Baptismal Limitations[1]
Mark 1:1-8
Rev. Sandy Johnson
December 10, 2017
Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and said solemnly, “Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?”
“I think so,” the man replied. “My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests.”
“I don’t mean that,” the priest responded. “I mean, are you prepared spiritually?”
“Oh, sure,” came the reply. “I’ve got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey.[2]”
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen
“If the First Sunday of Advent was the trailer, today is the setup. The scene is set, and we are meeting the first of our main characters. We find John the Baptist in the wilderness. Before Jesus even arrives on the scene, the work is already in progress. John is baptizing, receiving confession, and preaching of “one stronger than I.[3]”
2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”[4]
And that was exactly what John was doing, down by the Jordan River, preparing, following his call, doing what he was destined to do.
“While it may seem that John is doing much of the work that Jesus was coming to do, John is clear that his work is limited. His work is merely in preparation of the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.[5]” You see, we need to get ready to receive the baptism of the Spirit and John’s baptism was intended to do just that. It too was a preview of coming attractions.
“What John models here is the kind of waiting that requires not only action, but the kind of action that prepares people to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. John is changing hearts.” This modeling reminds us that we too need to be preparing during this season of Advent, and not just by thinking about the coming of the Christ, but by moving to action, to do something to prepare ourselves for the transformation that Christ offers to us. And I don’t mean shopping and wrapping presents, decorating the house with lights and setting up your Christmas tree. Certainly, that is a preparation that many of us do this time of year.
But I’m talking about a spiritual preparation; that soul-searching, dig deeper, how do I connect and grow closer in my relationship with Jesus Christ, kind of preparation? Do you know what I’m talking about?
“Often during a baptism, it is suggested to those witnessing to remember our own baptism – not the event itself, which may be impossible for some, but to remember the meaning of our baptism. We are reminded that we are truly loved, forgiven, and accepted without any reason of deserving or earning it. We are reminded that we are created as God’s children in God’s image. We are reminded through our baptism, that God calls us to serve just as we are – no more, no less.
“Here John gives us one more thing to remember about our baptism. Baptism is an active preparation for receiving the good news of Jesus Christ. Our hearts are changed. Therefore, baptism is an active part of preparing in Advent. As we remember our baptism, we are reminded that we join John the Baptist in preparing the way by engaging the world in a heart-changing manner. We are reminded that we are capable and worthy, just as we are.”
John dressed differently than the crowds, not many folks wore camel hair and ate locust. He was an odd ball, who came in from the wilderness to follow his call, limitations and all. But “the limitations of being out in the wilderness did not restrict John’s ability to do good work. Instead, God set him up to play a major role in the Jesus story.”
What are the limitations that we put on ourselves as we prepare for the birth of Christ? Are there things that are keeping us from experiencing God’s grace?
This weekend I led a memorial service for a 92-year-old Jewish man, who lived here in Boulder City the past 30 years. When we think of possible limitations that one might have, I thought of Ralph. Ralph was just 14 years old when Poland was invaded by the Nazi’s and put into a ghetto with 230,000 of his fellow Jews.
When he was transferred to one of the concentration camps, he watched as his father as taken away, never to be seen again. His mother and sisters were sent to a different camp where they were killed. He and his brother miraculously survived through the most atrocious circumstances known to man. To say he had limitations is an understatement. As a prisoner he didn’t let those limitations stop him from being who he was.
He demonstrated kindness to his fellow inmates, by befriending the Germans, volunteering for extra work and in return was rewarded with extra rations. These rations he used to keep his friends alive. He saw possibilities in his circumstances and ignored the limitations that were all around him.
Following the end of the war he moved to the United States where he became a citizen. He raised a family, opened a business, and had a great career in the aerospace industry. In spite of great limitations, he overcame the obstacles and followed his calling from God. Limitations aren’t for God’s people. We have God on our side to eliminate any limitations we may think we have, so that we can have a close, loving, peaceful relationship with our creator.
Baptism is a means of grace, one of the ways that we prepare ourselves to receive the salvation that’s offered by Jesus Christ. This morning we will remember our baptism, we assert and reaffirm that decision that we made some a very, very long time ago.
We are reminded of John the baptizer’s preparation, those things he was doing to prepare the people of that time, preparing them to receive Jesus and discover the truth, that the Messiah had come. What are our limitations? What keeps us from fully receiving this gift of Jesus Christ? Is it our own pride, thinking that we know best how to do things, or that we are self-sufficient and can manage all the things that get thrown our way.
I would propose that each one of us is a sorry excuse for God. What I mean is that when we think we can handle our lives solo, when we think that we can do a better job managing our circumstances, than relying on our Lord, we are a poor imitation of Christ. There is no way we can match his wisdom, love and grace and who really suffers when we refuse to surrender to God?
We must stop thinking that we can do this life on our own. We must except the grace that is offered through our Lord Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to follow God’s will and to be imitators of Christ to the best of our abilities.
I remember that at the beginning of this year we talked about going deeper, diving deeper, having a deeper relationship with God. Do you remember that? I’m wondering as we near the end of this year how many of us have done something, anything different. Have we done something new, either a new practice or have we stopped an unhealthy one?
What is it that we’ve done different this year to dig deeper, to form a closer bond with our Lord? As we approach Christmas and remembering the birth of Christ, I want to encourage everyone to reflect on how far we’ve come in our quest to go deeper.
And in making that decision, have we done the things that will bring us closer to Christ or are we continuing to sit on the sidelines, wishing to be part of the game, hoping that maybe will be called up. But we won’t be called up if we’re not ready and preparation is what we are all about in this season of Advent.
I invite you to come up while we sing “When Jesus Came to Jordan, UMH #252, and remember your baptism. I will anoint you with oil and say, “Remember your baptism.” I invite you to respond with, “I remember.”
[1] Kelley, Jessica Miller. A Preacher’s Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, KY. 2016. Page 85-86
[2] http://www.jokesoftheday.net/joke–Baptism-/201710139
[3] Kelley, Jessica Miller. A Preacher’s Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, KY. 2016. Page 85
[4] Mark 1:2-3
[5] Kelley, Jessica Miller. A Preacher’s Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, KY. 2016. Page 85
