Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
— Matthew 3:13-15
We spend time in our worship service every week dedicated to the children. Our young people come forward and I share a message; we call it “Ministry of Children” because they minister to us as much as we minister to them. It is one of my favorite yet anxious moments of leading worship. You never know quite what you’ll hear from them.
Recently, on the Sunday called Baptism of the Lord Sunday, I had the children near the baptismal font. We talked about using water when we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, in our tradition, most often baptizing a baby. I brought along a number of bottles of water. A bottle of tap water, some ordinary bottled water, some Smart water that was flavored with cucumber, some sparkling Perrier, and even a jar of water I had drawn out of the Sugar River. It was spring fed, snow melted, crystal clear river water.
As I pulled each bottle of water out of my shopping bag, I asked one of the kids to pour some into the font. Then we circled around the font. I asked them what they saw. And, of course, they looked at me as if I was dense. “Water, (obviously)” was their answer.
“But didn’t we just pour in about six different kinds of water? Do you see the tap water and the Perrier and river water? Which part of the bowl holds the cucumber flavored water?”
They catch on quickly. “It’s all mixed up now. It’s all just one big bowl of water.”
When we celebrate Baptism Sunday, we remember the story of Jesus’ baptism and recall the meaning and the significance of our own baptism. It is a time to reflect on how God created, entered into our world through Jesus, and transforms us through the waters of baptism just as it was first with Jesus. And how that transformation is available to all people.
In the gospel of Matthew’s version of Jesus’ baptism, there’s an interesting exchange between John and Jesus. John recognizes that the Messiah has come in Jesus. He is feeling unworthy to be the baptizer. He says, “If anyone should be doing the baptizing, you Jesus, should be baptizing me.”
Jesus refuses. “Let it be so for now, to fulfill all righteousness.” He is acknowledging John’s humbleness which makes it even more appropriate. It is an act of submission and obedience to God’s will. The one who is now being baptized by human hands is also the one who will usher in God’s kingdom and bring the Good News to all human hands.
The waters of baptism wash over us and the Holy Spirit fills us as we begin our faith journeys. It is a welcoming into a faith family, a loving community, a relationship of the spirit as we join together in the One Body of Christ. These waters are universal; no Perrier or tap or river water. Likewise, the baptism waters are welcoming of all people, no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey. After all, it’s just one big bowl.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Todd Hackman is senior pastor at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Monroe.
