Christ is baptized in the Jordan! For our salvation!
While still in the celebration that follows last Monday’s Glorious Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that is Jesus Baptism in the Jordon River, we hear today the great opening of the mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, a Gospel which will end with the great closing of his mission: the Risen Jesus saying to his disciples,'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." How do we receive today the great opening? Let me quote a commentary on today’s Gospel of a catechism given by an Ethiopian Christian to his church 1500 years ago which begins thus:
“The Prophet Isaiah prophesies about you (who believe in Christ and turn towards him), saying: ‘The country of Zabulon and the country of Neftali and the road of the sea and the other bank of the Jordan and the Galilee of the nations which were in the dark have seen a great light; for those
who were in the country of the shadow of death, a great light rose up.’
Our catechist adds: ‘Do you understand what the prophet said to you? You have seen a great light. You have come out of darkness and of the shadow of death. Just as Zechariah prophesied about Jesus in his canticle: ‘He rises to show his light to us who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the path of peace’.
St.Paul today gives details about how Jesus is light, saying: “Christ ascended on high leading a host of captives, giving us gifts. That means that Christ also descended into our darkness and death. From there He ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. His gifts of light equip the saints, build up the Body of Christ, so that we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” With such a magnificent gift, such a light, shall we not give much value to the first words of Jesus’ mission, to the succinct message Christ gives today: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
When I hear these words, I am ashamed to say, I remain unmoved, I hear and continue to live as before! So today I don’t want you to hear my words, words of an unrepenting sinner, and I give the rest of my homily to the Ethiopian catechist of 1500 years ago. My hope is that his commentary, at least, might move you to obey the opening words of Jesus’ mission:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. This is what he says: ‘Remove from your old conduct, remove from the old man who gets corrupted through lust for sin. Renew the spirit of your heart and put on Christ Jesus. For it is Christ who dwells within you through righteousness and through correct faith and through gentleness. ‘Reject impurity, speak about righteousness with your neighbor. Let the one who used to steal not steal any longer, let him work and take pains with his hands to make alms and satisfy his own needs for food. ‘Let no bad word come out of your mouth, only a good one. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you have been sealed when you have been saved. ‘Remove every bitterness, anger, wrath, murmur, abuse, scandal, blasphemy and worship of idols. Let no word of impurity and cupidity ever be heard from you’. When you go to church, do not touch any impurity which is not pure, turn away your gaze from all that is impure, namely: do not swear an oath with a lie, beware of magicians and idol worshipers; do not make friends with them, do not join them so that they bring you into their faults, and do not bring the disgust by their impurity; do not resemble them in anything, as says the apostle: ‘Do not associate with those who bear no fruit, whose entire works are in the dark’. Believe rightly in Christ: "Because you all are children of light in our Lord. So, walk like children of light for the fruit of light is every good work’. Honor the Christians who have become so before you and are older by birth of baptism, even though they may be younger than you by birth of days: “observe what they are teaching you by word and in writing”. Let us ask God and beseech with all our heart that He make us able to toil according to what has been given to us so that we may not be neglectful or lazy or inattentive. Let us toil according to what we have been made able to, so that God may reward us with the good reward which He has prepared for those who love with compassion, mercy and take on His love for humankind, because Our God is mercy.”
Maybe these words are meaningful to us today 1500 years after they were pronounced, and we will not remain unmoved by Jesus Christ the great light who appears to bring us out of darkness and of the shadow of death. Let us pray for one another in this Divine Liturgy, that each of us may start living with awareness that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Christ is baptized in the Jordan! For our salvation!
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