Gospel: Matthew 3: 13-17
Apologists twist themselves up over the baptism of Jesus. If Jesus is God and sinless, then why does he have to be baptized? The answer given is that he is instituting the sacrament, even though John has been baptizing for a while, as he and his disciples have. Others will provide all sorts of concoctions to evade this dilemma when in fact the simplest answer is always the best one: Jesus came to be baptized. He was baptized. He undertook the ritual of repentance as the human that he was.
Apologists overlook the many times in the Old Testament where God repents of the evil he had done or intended to do. The baptism of Jesus represents the definitive repentance of God once and for all. In the person of Jesus no more will God be the warrior God inflicting violence and genocide on the earth. No more will God be the vengeful God wreaking havoc on humanity with natural forces. No more will God be the God of law and judgment and punishment.
Instead, God will be the the one to live among us, to share our hopes and fears, joys and sorrows. God will be extending mercy in healing our infirmities, liberating us from our demons, and nourishing us at table. In taking on our humanity, in submitting to the ritual of repentance, Jesus gives us an example to follow. We too must repent and take up the work of mercy. We too must put away the God of violence for the God of mercy and love. This is what baptism means for God and for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment