Baptism of the Lord

January 11, 2004

Last week we celebrated the epiphany or revelation to the gentiles, to ancient wise men and cultures of strange far away places; but today the Second Epiphany is the public manifestation of God’s glory, the unfolding of a new covenant rooted in Judaism. It is the fulfillment of the voice of many prophets, the last of which is John the Baptizer who baptizes Jesus in the Jordan, marking a very drastic change in the life of this boy from Nazareth.

For 30 years he had been a home body working diligently and quietly in the carpenter shop without much attention. When Jesus stepped into the Jordan, not among the perfect, but the dirty, and messy, the poor and lonely; when he stepped into these waters, there was a realization of a new mission in life, the discovery of his purpose or goal in life.

Of course his name was Jesus, actually Joshua, meaning Savior, Messiah, Lord. But now came the realization of the meaning of that name. No more would he go back home to Nazareth as the humble carpenter but rather as an itinerant preacher who would not be accepted any more than you or I would accept one of our own neighbors who made a claim to be a gift from God. No prophet is ever accepted by his own.

Jesus foresaw this rejection, his agony and even death. Afraid, but determined to do what must be done, he went off into the desert to be alone with God and pray. At the beginning of Lent we will resume with this identity.

We might be easily tempted to dismiss these events as things that happened only to him or that they really didn’t happen at all, but in either case, have little significance for us. The work that began in Jesus must continue in us today.

We are to proclaim to the world a new way, a different way, Christ’s way. But the world does not express much interest in our message today; even among those who have been christened. Too often we look to our own meager human power self-driven "can-do," or we simply give up asking: "What has all of this to do with me?"

In Baptism we have received the same empowerment, the same indwelling of the Holy Spirit whose power has not diminished. In our own Baptism we have become children of God; we were "christened." Christianity is a challenge to live differently from those who do not know or accept Jesus as Savior.

It is a call to live the life of a faithful servant described by Isaiah; one who is compassionate to the needy, one who brings forth justice, one who is strong and does not falter or become discouraged, one who opens the eyes of the blind, who brings release to prisoners from their dungeons.

In our Roman Liturgy this feast closes the Christmas season, but there are actually three epiphanies; the third of which is commemorated only in the "C cycle" next week of this year. It is the Epiphany of Jesus at Cana of Galilee.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, he stops on his return to Nazareth for a wedding of friends at Cana. At first, seemingly reluctant, knowing what this revelation will inaugurate, he nevertheless does not leave anyone in need and changes water into wine, symbolic of the grace of transformation that will take place in all of us if we are willing.

The Roman Liturgy of the Hours continues to celebrate these three Epiphanies together in Evening Prayer, asking God to reveal the opportunities in our lives where we most need transformation by his grace. In that grace, we, like Jesus in the Jordan, are transformed, and as Jesus heard that the Father was pleased with Him, so too will the Father be pleased with each of us.