Reading 4
Remember Your Baptism—Matthew 3
Read Chapter 3
Three chapters into Matthew’s Gospel we get to eavesdrop on the conversation between Jesus and John the baptizer. I suspect Jesus’ awareness of God’s presence in his life evolved over the course of years. No doubt he knew of his unique calling as God’s messenger and savior of the world as the prophet had declared long ago. Jesus must now claim his vocation and baptism opens him to the divine affirmation that will strengthen his resolve and focus his energies.
Jesus’s Baptism, however, does not come with gentle words and soothing balm. These waters are not calm or crystal pure, and even the sky itself is scarily ripped open by the thunderous voice of God overhead: not your typical church baptism. Certainly, this was a multi-sensory experience!
Martin Luther often said, “Remember your baptism!” Rather than a sentimental journey or an effort to recapture lost enthusiasm, “remember your baptism” is seeking equilibrium on a storm-tossed sea, getting your bearings, remembering who (and whose) you are, and grounding yourself in that assurance.
Which means that the message of baptism—that God has declared that you are enough, that God accepts you just as you are, and that God desires to do wonderful things for and through you—may be just what we each desperately need to hear. This message has never been timelier for we live in a culture that promises acceptance only if we are…skinny enough, young enough, successful enough, strong enough, etc. Whether young or old, steeped-in-the-faith or relatively new, we all crave a sense of identity and are all too likely to succumb to such false promises.
For this reason, there is no better time than now to hear the promise that Jesus lived, died, and was raised again to reveal just how much God loves and accepts us. We each must always remember this: I am God’s child, deserving of love and respect, and God will use me to change the world. You are enough. You are baptized and set free!
To Consider:
- How does God’s Spirit work in you today; move through you today; speak to you still today—calling you in this time and place to do new things?
- What transformation needs to happen, even now?
Loving God, thank you for naming and claiming me as your own child. Help me remember my baptism and free me to do your work in your world. Inspire me to share your love through service in our community and beyond. Help me change the world. All this we ask in your name. Amen.
Pastor Judy Lewis Drysdale is the Interim Pastor at Old St. Paul’s in Newton. She lives in Hickory with her husband, David, their rambunctious dog, Penny, and her not-loving-the-dog cat, Indy. Pastor Judy is proud of their amazing son, Joshua Copeland, who is finishing his internship and will graduate from United Lutheran Seminary this December.
