AND JESUS PRESENCE PRESENTED A PROBLEM FOR JOHN.  JOHN DID NOT SEE WHY JESUS NEEDED TO BE BAPTIZED WITH A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE.  IN FACT, HE SUGGESTED THAT JESUS BAPTIZE HIM.

    BUT JESUS HAD HIS OWN SENSE OF WHO HE WAS.  SOMETHING IN HIS OWN SELF UNDERSTANDING DREW HIM TO JOHN’S MESSAGE AND HE SAYS, BAPTISM IS THE “RIGHT THING TO DO.”  SO, JOHN BAPTIZED HIM.  WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN JESUS’ HEART AND HEAD AT THAT POINT.

    IT IS CERTAIN, HOWEVER, THAT THIS IS A PIVOTAL POINT IN JESUS’ LIFE AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHO HE WAS, AND THIS EVENT MAY TRULY HAVE BEEN JESUS POSING THE QUESTION FOR HIMSELF, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

    HOW DOES HE SEEM TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION?  FIRST OF ALL, THE BAPTISM OF JESUS SEEMS TO DEMONSTRATE A SPECIAL KINSHIP WITH HIS PEOPLE.  JESUS TOOK HIS STAND WITH THOSE WHO WERE DESCRIBED AS SINNERS.  IN THAT DAY TO BE A ‘SINNER’ WAS TO BE AN OUTSIDER – LIVING ON THE FRINGES OF SOCIETY AND CUT OFF FROM THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.  JESUS WAS NOT ASHAMED TO BE SEEN WITH THESE OUTCASTS OR IDENTIFIED WITH THEM.

    SECONDLY, THE BAPTISM OF JESUS SEEMS TO CLARIFY HIS CALLING IN REGARD TO HIS IDENTITY.  AS JESUS EMERGES FROM THE WATER, A VOICE FROM HEAVEN IS HEARD.  “THIS IS MY SON.”  THESE ARE WORDS FROM THE FAMILIAR CORONATION PSALM #2 FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.  THEY HAD BEEN USED BY THE PRIEST ANOINTING A NEW KING FOR THE PEOPLE.  THEIR USE HERE PAINTS A POWERFUL PICTURE: JESUS INSTALLED AS THE KING OF ISRAEL, THE MESSIAH – THE ANOINTED ONE.


    THE BAPTISM OF JESUS REVEALS TO JESUS, AND TO US, THAT HE IS THE CHOSEN KING, THE MESSIAH.  HE IS THE ONE PROMISED.  HIS BAPTISM IS HIS ANOINTING.  GOD SERVES AS PRIEST WHO ENTHRONES THE KING WITH WORDS OF INSTALLATION.

    FINALLY, THE BAPTISM OF JESUS REVEALS THE NATURE OF HIS MISSION.  THE FINAL PART OF THE SAYING FROM HEAVEN, “WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” IS RECOGNIZED AS COMING FROM THE FIRST OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT POEMS IN THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH.  THESE POEMS PORTRAY A SERVANT OF GOD WHO SUFFERS FOR HIS PEOPLE.  THIS SERVANT IS ESPECIALLY ATTENTIVE TO “THE DIMLY BURNING WICK,” AND THE “BRUISED REED.”  IN OTHER WORDS, THE SERVANT SERVES THE LOWLY, THE WEAK, THE HUMBLE AND THE NEEDY.

    WHEN THESE TWO OLD TESTAMENT CONCEPTS ARE COMBINED, THE CORONATION OF A KING AND THE SUFFERING SERVANT WHO HEALS, WE BEGIN TO SEE HOW JESUS UNDERSTOOD HIS MISSION, HIS IDENTITY, HIS CALLING AND THE WAY HE WOULD CARRY OUT HIS MISSION.  IN SHORT, HE BEGAN TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

    THOSE SAME CONCEPTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL.  THE BAPTISM OF JESUS IS ALSO OUR BAPTISM.  JESUS’ DISCOVERY OF HIS IDENTITY AND MISSION IS ALSO ABOUT THE DISCOVERY OF OUR IDENTITY AND MISSION.  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, IN PRACTICAL TERMS, FOR US?

    FOR ONE THING, AS JESUS IDENTIFIED WITH SINNERS IN SUBMITTING TO BAPTISM, OUR BAPTISM HELPS REMIND US OF THOSE WITH WHOM WE STAND.  WE ARE NOT PART OF SOME ELITE SPIRITUAL GROUP.  WE ARE NOT BAPTIZED AS SUPER-SAINTS.  OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE WATER REMINDS US THAT WE TAKE OUR STAND WITH AND FOR SINNERS.  WE IDENTIFY WITH THEM BECAUSE WE ARE ONE OF THEM.

   
BUT, OUR BAPTISM ALSO IDENTIFIES US WITH JESUS.  TO EMBRACE OUR BAPTISM AS OUR OWN, WE MUST CAST OUR LOT WITH THE ONE WHO WAS BAPTIZED WITH US.  HIS CALLING BECOMES OUR CALLING.  HIS MISSION BECOMES OUR MISSION.  HIS IDENTITY BECOMES THE  SOURCE FOR OUR IDENTITY.  IN BAPTISM WE ARE GIVEN A NEW NAME – “FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.”  IT IS A BENCHMARK FOR US JUST LIKE IT WAS FOR HIM.

IT IS AN EXPERIENCE WE USE TO RENEW OUR PURPOSE – TO REGAIN OUR BALANCE.  OUR BAPTISM IS THE PLACE WHERE WE BEGIN TO DISCOVER THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”  BAPTISM IS THE PLACE WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK BACK TO IN ORDER TO DISCOVER OUR SOURCE OF NOURISHMENT AND PURPOSE.  IT IS THE PLACE WHERE WE CAN EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS AND RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CALLING.

IN BAPTISM, JESUS COMES ALONGSIDE US AND SAYS TO US, “NOTHING YOU CAN DO OR HAVE DONE CAN MAKE ME NOT WANT YOU.  AND JUST TO SHOW YOU I MEAN IT, I AM GOING TO WALK INTO THE WATER OF BAPTISM BEFORE YOU.  MEET ME THERE.”

AMEN.