This Sunday we will be celebrating the sacrament of Communion.
The Scripture Readings for the week are:
- Isaiah 42:1-9
- Matthew 3:13-17
The Sermon title is Beloved Servant
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Early Thoughts: It is traditional that the first Sunday after Epiphany (which falls on January 6th, right after the 12 Days of Christmas) we commemorate the Baptism of Jesus. This moves us from the birth of Jesus to the beginning of his public ministry.
There are a couple of things that I always notice in Matthew's account of the baptism. The first is the reaction of John. John is all about baptism but he is reluctant to baptize Jesus, recognizing that Jesus is the one whose coming John had been foretelling, the one who John describes as "I am not worthy to carry his sandals". So Jesus has to reassure John that the baptism is the right way to go. The other is that Divine blessing. Who all hears those words of blessing? Jesus? Jesus and John? The witnesses present? And does it matter who all hears the voice?
I think that the pronoun references imply that only Jesus sees the dove and hears the voice. And I do think that matters. The blessing part of this story is not a time when people are being told who Jesus is. The blessing is Jesus being told who Jesus is. Jesus is being told that he is God's beloved son and that God is pleased with him. I can not help but think that those words of blessing at the beginning of his ministry might have carried Jesus forward when things got difficult.
Other people have to figure out who Jesus is as the story continues.
Our reading from Isaiah talks about God's servant. This is an image used many times in the book of Isaiah (often referred to as the Suffering Servant or the Servant Songs). Just who Isaiah understands the servant to be is a matter of some controversy. Is it the people as a whole? Is it an specific individual, such as a king or leader? Is it the Messiah? A standard Christian understanding is that the servant passages refer to Christ. I think that interpretation works, but at the same time I firmly believe this is a re-interpretation by followers of Christ that may not match the original understandings. Sometimes new experiences, new understandings of how God acts in our world give us a different point of view. Often there is more than one 'correct' interpretation or understanding of ancient texts.
If we look at the servant in Isaiah with eyes that see Jesus described in there what does that tell us about who Jesus is. Jesus is a servant (and in the ancient world there was little or no difference between servant and slave) of God. Jesus is chosen and upheld by God and God's delights in him. Then the passage describes what the servant, Jesus, is to accomplish, the passage is a commissioning of sorts for this servant. Finally we close with the affirmation that God is at work doing a new thing, which firmly suggests that the servant is a part of this new thing God is doing.
As followers of Jesus we are called to emulate Christ. To be a Christian is to allow ourselves to be transformed and become more Christ-like. How do we take these passage in that light?
As baptized people does God call us beloved children? As a baptizing community do we help others see themselves as beloved children of God?j
Looking at those words of commissioning in Isaiah, how well do we follow the job description of God's servant/slave?
Jesus was God's Beloved Servant/Slave, God's Beloved Son. Jesus preached, proclaimed and advanced the new thing God was doing. As those who profess faith in the Risen Christ, who follow the Way of Jesus, are we ready to proclaim the new thing that God is still doing? Will we carefully tend the bruised reed or the dimly burning wick? Will we faithfully bring forth justice?
Will we live as though we are God's beloved servants/slaves?
--Gord
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