“Making Grace Tangible!”

Baptism of our Lord                                                  9 January 2022

(Isaiah 43:1-7   Psalm 29  Acts 8: 14-17   Luke 3:15-22)

“Making Grace Tangible!”

When Charles Dickens wrote an entire novel entitled, Great Expectations, he was capturing the human story in two simple words.  Most of us live our lives expecting good things to take place, and well we should!  And, quite honestly, most of our decision-making is rooted in expecting good things to take place!

When Gospel-writer Luke begins his story of the Baptism of Jesus by telling us that, “the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts John, whether he was the Messiah . . .” similarly, Luke was depicting a stirring hope of the human heart—God’s longing to do a new thing in us and through us.

This is what Luke seems to be describing in his telling of the Baptism of Jesus.

As we look at this story from Luke’s Gospel, I’d like us to  step away from some of the things we may have learned about Baptism growing up—some not always helpful and life-generating.   Baptism is not our fire insurance policy to keep us from going to hell if we die before being baptized.  Baptism is not our security bond for the afterlife.  The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is much more as a transaction, an agreement between God and us, a ticket to heaven, if you will.

This evening, as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, I wonder if we might step away from any restrictive theology from our past, and look at what Luke might be trying to say.

Two initial things I ask you to notice in this text:  it never mentions the Jordan River.  It never says that John baptized Jesus.  In fact, in this text from Luke, John and Jesus never even seem to meet each other.  

I have a suggestion why Luke writes it this way.  Before we are told that Jesus has been baptized, we’re told that John is “shut up” in prison!  This serves as a reminder that a transition is taking place from the prophets of old (John being the final one!), and something new is occurring.  Also, how all those who come near the waters of Baptism risk their health and their life. 

As I’ve already pointed out, Luke begins with the word we translate as “expectation.”  The Greek word Luke uses is, “prosdoko-oo.”  Luke uses this word more often than any of the other Gospel writers.  Especially here, it carries an anticipating with great desire-sort of children on Christmas morning.  That may be the closest image we can get as to how excited the people were to think/hope that finally the long-awaited Messiah had arrived!  However, they have been looking for, what is sometimes called, an Apocalyptic Messiah, a person sent by God who will set things straight, kill off the enemy, create peace by getting rid of all the enemies.  However . . . however, what they get is a Messiah who will help them redefine Divine Purpose as well as their own expectations. 

Now we’re getting closer to an understanding of Baptism!

What is Luke saying about Baptism?  A few very important things.  He’s saying that the details of Jesus’ Baptism, the details of how, where, when it took place—do not matter as much as what happens after Jesus’ baptism. 

Really important for us to hear.  I’m not saying that stories of the baby crying and pictures with grandparents are not important on the day of Baptism, but what Luke does not want us to forget is that what we do with our lives after the day of Baptism, is so much more important!  Let me hear an “Amen!”

For Lutherans, every Baptism is a Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Every Baptism is a miracle taking place.  Every Baptism is to be taken seriously!  Baptism is not a mere welcoming rite, but also a rite that signifies divine purpose, one’s separation from evil.  In our Rite of baptism, we hear the promises and responsibilities voiced by the parents related to a committed life of faith—faith in Jesus and inclusion into Christ’s Body, the Church.  Baptism remains a transforming outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, a timeless spiritual resource in a culture desperate for rituals of transformation.

As Baptized people we have been “set apart” (not “better” but only “set apart” by Word and Sacrament and by our confession of faith, committed to great expectations flowing from our life of faith!

I am continually captivated and terrified by this responsibility handed to us at Baptism!

The invitation this evening, this weekend, is to let your Baptism come alive so a hope-starved world can see you as a Beloved Child by the way you live.  Your warm greeting to the check-out person at the store, your prayer before biting into the hot dog at Ernies, your note to a hurting friend, your invitation to a neighbor to attend church, your smiling laughter—all of these become the steeple of Epiphany light beckoning a downhearted sister or brother into the joy, grace, and love of Jesus!

Faith keeps Baptism from becoming simply a magic ritual for fulfilling a requirement for being saved; Baptism keeps faith from becoming simply an individual experience.  Faith-filled Baptism unites us with God’s community, the Church, and with God’s mission for the world. 

Albert Cleage, a prominent Black preacher in the Detroit area for much of his life, who died only 20 years ago, often said that Baptism “makes grace tangible,” an outward sign of an inward transformation to justice, a doorway into community.  Baptism makes tangible a journey, not merely a transaction, a powerful outward and visible sign of our sacramental journey—the Water and the Word—shared tangibly, together.  Amen and amen.