Our John moments
Thumbnail image: The Baptism of Christ, c. 1740 by Alessandro Magnasco. In public domain.
The Rev. Bob Alltop
A – Epiphany 1
Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17
Our John Moments
Preached at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Ferndale MI
Being Well-Pleased
Have you ever taught someone and before you knew it, you could see they would soon be teaching you?
In light of this week’s Gospel, we can call such experiences a John moment. John moments often happen with children. We set out to teach them how to draw something or make something, and before we know it – they are running circles around us.
And of course, what is our response? Joy!
· We have done our part.
· We have helped our child claim and live into one of their own gifts.
In those moments, we are well pleased.
The Gospel
In today’s Gospel, John literally is the teacher who has become the student. Jesus and John know each other. Scripture suggests that Jesus was a disciple of John. But now, as Jesus steps forward to be baptized, John is overwhelmed. He resists.
“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Matthew’s Gospel is unique in highlighting John’s discomfort in the moment.
But Jesus encourages him,
“Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
We know what happens next.
· The heavens open.
· The Spirit of God descends on Jesus like a dove.
· Then a voice from heaven says,
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
This is a moment of unmistakable joy. The angels in heaven are surely high fiving! How could one not be well pleased?
But Why?
Yet Jesus’ baptism has long puzzled theologians.
If John’s baptism was about repentance of sin, why does Jesus need it?
If Jesus is God’s Son, why isn’t he baptizing John?
Jesus’ answer gives us the answer: “to fulfill all righteousness.”
Righteousness is a big word, but its meaning is so intuitive. For John, for Jesus, for you, and for me, the heart of righteousness is about right relationship – right relationship with God, with one another, and with our own callings. That is exactly what we witness at the Jordan.
Jesus
Jesus does not come to the river because he has sins to confess, but because repentance is about more than sin.
· It is about turning.
· It is about choosing a new direction.
Jesus’ baptism marks the turning point in his journey with God and us. One chapter of his life closes, another begins. The years of ordinary life are giving way to public ministry.
In stepping forward for Baptism, Jesus chooses to stand exactly where God stands and where we stand. With Divine love, he steps into the same waters as those of us who fall short. He aligns himself with human longing, vulnerability, and hope. Jesus fully embraces who he is—and he fully embrace those he has come to teach, heal, and save? This is righteousness! No wonder God is well pleased!
John
John, too, is living into righteousness in this moment.
He is correct in his self-assessment. He isn’t worthy to baptize Jesus, but… he is called to. And so:
· John listens.
· John trusts.
· John accepts the job that is his to do.
In this moment, John is in right relationship with God, with Jesus, and with himself. And surely God delights in that faithfulness.
Living into the Gospel
As we hear today’s Gospel, I wonder, where you find yourself in the story?
· Perhaps you are feeling like John—overwhelmed by a task that sits before you in life.
· Perhaps you relate to Jesus – sensing that God is calling you into something new, something that you are uniquely made for.
· Or perhaps you feel like someone standing along the banks of the Jordan, wondering: What just happened? And could it happen to me?
One thing is clear in the Gospels: Jesus’ story becomes our story. After his baptism, Jesus faces temptation (as we do). He also experiences joy, learning, friendship, grief, and weeping (as we do). He experiences suffering and dies (as we surely will). Yet, in God’s love and power he lives (and so will we!)
As with Jesus, God’s Spirit rests upon us. In fact, if we listen carefully, we may hear that same voice—that God delights in us! That voice which lovingly announces:
· that we belong to God,
· that God is with us,
· that God can see past our short-comings and is well pleased!
John Moments
As we seek to follow Jesus, we may find that a lot of our lives are made up of John moments.
John knows he is not qualified to baptize Jesus. Yet he does it anyway—because it is his work to do. Our John moments are those times when we feel unprepared, unqualified, or unsure about what awaits us, and yet we still do the work that is ours to do.
Most parents know this feeling well. We know we are not wise enough, smart enough, patient enough, or strong enough to be the parent our child truly deserves. Yet, it is our work to do, and we do it to the best of our ability.
John moments show up in our lives everywhere:
I’m not qualified to lead the Parent Teacher Organization.
I’m not qualified to take on that project at work.
· I can’t tell that neighbor down the street that their planter looks beautiful. I don’t even know their name. I feel foolish
· I can’t volunteer for that role. I’m no expert.
And yet, if we wait until we were fully prepared, perfectly qualified, or completely confident—nothing good in this world will ever get done. Without embracing our John moments, we miss wonderful opportunities to live out righteousness. Without embracing our John moments, we miss a lot of moments to rejoice with God and be well pleased.
Present not Perfect
I have found this especially true in work many of us in the diocese have been drawn to around immigration, which we much appreciate getting a chance to speak with you about after the service.
For me, this work is a surprising series of John moments. It isn’t usually about being the most qualified person for a task at hand. But it is always about:
· being present
· standing where we are called to stand,
· trusting that God is at work there.
Like John, we often don’t choose the challenging moments that come to us—but we choose how we respond. We can choose to be present even though we are not perfect. When we do, like John, we know Jesus is encouraging us. In so doing, God is well pleased.
We live in a time when many people are frightened and hurting. Perhaps we are frightened or hurting too.
The events of this past week have been so disturbing. It is painful to see people killed or hurt. It is painful to see divisions in our country. If righteousness – if baptism – is ultimately about our right relationship with God, each other, and ourselves, then our job is truly to strive for righteousness in this moment.
Baptism
So, today we renew our baptismal vows. Baptism does not require that we meet rigorous, advanced spiritual qualifications. But these vows do call us to participation. In troubled times, they remind us to ask:
· Where am I called to fellowship or prayer?
· What may I want to repent?
· Where am I called to seek and serve Christ in others?
· Where is it my job to act for justice and peace?
We are not called into this covenant because God needs it. We are called into it because we need it, and we need God’s love and each other! We aren’t called to perfection but presence.
Like John at the Jordan, we stand in a particular place and time, not knowing who may step toward us next. But if we truly are present to the person in front of us, if we seek right relationship, God’s Spirit may suddenly become visible in ways we never expected.
Closing
In a world that longs for healing and renewal, may we look honestly at the jobs and tasks that may be ours to do. We might not be perfectly qualified, but when we are loving others, God is there with us. What more could we hope for?
So:
· May we be present to our John moments and allow them to transform us.
· May we empower and encourage others, as Jesus does for John.
We are, indeed, beloved children of God, called forth to be God’s love today. May we in this time and place know that God is still speaking:
“You are my beloved.
With you, I am well pleased.”