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BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Matthew 3:13-3:17 (CEB)
The story of Jesus’ baptism is very similar between Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s versions of the Gospel. John’s version of the Gospel alludes to it but doesn’t actually describe the event. In all the different versions, his baptism provides an opportunity for Jesus to be publicly identified as God’s beloved child. But baptism is never solely about the individual but rather it is a communal act that seeks to encompass all of us.
Excerpts from Karri Alldredge’s commentary for this text on Working Preacher points out:
”While the five short verses of the gospel reading focus attention on Jesus’ baptism, it is important to honor the many people who made it possible for Jesus to arrive at this point. For Jesus would not have made it to adulthood, much less his baptism, without individuals and communities attuned to listening to God and protecting the vulnerable…
…Today’s gospel narrative invites us to reflect on the communal nature of Jesus’ baptism along with our own. It calls us to reflect on communities who have nurtured our faith journeys and the ways we are called to support others as the body of Christ.
Matthew’s gospel opens with a genealogy. This genealogy roots Jesus in the story of the people of Israel from the beginning, unlike Luke, whose genealogy follows Jesus’ baptism. Matthew’s account provides Jesus with a lineage traced through Abraham and David. Ultimately, this affirms Jesus’ role as the Messiah.
But the genealogy does more than merely trace lineage; it serves as a reminder of the stories and experiences that shape a culture, a faith, and a people. It provides reminders of stories of resilience, like Ruth’s, and those of violence, like Tamar’s. It also memorializes collective experiences such as the Babylonian deportation. It reminds readers of the stories we know much about, like Abraham’s, and little about, like Achim’s. These generations, complete with historical anomalies, remind Jesus that as he enters the Jordan River, he does so guided by the faith of ancestors who came before him…
…As witnessed by those who supported Jesus, this is not only a spiritual practice, but a political one as well. As we recount Jesus’ baptism, it is a time to honor the many people who aided in getting him to the Jordan River that day despite the threat of imperial violence and the power of cultural norms. May it invite us in a time when children are being violently separated from their parents over immigration, and when transgender youth are being denied access to gender-affirming care, to consider the role of the church and community to protect the vulnerable and support them in living into who God has called them to be…”
Worship online with thetable.live. CCLI #805699 / CCLI Streaming #094804
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By The Table UMC
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Matthew 3:13-3:17 (CEB)
The story of Jesus’ baptism is very similar between Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s versions of the Gospel. John’s version of the Gospel alludes to it but doesn’t actually describe the event. In all the different versions, his baptism provides an opportunity for Jesus to be publicly identified as God’s beloved child. But baptism is never solely about the individual but rather it is a communal act that seeks to encompass all of us.
Excerpts from Karri Alldredge’s commentary for this text on Working Preacher points out:
”While the five short verses of the gospel reading focus attention on Jesus’ baptism, it is important to honor the many people who made it possible for Jesus to arrive at this point. For Jesus would not have made it to adulthood, much less his baptism, without individuals and communities attuned to listening to God and protecting the vulnerable…
…Today’s gospel narrative invites us to reflect on the communal nature of Jesus’ baptism along with our own. It calls us to reflect on communities who have nurtured our faith journeys and the ways we are called to support others as the body of Christ.
Matthew’s gospel opens with a genealogy. This genealogy roots Jesus in the story of the people of Israel from the beginning, unlike Luke, whose genealogy follows Jesus’ baptism. Matthew’s account provides Jesus with a lineage traced through Abraham and David. Ultimately, this affirms Jesus’ role as the Messiah.
But the genealogy does more than merely trace lineage; it serves as a reminder of the stories and experiences that shape a culture, a faith, and a people. It provides reminders of stories of resilience, like Ruth’s, and those of violence, like Tamar’s. It also memorializes collective experiences such as the Babylonian deportation. It reminds readers of the stories we know much about, like Abraham’s, and little about, like Achim’s. These generations, complete with historical anomalies, remind Jesus that as he enters the Jordan River, he does so guided by the faith of ancestors who came before him…
…As witnessed by those who supported Jesus, this is not only a spiritual practice, but a political one as well. As we recount Jesus’ baptism, it is a time to honor the many people who aided in getting him to the Jordan River that day despite the threat of imperial violence and the power of cultural norms. May it invite us in a time when children are being violently separated from their parents over immigration, and when transgender youth are being denied access to gender-affirming care, to consider the role of the church and community to protect the vulnerable and support them in living into who God has called them to be…”
Worship online with thetable.live. CCLI #805699 / CCLI Streaming #094804