Readings: Isaiah 43: 1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 8: 14-17, Luke 3: 15-22
Like quite a few of you, I guess, we had a heavy storm at our place last Wednesday night….and again yesterday. Wednesday’s storm didn’t take long to pass, but it sure rained. Some of you know we have a gully outside our place. Originally, I suppose it was a gully, but now it’s more of a storm water drain. Normally it’s gently flowing but when it does rain, the water level and flow rises rather rapidly. Given what happened to us in 2011 and 2022 we always keep a close eye on the gully. We know from bitter experience how quickly a gentle flow turns to a torrent, or how quickly a calm and, in the early morning, picturesque river not far away turns into a malevolent unstoppable rising flood. In the last few days, we’ve seen the terrifyingly apocalyptic vision of the fires in Los Angeles which have been unstoppable for days. The loss of property is beyond words to describe – and tragically there is loss of life and serious injury as well. It’s incredible sometimes how quickly a small fire can turn into an inferno.
In classical Greek thought, there were four fundamental elements - water and fire are two of them[1] - and in Australia we are all too well aware of their destructive potential. The collect for Australia Day in a couple of weeks’ time refers to “a land of fire, drought and flood.”[2] In the prayer for Australia, we bless God “for its contrasts of landscape and climate.”[3] In the Gospel for this morning, Luke’s account of Jesus baptism, we find both elements brought together – John the Baptist says that he baptises with water, but that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. Isaiah, as well, brings the two elements together “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”[4] What can we make of all of this?
The passage from Isaiah is part of God’s promise of redemption and restoration for the people who have been uprooted and forced into exile. It’s a wonderful passage full of promise and hope. It’s an intimate, personal passage – God calls the people by name. Even though the people have been metaphorically and probably literally through flood and fire, there’s a promise that God is with them, and they will not be overwhelmed. They are precious in his sight. God promises to call, and by implication bless people from all points of the compass “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” [5] The big question is, “How do we understand everyone?” Israel was regarded as the “chosen people”. Is it “everyone whom God chooses?” or “everyone”. It’s not just a fine theological point but has deep pastoral implications as well. It’s something many families face and often worry about when someone dies. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been asked by a grieving family whether someone who has died who “didn’t go to church much, but we think they believed in God” will be OK. How do we understand “everyone”.
At one end of the spectrum is the extreme Calvinist position in which from the beginning of time God has already chosen – the word used is pre-destined – those who are to be saved and those who won’t be. Under this view, our destiny, whether elect or not is set, full stop, and there is nothing we can do about it. Our final destiny and our ability to believe in God’s way are determined in advance. At the other end of the spectrum is what can be termed universalism. All are saved regardless of behaviour or belief. In between are other positions, for example, God calls everyone, and humans have a choice as to how they will respond, whether positively or negatively.
Baptism happens at a time when someone responds positively to God’s call – a parent or grand-parent for children, or an adult for themselves. Often people can’t verbalise it, nor do I expect them to, but I believe it is a spiritual call or a prompting of the Spirit. In over thirty years of ordained ministry, I’ve had very few requests about “wanting the child done”. And in baptism, both water and fire come into play. Water, of course, is the outward sign of the sacrament of baptism. Water is essential for our existence and in the scriptures, water is always to do with new life, or the potential for new life. From the very first verse of the scriptures where the spirit of God moves over the face of the waters[6], to the last chapter of the scriptures, in the Revelation to John where in his vision an angel shows him the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb[7]. In between is the foundational story in the history of God’s chosen people, the Exodus when the people pass through water from the old way of captivity and slavery to the new life God promises for them in the Land of Promise. The Holy Spirit is symbolised by a dove – as in the Gospel account for today – or by fire – remember the story of Pentecost. Fire symbolising energy and light. The paschal candle which burns at baptism – again fire, symbolises the risen Christ, the light of the world. The baptismal candle, lit from the paschal is handed to the family or to the one baptised and taken with them – they carry the light of Christ with them into their lives from that day. All of us who have been baptised have been gifted with all the possibility and potential of new life as children of God, all the energy and light of the Holy Spirit for our ministries – all of us whatever ministry we are exercising are living out our baptismal calling.
And for everyone who responds positively to God’s call in baptism there is an irrevocable change – a spiritual change. I say in baptism “I sign you with the sign of the cross to show that you are marked as Christ’s own for ever.”[8] Marked as Christ’s own for ever. I recall in a former parish receiving a phone call from a man I didn’t know and who worshipped, if at all, in another denomination. His 20-year-old daughter had, it seems, taken her own life – she had been drinking heavily and had hung herself. I guess we’ll never know whether she had actually meant to do it. There was conflict between he and her mother from whom he had been separated for many years. He said she was mixed up in witchcraft and he was worried there would be some pagan ceremony. He wanted some sort of Christian service before, as he put it, “They got their hands on her.” I arranged a memorial service and held it a couple of days later. I asked him at one stage what had led him to an Anglican Church. He said his daughter had been baptised in an Anglican Church in another diocese. It turned out that before I was ordained, I had known the priest who baptised her and I could visualise how he would have conducted the baptism. I said that at her baptism, he would have said that she was marked as Christ’s own forever. I said that no matter what had happened, or what might happen, nothing, nothing at all could ever change that. To hear that was, the father said, of enormous reassurance and support for him in the whole fraught and tragic time. Often, I feel, we don’t fully recognise the healing and transforming power of the words we use in worship. By the same token, we also need to be aware of how injurious and destructive they can be (like water and fire) if used carelessly or wantonly.
In Luke’s account, Jesus appears as one among the crowd and is baptised along with others. How many? We don’t know. No fanfare, no fuss. No lengthy account. We’re simply told he is baptised. But then, the epiphany moment, the showing or revelation of his true nature as the voice from heaven says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” It’s a life changing point for Jesus – his public ministry begins at this point. Jesus responds freely to the grace he has received. He is fully open to embodying God’s vision and purpose in his own unique way, sharing God’s transforming grace for the wholeness and salvation of humankind. At our baptisms we were signed with water and fire – not as elements of destruction, but as elements of new life and energy. Our own baptisms were epiphany moments; we too were revealed as children of God – and we too are called to be fully open in our unique way to God’s vision and purpose in and for our lives. Can it be that God is well pleased with us?
[1] The other two are air and earth. Some, like the Babylonians added a fifth, wind.
[2] A Prayer Book for Australia p 628
[3] Ibid p204
[4] Isaiah 43:2
[5] Isaiah 43:7
[6] Genesis 1: 1-2
[7] Revelation 22:1
[8] A Prayer Book for Australia p 60.
© Rev’d Bill Crossman