Baptism by Fire
/As I chose scripture for this week’s worship materials, I knew I wanted to touch on Jesus’ baptism but decided to add the temptation in the desert as well. Perhaps it will be an overwhelming read, but I wanted the juxtaposition of the two back to back.
We go from thirty-year old Jesus moving from relative obscurity in a small village, apprenticing as a carpenter, to his cousin John the Baptizer or Baptist calling Him the Lamb of God who will save the world. As descendants of the tribe of Levi they were destined to be priests and Jewish law said you had to wait until you were thirty to be anointed in this role. So here they are, at the Jordan River where thousands of years before God’s people crossed from wilderness to the land of milk and honey, from slavery to freedom. And John has crowds of people coming for the new beginning through baptism.
Despite John’s protests, Jesus chooses to be baptized to make it official, and as He comes up out of the water God’s voice is heard calling Him beloved and the Holy Spirit connects Creator and Son in a very public display to the crowds. While the people there may not have truly understood what was happening and what was to come, it was a big moment; a launching of Jesus’ calling.
What happens next couldn’t be more of a contrast - water to desert, crowds of people to isolation, affirmation to testing. Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to a time of fasting for forty days and at His weakest the tempter, or devil, comes and tries to trick Him into diminishing God, serving Himself and accepting power in return for worshiping evil. Jesus is able to stand firm in scripture and send the devil packing.
As I think about these two stories back to back and the life of Christian leadership, I think this can happen to many of us. Particularly for those who are ordained there is often a time of public celebration, of naming and claiming a calling in the community where we will serve. There is rite and ritual, colour and joy, words of encouragement and blessing. But then the celebration is over and reality hits and the initial excitement wears off as challenges come. At some point the honeymoon is over and we still need to remember our calling, to honour it and our God, and to persevere in what can feel like a very lonely desert time.
The pandemic has been such a time for many of us. We have been challenged to drill down on our beliefs about what church must look and be like to be authentic and how it can continue in a strange land. We may have been tempted to sell out on our convictions and the ultimate purpose of what we’re doing in order to keep anxious people happy. We may have been tempted to embrace despair and to throw in the towel as this has gone on and on and drained our reserves of patience and compassion.
Desert times are times of preparation and, if we’re attuned, the presence of God. It’s a good time to remember our baptism and those words of blessing that were spoken to us when we embraced this role that is currently so challenging. It’s a good time to lean into God’s Word that can sustain us as much as bread. It’s a good time to seek out someone who will listen and help us to unravel our story and anxieties and to re-centre ourselves if we feel lost.
In Canada it’s Bell let’s talk day, a day to raise funds for mental health services. The pandemic has heightened this need, and Christian leaders are not immune. As we continue in the wilderness, let’s remember that we are never truly alone and that God’s Spirit gives us strength when darkness and the devil show up. Please reach out if you are feeling at the end of your coping skills in this difficult time.
May we all find soul-satisfying ways to replenish our reserves so that we can last through, and return from, the desert strengthened and ready to take on what God asks of us.