Rev. Mark Schaefer
January 12, 2020
Isaiah 42:1–9; Matthew 3:13–17
I. BEGINNING
One of my college roommates, and best friends to this day, is an Iranian Jew, who emigrated with his family sometime in the mid-late 70’s at the age of ten.
One year, he had some business in town and he came down to visit the night before. It was Easter Sunday and there wasn’t much open. As we drove home from my Easter services that night, I tried to think of a good place for us to get some food. “Ah!” I remembered, “Moby Dick! They’re open. At least the one in Georgetown.” “What is it?” he asked. “It’s Persian; you’ll like it.”
So he looked up the number and called them to make sure they were still open. They answered and he began to greet them in Persian. They responded. He said something again. And on this went for a minute. I was perplexed. We weren’t ordering anything, we just wanted to find out when they closed. Finally, he hung up, turned to me and said, “In Persian you can never just say, ‘What time are you open till?’ You always have to go through all this nonsense—‘I apologize for disturbing you…’ even when it’s a business.”
So, he’d spent the better part of a minute just getting to the point where he could ask them how late they were open. Anthropologists call that a “high context culture.”
But it also strikes me of the kind of ritual formality that you encounter in religion all the time. Things that matter often involve some measure of ritual and rite. I mean, you would all think it odd if for communion I just stood at the front of the sanctuary and said, “So, anyway, here’s some bread and grape juice; help yourselves.”
A similar thing happens in military contexts. A couple of years ago a friend of mine retired from the navy and asked me to give the benediction at has change of command ceremony. I was impressed at the lengths that the navy went to to effect all the requirements of protocol, even going so far as to build a plank for the admiral to “come aboard” on, even though the entire ceremony was below decks. Indeed, having seen all the protocol and ceremony, it would’ve been strange if the admiral had just said, “Thanks for everything, Doug; we’ve got it from here.”
Often, there are formalities we go through before we get to the substance of the matter.
II. THE TEXT
I wonder if something like that is going on in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Before he can be baptized, John objects, saying that he’s the one who should be getting baptized by Jesus. But then Jesus says, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, Yesus Church, Aksum, Ethiopia
Now, there are a couple of ways we could interpret this, I suppose. We could see this as a kind of formality, like the cultural expectations of my friends Persian culture or the formal requirements of a military or religious rite. And certainly, if anyone here today were to come forward for baptism, we’d ask a few questions ourselves before getting the water ready. So, maybe that’s all that Jesus and John are going through here—formality before a rite. Perhaps.
There’s another interpretation, favored by a number of biblical scholars, who point out that in Mark’s gospel, John baptizes Jesus without objection. In fact, it’s not clear in Mark’s gospel that John knows who Jesus is. Some scholars note that John the Baptist’s movement lasted for a time after his death and overlapped with the early Christian movement. It would have been embarrassing for the early Christians to admit that their messiah had been baptized by the other group’s leader. Thus, the scholars reason, Matthew includes John objecting to baptizing Jesus so that it is clear who is superior to whom. Perhaps.
But there’s something else to note about this exchange. With the words, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus speaks for the first time in the Gospel.
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” In Luke, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” In John, “What are you looking for?” But here, Jesus says, “it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
It’s a powerful statement and says much about the presentation of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus inaugurates his mission by declaring that it is necessary to fulfill all righteousness. In doing this, there is a clear identification made between Jesus’ ministry and the prophetic oracles of the Prophet Jeremiah, who likewise asserted the importance of justice and righteousness:
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 23:5–6 NRSV)
This expectation of justice and righteousness had been linked to messianic expectation from at least the time of Jeremiah. And so, by presenting Jesus as one seeking to fulfill all righteousness, Matthew makes clear in his telling that Jesus is the long-awaited messiah. He is the one, the righteous branch, who will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
The baptism of Jesus makes it clear that Jesus is God’s Son, come into the world to fulfill all righteousness.
III. CLAIMING THE NAME
But what is righteousness? What is this thing that Jesus has come to fulfill?
Righteousness, at its heart, is living ‘rightly.’ It is right conduct. But this right conduct is not conduct in the abstract; it’s conduct within relationship. And so, righteousness is about right relationship with God and with each other.
Righteousness defines a way of living rightly, justly. It is the foundation for Christian ethics and community. When Jesus declares the importance of fulfilling all righteousness, he is saying something important about who he is, but also, what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
This is an important point of reflection for us today, because there appear to be a great many Christians who seem to have missed this point. There are a lot of Christians today who seem to think that being a Christian is accomplished by saying you’re a Christian. Saying you’re a Christian and then declaring that you have attained salvation as a result. And then, apparently, you’re done.
Indeed, Christianity has become merely another label in a culture obsessed with labeling and tribalism.
Image courtesy Wordle
In this kind of Christianity, being a Christian isn’t anything you do, it’s just something you are identified with. It’s just your tribe. You can be cruel, indifferent, unjust, ignorant, greedy, selfish, dishonest, deceitful, racist, sexist, bigoted, whatever, so long as you say you’re Christian and that you love Jesus. As long as you say that, apparently, you’re good to go; you’ve got your ticket punched for the afterlife. And if you say how important Christianity is to Western Civilization and how foundational Christian values are, then, you don’t even have to practice any of those values. It’s enough that you just say—loudly—how important Christianity is.
