Christ the King Epiphany Church, Wilbraham

The Rev. Martha S. Sipe

January 11, 2-26 / Baptism of Our Lord

Matthew 3:13-17

Every year, on the first Sunday after the Epiphany, the church reads the story of Jesus’ baptism.  It’s a foundational event in the ministry of Jesus – really the inauguration of his public ministry.  It’s such an important event that all four gospels make mention of it.  But only in Matthew’s gospel, which we have heard just now, does John the Baptist actually speak with Jesus.  And did you notice that, in their brief conversation, what John says to Jesus?  He first says “no.”  Or at least he resists.  “What do you mean I should baptize you?” asks John.  “You’ve got the priority order all wrong, Jesus.  You should be the one baptizing me!”  And honestly, John kind of has a point.  He was baptizing people as a sign of repentance.  But what did Jesus, the sinless Son of God have to repent?  Nevertheless, Jesus calmly answers, “Let it be so now.  Do it.  This is how it’s supposed to be – this is the plan.”  Then and only then, after Jesus’ insistence, John consented.

Consent is a curious word to me.  In all honesty, the word probably grabbed my attention because, as you know, I have had to sign a number of medical consent forms recently.  I had to give the okay for procedures to go forward as planned.  Had I withheld my consent on the morning of my surgery, I have no doubt that the nurse would have unhooked my IV, handed me my clothes, and shown me the door.  Consent has to be given voluntarily for a surgical plan to go forward.  The patient has to say yes.  And so I’m wondering:  What would have happened if John had stuck with his initial no to baptizing Jesus?  What if John hadn’t consented?  The rest of the Gospels would have looked a bit different.  But in the end, I believe that God somehow would have found a way to keep the plan moving forward.  Because, you know, God is God.  But isn’t it beautiful that it took two saying yes?  That it took both parties – both Jesus and John – being willing to humble themselves to each other.  Jesus had to be willing to submit to John’s baptism, even though he clearly didn’t need it.  He had to be willing to wade down into the muddy Jordan like just another sinner.  And John had to consent to baptizing Jesus, even though it was clearly out of his comfort zone.  In the end, he said yes.  And when Jesus and John submitted to each other, the heavens were opened and the dove descended and the voice of God was heard and love was spoken into the world.  It was a glorious thing.

And every time that we submit to one another, every time we humble ourselves, every time we say yes to the needs of the world, every time we consent to God’s plan, the heavens are opened and the dove descends and the voice of God is heard and love becomes real.  That’s what our baptismal covenant is all about:  making love real.  When we renew our baptismal vows today, it’s like we’re standing on the banks of the Jordan with John, hearing Jesus’ invitation to say yes. And the world surely needs our yes.  Let me show you what I mean.  Please take out the leaflet with the seashell on it, which you received either in or with your bulletin this morning.

If you look near the bottom of the second page of text, you’ll see the word Affirmation.  Affirmation is, quite simply, saying yes, giving consent. 

• I will ask you to say yes to living among God’s faithful people.  Note that the question is not whether or not you will maintain community with people who are like-minded.  The question is will you humble yourself before all of God’s children.  See why the world needs our yes?
• I will ask you to say yes to hearing the word of God and sharing in the Lord’s supper.  Grounding ourselves in scripture and the sacraments is, frankly, the only way we will ever be able to say yes to kingdom living.
• I will ask you to say yes to proclaiming the good news of God in Christ through your words and deeds.  For a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is not enough simply to renounce evil and speak the words of the Creed.  Jesus, who humbled himself by wading into baptismal water, and associating with those on the fringes of society, and touching the unclean, and washing his followers’ feet, and dying for us on the cross – he is our model for speech and action.  
• I will ask you to say yes to serving all people.  Submitting to others, that is, putting their needs above our own, is exceptionally hard to do.  
• And finally, I will ask you to say yes to working for justice and peace.  Justice and peace.  Not one or the other.  We can and should be outraged by the injustice we see.  We can and should speak out against the greed that puts our needs above others’ rights.  We can and should speak out against anything other than honesty and truth.  We can and should speak out against violence perpetrated on the innocent.   But outrage cannot lead us to putting others down and speaking out must always be speaking peace and reconciliation and love.  For those are the qualities of the reign of God.
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These questions, these affirmations, are incredibly challenging.  To say yes to God’s plan works against our instincts.  That is, of course, why we ask for the Spirit’s help and guidance, not just in our liturgy this morning, but in every aspect of our lives.

Will you consent to God’s plan?  I pray that you will.  But here’s the astonishing thing, the thing that needs to be said over and over because it’s just so hard to believe:  If we say yes, and fail, or even if we say no, if we do not consent to God’s plan, it doesn’t mean God will love us any less.  God’s commitment to us doesn’t depend upon our faithfulness at all.  I we say no, it also doesn’t mean God’s plan will not move forward.  God is God, after all, and the Holy One will find another way.  But when we say yes, when we consent to God’s plan, the heavens open up, and we see God face to face in each other.  When we say yes, the Spirit descends and empowers our work for God.  When we say yes, the world hears God’s voice reflected in our words and actions.  When we say yes, together with Jesus, we make God’s love real in this world.

Please stand as you are able, and join me in saying yes to the reign of God.