Baptism of Christ
Magic mug of hot & black with a modest cheese sandwich, Pepperidge Farms very thin whole wheat with Port Salut cheese melted on in the toaster oven and the top slice of bread mashed on to seal it. 4:18 AM Monday, 6 Jan 2025, a nice 67°F outside and reportedly gathering up to rain by five o'clock.
We brought plants inside last evening, I thought we were to have near-freezing cold, now looks like middle thirties overnight Mon/Tue.
Today we commemorate The Epiphany, which for the Western Church is Matthew's story of the Magi,
Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
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In the Eastern Orthodox Church they honor the Baptism of Christ as The Epiphany, and that is in fact our gospel reading for Sunday Epiphany One. This year it's to be Luke's account:
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
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Sometimes when more than one gospel has the same story, I like to see how they compare. This story is in all three synoptics, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, with Matthew and Luke having taken up Mark's account and worked it to fit their own views and purposes. A difference, slight and unnoticeable, seemingly insignificant, shows up in what each gospel writer has the voice from heaven say:
Mark 1
11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3
17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Luke 3
22b And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
In Mark and Luke the epiphany (actually it's called a theophany, God's own self appearing or speaking), is to Jesus himself. In Matthew the epiphany is for the crowd gathered there. Did Matthew actually intend that difference, and if so, why?
The gospel writers each have their own agenda, writing style, and literary techniques and devices, which show up best in the literal word for word translations from the Greek. Matthew's gospel is for his church of Jewish-Christians, is that a factor in this difference? All the gospels have trouble with John baptizing (and therefore seeming to have some authority over) Jesus, is that a factor, here? Does Matthew have God saying in effect and confirming, "THIS, Jesus, and not John, is my beloved Son"? These are good issues to explore in a Bible study or adult Sunday school class where folks can think and talk and come to their own conclusions, a very good experience in intelligent Bible study.
Retired for real now, I'm noticing what I miss about being an "active duty" Episcopal priest. I may miss the Time in the pulpit, but I probably don't miss the exhaustive work of sermon preparation. One thing for sure is leading small group Bible studies, but even for that the work is so intensive mentally that it exhausts me physically. But it was fun and good.
Anyway, there you go.
RSF&PTL
T89&c
Art: Rembrandt sketch of the baptism of Christ. My favorite.