Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 13, 2019
First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
We have an extra long season after Epiphany this year – eight Sundays with Gospels sketching the revelation of Jesus as Messiah – because Easter falls on April 21 and Ash Wednesday on March 6. That’s almost as late as Easter can possibly occur, so Epiphany stretches out to fill the gap. This week we hear of the Baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his public ministry, with Sunday readings that speak of water and fire.
The Baptism of Christ (1510-1520). Oil painting on oak by Joachim Patinir (c.1480-1524). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. (Click image to enlarge.)
In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah assures us that God is with us. God calls us by name and watches over us as we pass safely through waters, rivers, and fire. “Do not fear,” the prophet tells the people returning from exile, “for I am with you.”
Psalm: Psalm 29
Sunday’s Psalm is a thundering hymn of the ancient temple, a song depicting the power of God as it might be seen and heard in a great storm. Thunder crashes and lightning flashes; fire and winds shake the earth and topple trees. These are not things to fear, the Psalmist sings, but signs of the great power and majesty of God. As the storm comes to a close, we are left with God’s promises of strength and peace, gifts that we too seek to gain when we are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism.
Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17
The Acts of the Apostles is a fascinating story about the early church. It is the Evangelist Luke’s interpretation of how Christianity spread from its infant beginning in Jerusalem to much of the then-known world in the Mediterranean. Though rooted in Judaism, the church soon opened its doors to Gentiles as well. These verses mark this significant change, as Peter and John travel to Samaria to welcome and embrace the once-hated Samaritans, baptized in water and the Spirit, as new brothers and sisters in the church.
Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Was John the Baptist the Messiah? Many of his followers came to him at the Jordan in this hope. But Luke proclaims the contrary, telling us that John declared himself unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. John says that it is Jesus, not John, who will baptize not only with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire. John envisions Jesus presiding over a strict and final judgement like a harvester, separating the wheat from the chaff. Finally we come to Luke’s concise telling of the familiar story of Jesus’ baptism: The Spirit comes down as a dove, and God’s voice proclaims that Jesus is God’s son, the Beloved, with whom God is well pleased.