This kind of Christianity all but reduces Jesus to a mascot, simply a corporate logo to identify your preferences, a group you claim some kind of connection to or rooting interest with. “Christian” has become the name of an affinity group, meaning no more than “Nationals fan” or even, God help you, “Orioles fan.”
It’s the Christianity that invokes God at public events, so long as that God is there to bless our undertaking and doesn’t actually ask us to do anything. It’s the Christianity that thanks God for touchdowns but that does not care whether the people who are working in the stadium earn enough to provide for their families. It’s the Christianity that hurries past a store with a “Happy Holidays” banner in front of it and ignores the homeless people huddled nearby.
We don’t need this kind of Christianity in the world today. We have enough tribes.
We need more Jesus in the world today. And that’s what we’re called to be.
IV. IMITATIO CHRISTI
It is a long tradition in Christian community that we should engage in what is called the Imitatio Christi, “the imitation of Christ.” This idea of imitation is found in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, in the epistle to the Hebrews, and in the letters of John. It was reflected upon by the Medieval saint Thomas À Kempis in his appropriately titled work, The Imitation of Christ. It is at the core of our concepts of discipleship. In fact, in the ancient world and in Judaism to this day, a disciple is supposed to imitate their master. Right action, defined by one’s teacher, is a mark of discipleship.
Jesus tells us as much repeatedly. He reminds us that confession alone is not enough, and that it is right action that defines a follower of his:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 NRSV)
What people do—not what they say—seems to be the centerpiece of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
In fact, so central is this message of a union between faith and action in Matthew’s gospel, that it is both the overall ethical center of Jesus’ teachings (just look at the Sermon on the Mount and see how much we’re being told to do the right thing) and the basis for his greatest critique of his opponents: hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is the major moral critique that Jesus makes. It’s not vice or sexual morality. It’s not money or politics, that Jesus critiques; it’s hypocrisy. Those who say that they’re one thing, but then don’t back it up with their actions.
In fact, Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy gives us one of the more fascinating snippets of Jesus’ teachings in the gospel:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.” (Matthew 23:1–3 NRSV)
How’s that for an instruction? These guys really know what they’re talking about so you should do what they say to do. But, they don’t do it themselves so ignore what they actually do.
How many Christians could be adjudged in the same way?
How many of us are failing to “fulfill all righteousness”?
A. The Suffering Servant
The problem is amplified by the fact that not only does Jesus frequently remind us that we’re supposed to be doing the work of righteousness, he frequently shows us what that work is supposed to be like.
Jesus not only makes identification with the messianic expectation of Jeremiah, he makes identification with the Suffering Servant identified in the Book of Isaiah. It’s an identification that many early Christians made with Jesus, as they read the words of Second Isaiah describing the one who would come as the Lord’s Servant, who would witness to justice and righteousness in ways that were truly transformative:
Isaiah 42:1–9 • Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
“… he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. … I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.῾
How many Christians are willing to “claim the name of Jesus” but are unwilling to “bring forth justice,” especially in non-violent peaceful ways that wouldn’t even quench a dimly burning wick or break a bruised reed? How many are proud of their Christian tribe, but seek no liberation for any captive, no release for anyone bound? How many Christians have signed up on the dotted line to declare ourselves recipients of God’s grace but do not share that grace, or love, or mercy with anyone else? How many of us are prouder of “being Christian” than of doing what the gospel requires? How many of us embrace that pride rather than the humility that Jesus himself shows by being baptized by John?
So often it seems that Jesus begins his entire ministry by declaring the necessity for righteousness only to have his followers say, “Right on, Jesus! We love you!” before continuing our lives as they were before.
V. END
There are 2.3 billion Christians on earth right now. About one out of every three human beings on the planet is a Christian. That number is on the rise.
So, I’m going to go on record saying that we don’t need any more Christians in the world. We’re set.
What we need is more people who are Christ-like.
See, being a Christian, it seems, is relatively easy. We are all Christians by virtue of our common baptism. All that’s necessary to be a Christian is that baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s it. You’re a Christian!
Being Christ-like, however, is another matter altogether. Being baptized literally requires no work from us, especially if we’re baptized as infants and can’t even hold our heads up by ourselves. Being Christ-like requires a lot of work. Being Christ-like requires us to take up the same mantel that Christ bore, to take up the cross of suffering for the sake of the kingdom. To commit to fulfilling all righteousness.
Imagine what it would be like if one out of every three people on earth were Christ-like? Imagine the transformation of the world that would take place then?
What would it be like if one out of every three people on earth were committed to fulfilling all righteousness? If 2.3 billion people on earth were committed to justice and righteousness, to sharing God’s love in powerful, yet non-violent ways? To being willing to bear the burdens of others as a sign of salvation in solidarity? Imagine what it would be like for such a multitude to seek to be “a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Imagine what that would be like.
Jesus comes to the River Jordan to be baptized by John and humbles himself in doing so because that is the nature of the messiah that we find in Jesus. That is the nature of the one who, like the Suffering Servant, establishes justice and righteousness, and who with gentleness proclaims the powerful grace of God. That is the nature of the one who comes to fulfill all righteousness and walks down the path of justice and righteousness.
Jesus never asked us to be Christians. He asked us to follow him. On this Sunday when we remember our own baptism, we can start by remembering his, and the call to fulfill all righteousness be put before us.
Texts
Isaiah 42:1–9 • Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Matthew 3:13–17 • 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.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”