The Baptism of the Lord

Matthew 3.13-17

This week the church celebrates the Baptism of our Lord. I have only one question. Why was Jesus baptized? That is always the question isn't it? As we have thought about it, banterred about our ideas, and read the opinions of scholars and novices alike, still none of the answers seems completely satisfactory to my mind. The most common, the "identification with humanity" is good theology and sounds reasonable, but it seems to me like an answer develped when we can't find anything else that fits.

The one thing that resonated with me, was one commentator who embraced that lack of a satisfactory answer. In the passage, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. John's baptism was one of repentance, yet the sinless Jesus surely is without need of repentance. John calls Jesus on it, they argue & John gives in. When Jesus emerges from the waters he suddenly has eyes to see and ears to hear as the Spirit descends annointing his ministry and as the voice of God affirms his Sonship.

When John asked Jesus the very same question we all want an answer to, Jesus simply replied, "It is the will of the Father." But that's not good enough. Why? What was accomplished? What necessitated it? We have all these qestion. We need good reasons and clear explanations.

To be quite honest, I think I sound a bit childish. Dad yells, "Don't go in the street!" I want to know why. What do all good dads say? "Because I said so." I contest, "That is no good reason." I argued then. I argue now. "It is the will of the Father." That's just not good enough... or is it? Could it be that the life of faith does not require reasons and explanations and coherent, logical arguments? Could it be that obedience is the virtue here? Could it be that more often than we'd like - or even that we're comfortable - the life of faith is one of blind obedience. When we are willing to obey without question, without explanation, without clear understanding of the reasons or benefits, then God is able to truly be seen in and through us. Obedience. Perhaps that is the word of the day.