Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus
January 9, 2005

"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him". (Acts 10:34-38) John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said... "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:13-17)

Peter speaks of what is to be required of followers of Jesus, and while addressing a question specific to his time (the necessity for observance of Jewish ritual laws), seems also to establish a principle of inclusion often overlooked by Christians. How different the history of Christianity, Judaism and Islam might have been had we embraced this "Peter principle". As so often happens, the early pearls of wisdom from our founders get lost in the scramble to organize and exclude everyone but "true believers".

We see how "God shows no partiality" in people around us every day. They give of themselves generously, willingly and enthusiastically, regardless of formal religious beliefs. Indeed it is commonly noted that some of the most loving and generous people are not associated with any religion. God apparently is showing no partiality as far as who is being endowed with these gifts of the Spirit.
Not a bad model for us to emulate.

Jesus is baptized by John in spite of John's objections that it is supposed to be the other way around. If Jesus was indeed the blameless Messiah and Son of Man foretold by the Prophets, why would he need to be baptized as a sign of his repentance? Jesus' remark in this Gospel of Matthew suggests that this is also a fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. Could it also indicate that the divine Messiah was as fully human as any of us, "like us in all things but sin"? The mystery of the Incarnation, God, totally involved in all aspects of creation, seems to require that Emanuel be at once completely other and completely with us, completely divine, completely human. By insisting on his baptism, Jesus was including himself in the human family and bringing us into the family of God.

Jesus was apparently also indicating his willingness to be baptized in the fire of suffering common to all human existence. At the very beginning of his public life, Jesus prepares himself, and us, for the unavoidable consequences of being included among the people of God and the human community. To love and live in the kingdom of God, to be disciples of the Most High, to be happy in the biblical sense, will bring with it loss, pain and abandonment of some kind. We do not have to go looking for it, it will find us. Trying to avoid it often leads to something worse. We might do well this week to reflect on what our "baptism" has been, is or might be and how it can bind us together in the family of God.