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Sunday Sermons
Sermon: 1-13-08, Jesus' Baptism
Pastor Phil Lee
Title: "Living a Babtized Life"
Text: Isaiah 42: 1-9
Theme:Living baptized is about doing justice
Introduction
Last Sunday two baptisms occurred right on this spot. Two sisters were presented by their parents and sponsors, and they were baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And, at the end of that Baptismal service, we were all reminded of our calling by God to actually live a baptized life. We were reminded that we are part of a “priesthood (ministry) that we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God and bear God’s creative and redeeming Word to all the world.”
In short, we were reminded that living a baptized life is about worshiping God and witnessing to the world about God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
But, let’s take a moment to consider this question: Beyond the common church language that most of us are familiar with, what does it really mean to live a baptized life?
Point
To explore that question, let’s go back to our Scriptures for today. The OT lesson – Isa.42 – is the first of four “Servant” songs in Isaiah where the prophet reminds us that the servant of God would establish justice in the earth. And then we are told by Matthew in his Gospel (ch.12) that the “servant” Isaiah was talking about is actually Jesus. Matthew recalls a time when the Pharisees argued that Jesus was breaking the law against working on the Sabbath by healing someone, and Jesus responded emphatically: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
In the aftermath of that experience, Matthew concluded: “This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah (ch.42): “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
In today’s Gospel – Mt.3 – we read that Jesus, this servant of God who came to establish justice in the earth, was himself baptized by John the Baptist. Though it wasn’t necessary, Jesus chose to live a baptized life in order to identify with his followers and to set a course for us to take.
Yes, you and I are called to live a baptized life as followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But, the question lingers: Beyond the common church language that most of us are familiar with, what does it actually mean to live a baptized life?
Problem
We all know that there are many injustices in our world. This week, as our nation celebrates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded of his steadfast pursuit of social and racial justice back in the 1950’s and 60’s, and how his life came to a tragic end by brutal assassination. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who reminded us that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
These days we are seeing injustice in the violence and bloodshed and death in Kenya, economic injustice in the huge disparity between the “First World” and the “Third World,” and the relational injustice of child abuse and spousal abuse that is all too common right in our own neighborhoods!
And we worship as Lord the One who was unjustly put on trail and crucified. Yet God used that injustice for His purpose to redeem the world.
So, what will be our response in the face of injustice in our neighborhood, our community, our world? We can easily escape with the claim that it’s none of our business. Or we can engage the injustice, knowing that Jesus came to establish justice in the earth and that an “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
But, how can we engage? How can we get involved? Those questions bring us back to our first question: Beyond the common church language that most of us are familiar with, what does it really mean to live a baptized life?
Power
A few times a week at 8:45 in the morning, I poke my head into the gym and join the GLS students in the Pledge of Allegiance as school starts. As you know, that pledge gives words to the core values of our country – “…one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
Just last Thursday, while I was at an ecumenical ministry meeting at JFK High School just down the street, I met Anne Kramer, a Campus Ministry leader and Theology teacher, who teaches about Peace and Social Justice. I have been struggling to understand how living a baptized life and doing justice are connected, so I asked Anne about the meaning of “justice” and what she taught, and she put it very succinctly when she said: “Justice is the pursuit of the well-being of our selves, others, and the earth.”
And so there is the connection. There is no better way to live a baptized life than to pursue justice. Matthew reminds us that Jesus is God’s chosen servant, who came to “proclaim justice to the Gentiles…He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” He will set prisoners free from fear and doubt and condemnation. He will deliver people from the darkness of despair and hopelessness.
And as we are baptized into the death are resurrection of Jesus, we are called to actually live a baptized life, to pursue the well-being of others in Jesus’ name as we commit ourselves to helping set prisoners free from fear and doubt and condemnation and delivering people from the darkness of despair and hopelessness.
As we are baptized into the death are resurrection of Jesus, we are called to actually live a baptized life, to pursue the well-being of others in Jesus’ name as we commit ourselves to witnessing to the world about God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ.
Today you will hear about World Vision and a Kenya Relief offering and Lutheran World Relief. Those are just a few ways that we can get involved. We can turn away and say, “It’s none of my business.” Or we can get involved and participate in doing justice, just as Jesus did.
Conclusion
We really are called by God to pursue the well-being of others. We really are called by God to do justice.
We really are called to live a baptized life as we “proclaim the praise of God and bear God’s creative and redeeming Word to all the world.”
Amen.
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