Rise within us like the star
And make us restless
Till we journey on
To seek our peace in you
Song “Into the darkness of this world”
Reading Mark 1v4-11
At the beginning of our spiritual journey, there is a ritual of renunciation, a turning away and of purification and commitment to a new way of being. For the Jews this involved a purification in water, one of the lakes or rivers. We can reckon to date the ministry of John the Baptist, and by implication, the commencement of the ministry of Jesus, at AD 27-29.
The Word of God came to Zechariah's son John in the desert - a place of reflection, retreat and revelation. Probably the wilderness mentioned is the area north west of the Dead Sea, leading into the Jordan valley. John was not someone you would want to invite for tea! He was smelly and largely naked, living on a diet of insects and honey. He was more like a crazy person you may meet. He shouted a lot.
John's ministry covered the whole of Jordan, preaching - communicating, proclaiming. It was authoritative-a baptism by immersion-used to describe water immersion, but also overwhelmed in/by/with the Spirit. This represents repentance for the forgiveness of sins expressed outwardly in water baptism, imaging cleansing.
Repentance in Hebrew involves a turning back / returning to God, rather than an expression of sorrow. Good deeds are not a necessary component of the inward act of repentance. Forgiveness does not rest on the deeds (fruit), but on a real turning toward God.
John was baptizing but the day of judgment will come to clean out, to gather up and burn with unquenchable fire- a fire that can't be put out, alluding to the rubbish dump outside Jerusalem that was constantly burning and often used to image the horror of judgment, although not necessarily "eternal" judgment.
Serious spiritual action is taking place on the margins, in the desert. We know who he is even if others don’t. The Messiah is introduced with his contrary take. The gospel is good news of victory instead of the propaganda of empire! How we need to hear that today! Jesus goes forward from the crowd to be baptized.
And we have the advent of an anointed leader who proclaims a kingdom. A challenge to the imperial gospel of the state. And a voice from off stage, the prophet Isaiah says; “This is my Beloved son”, quoting Psalms. From Galilee, a poor, marginal place. "Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee". Isaiah 42:1 comes from the ordination liturgy of the Servant of the Lord, the Servant whose journey is one of suffering. This Jesus is the fulfillment of ancient prophecies.
In Jewish and Christian understanding the Spirit usually comes upon a person to set them apart to lead different lives from the norm more in tune with God. The Spirit of God is often symbolised by a dove, also a symbol for us of peace. So the Spirit comes to Jesus, sets him apart, equips him for service, to proclaim good news to the lost, to heal the broken hearted and announce freedom to the captives, Isa.61:1.
Do we have people who are speaking truth to power and are threatened for doing so? I believe we do. Their voices are often silenced by a cacophony of loud nonsense. The propaganda of the state and the gospel are quite different. Do not confuse them!
John baptised anyone. Anyone who wanted to start again. Except the religious leaders who he called hypocrites. Beware hypocrisy! And like John we may find God working in strange places, in the mud and dirt of our lives.
Johns message was simple. Change direction. Turn to God. Give to the poor, act with justice and fairness.
It’s a simple message and really enough for all of us. Amen
Our prayers for our world ending with the Lords prayer in our own language
Song “Longing for light”
Blessing
When the star in the sky has gone
And the wise men have gone back to their homes
The real work of Christmas begins
To find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry and release the prisoner
