Word to the Wise
Sunday, January 10, 2021 -
[Isa 55:1-11; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11]"One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." [Mark]
The Gospel According to Mark cuts to the chase. There is no "infancy narrative," - no star, no stable, no shepherds, no magi, no Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as in the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. There is no majestic poetic "prologue" as in the Gospel According to John, speaking of the "Word" existing before time began. The curtain rises on the Jordan River with an adult John the Baptist and an adult Jesus of Nazareth. John's subordinate role is first made clear in his words, quoted above. He is just a messenger.. Then Jesus appears from the little town of Nazareth, is immersed in the Jordan, and sees "the heavens being torn open and the Spirit like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Then Jesus goes off to the desert to be tempted before he begins his ministry.
This scene can leave one wondering, "OK, yes, and......?" We can leave it as the end point of the Christmas/Epiphany season (that voice from heaven and Holy Spirit are an epiphany too) and move on. But our tradition invites us to consider our own baptism, which identifies us with Christ as a member of his Body on earth - our church. We might be babies when we receive baptism, but it is not just a "one off" experience. It is the beginning of our own ministry. The certificate of baptism which we have to produce for certain events is not a diploma but a testimony to a PRESENT power, not a past event.
The Gospel According to Mark, which will supply the gospel scripture on Sundays for this liturgical year, tells the reader that Jesus is God's Son from the very beginning of the story, but also tells us that the disciples don't "get it" until Jesus is crucified! Our own challenge is to find a way to live as members of the Body of Christ so that people don't have to wait until we die before they "get it." AMEN
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