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Sermon for Sunday, January 13, 2008
Pastor Sara Kay Olson-Smith
The Baptism Of Our Lord
Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator, and from Christ Jesus, God’s son, who makes us children of God.
Jim's dad owned a hardware store in the center of town. This hardware store had been a part of the family for generations. At one point, it had been the town general store, and it still was one of those fabulous places that not only had nails and screwdrivers, but also any possible thing you might need for your home. It was “the family” hardware store. When Jim was in college, he would spend every summer back at the hardware store, learning the ropes, sitting with this dad and the ledger, discovering the ins and outs of hardware sales. Finally, after graduation, he started working there full time. It was what was expected of him. He was the next one in line, and it was his responsibility to continue the family business.
However, the thing was, Jim was an incredibly gifted woodworker. He would spend his afternoons at the hardware store carving figures out of scraps of wood. If he heard anyone coming, he would quickly hide his art under the cash register. He was afraid to tell his dad about it, for he knew that if his dad saw this, he would think him a silly artist, would be ashamed of him, would call him lazy, just avoiding work So he kept his art secret, and dreamed of getting out of the hardware business so he could spend his days carving.
One afternoon, as he was digging around for an old calculator, Jim’s dad found the hidden figures. He picked them up and saw these beautiful little figures of people - farmers, angels and others, with faces of people he recognized. As he sat there holding them, Jim walked into the store. He stopped, ready to hear the yelling and critique about to hit him. However, instead his dad looked up at him. “Jim,” he said, “you do amazing work! These are beautiful! I am so pleased.”
Jim was stunned, for never had he heard his dad say such things to him. His dad sat thinking for awhile, and then said, “What if we sold these here? I think people would really love them. They are just incredible! You could spend the mornings carving, and come help me out in the afternoon. Who knows, maybe these carved figures will help increase business.”
Jim was stunned, amazed. He couldn’t think of anything to say. He could do both this family business and what he loved. It was beyond his imagination. “Thanks, dad.” he said.
His dad walked up to him, hugged him and said, “Jim, I love you. I am so proud of you! Welcome to the family business. We’ve got quite a future ahead of us...”
As Jesus began his ministry, he went to John the baptist. When John baptized him, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down upon him. A voice came from the heavens, “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
God was making an announcement: “This one, Jesus, is my Son, the Son of God.” Throughout the gospel of Matthew we will hear this description of Jesus over and over again, “the Son of God.” This is an important title for him. To the people of first century Judea, it meant even more than it does to us. You see, in those days, family connections were really important. Sons received everything from their family. Wealth and land was passed between generations. Everything that a son was, was dependent upon his family. If the father was honorable, than certainly the son was, too. A son could act as his father’s agent. It was almost as if the son could sign checks, or contracts or do anything on behalf of his father.
So when God says from the heavens, “This is my Son,” God is basically saying, “This one, Jesus, is my agent. This one, Jesus, is acting on my behalf. This one, Jesus, is doing my business in the world.” We claim that Jesus is God, doing God’s work in the world. What Jesus says is what God says, Jesus shows us who God is, what God is about. Jesus is doing the “family business.”
In this powerful moment of Jesus’ baptism, God announces to us and to all the world, “This one is my Son.” It is as if God is saying, “This man is doing the family business. He is doing my work in the world. Pay attention to him.” But God doesn’t stop there. As Jesus begins his public ministry, as he starts to do the family business, God calls him “my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” God says to Jesus, “You are loved. And you are already doing good work!”
With these words of love, and affirmation, and identity ringing in his ears, Jesus goes into the wilderness to face temptation. With these words ringing in his ears, he calls his disciples, teaches, and heals, and forgives, and is brought to the cross. As he hangs on the cross, he hears again these words of love, and affirmation, and identity. The God who spoke these words brings him from death to life. Through this resurrection, because of God’ unwillingness to abandon the family business, because of God’s work of blessing and loving this whole world, we, too are brought into the family.
We, too, are brought into the family. In our baptisms, with water, and word, and the Spirit, God says to us, “You are my son. You are my daughter. I love you. With you I am well pleased.” Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are brought into the family of God; we have been made children of God, adopted into God’s family. With Jesus as our elder brother, we are made the family of Christ. We have these words spoken to us, “You are my beloved, with you I am well pleased.” Even before we can do anything, even when we fail to do all we want, we are loved. God is pleased with us, proud of us. There is nothing that will pull us from this family, remove us from God’s love.
With these words of affirmation and love and identity ringing in our ears, we, too, are called to carry on the “family business.” God’s business is to bless and love this whole world. In our baptisms, we are given the responsibility, and the joy, and the freedom to join with God in this business. God’s business is now our business. God’s mission is our mission. God’s work is our work.
We are called to participate with God in the family business - to love, and to serve and to give ourselves away for the sake of the world. Each one of us does this in our own unique way. Just like Jim continued on in the family business, using his woodcarving, uniquely using his gifts, so, too, will God use each of our unique abilities (and inabilities) to bring about God’s way in this world. We have been given enough, to do what God calls us to do. We do not need to be perfect, or preach like Peter, or write poetry like Isaiah, or carve like Jim. We are called to be ourselves, our unique selves, whom God finds beloved, with whom God is pleased, to give our beloved selves away for the sake of the world. We are called to go about God’s business in the world.
Here is the good news: even as we turn away from our Holy Parent’s business, God will still wait for us. Even as we fail, even in our exhaustion, even in our confusion, even in our despair, God will still wait for us. Even in all our shortcomings, God is going about doing God’s work in the world. God will use us in ways we could never imagine. And... God’s love for us never leaves us! We have been claimed and chosen as God’ child, and nothing can ever change that! God has said to each of us in our baptism, “You are my child, I love you, I am so proud of you!” With those words ringing in our ears we are empowered to go into the world, to carry on the “family business.”
If those words are ever silenced by the loud voices of the world, by the many voices that tell us that we are not good enough, or smart enough, or old enough, or young enough, if those voices every begin to cover up the voice of God, there are many ways to remember the words spoken to us at our baptism. Wherever there is water you can remember your baptism, and hear God say to you, “You are my child. I love you. I am so proud of you.” As you wash your face each morning you can splash your face and say out loud, “I am loved. I am a child of God.” As you take a drink of cool water you can think, “I am loved, I am a child of God.” And here, today, as you come forward to receive the bread and wine at communion, dip your hand in the font, make a cross on your forehead and say to yourself, “I am loved, I am a child of God.”
We can go from this place, empowered and renewed to do the “family business,” with the voice of God ringing in our ears, “You are my child. I love you. I am so proud of you. We’ve got quite future ahead of us...”
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
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