A costly baptism - Psalm 29, Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 - Living by the Word - Column

Christian Century, Dec 21, 1994 by Glen V. Wilberg

WE DO NOT commonly associate baptism with terror. Especially not in a religious culture in which baptism is trivialized by focusing on the cuteness of the baby or in which emphasis is put on the adolescent "who knows what it means." Luther could call baptism "death by drowning" and Baptists once spoke of "a watery grave," but their descendants at the font or baptistry might squirm with discomfort at such robust language. Taking the threat and danger out of baptism also removes its mystery and perhaps its power. What the New Testament and church liturgy say about baptism cannot be domesticated or made safe. Baptism is death, crucifixion, rebirth, resurrection--however and whenever it occurs.

A recent article in the local paper explored how art, literature and media shape children's ideas and development. An 11-year-old girl said, "I think Titanic was a really good movie, but it gave me a negative attitude about water." No doubt the victims of recent flooding in Texas would share her "negative attitude."

In the readings for "the baptism of our Lord," the images of water, fire and voice signal threat and danger. In the Psalm one hears not a message but sound: the thundering, overwhelming voice of Yahweh as it was on the morning of creation. "Let there be ... and there was." "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders ... the voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire, the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness." Whether in thunder, lightning or storm, the epiphany of the glory of God has enough terror to make people tremble.

Though the prophet Isaiah intends to comfort the exiles with promise of a second Exodus, he also recalls the terrors of the first Exodus. "When you pass through the waters ... when you walk through fire." Likewise when Peter and John travel into no-man's-land to baptize the Samaritans, their laying on of hands signals terror. A local businessman observing the visitation of the Holy Spirit wants to make a deal. Since everything has its price, he thinks, why not the Holy Spirit? Just name your price! But Peter speaks the terror: To hell with your money! And you along with it! Repent of your arrogant presumptions of striking bargains and offering bribes for God's costly gift. Baptism is not magic, it is repentance. Death by drowning. And in that story alone there is enough terror to make the hand of any celebrant tremble.

The reading in Luke's Gospel joins water, fire and voice even more powerfully. The Baptizer standing knee-deep in the waters of the Jordan appears to preach anything but good news: in fact, his fire and brimstone talk sounds like the worst kind of news. If drowning by water strikes terror, just wait for the more powerful One. Water now but fire next time! The One who baptizes with Holy Spirit and fire will clean house from top to bottom and will put everything false out with the trash to be burned.

When Jesus stepped into the Jordan to be baptized, the terror was still there. "I came to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized and what stress I am under until it is accomplished!" That baptismal terror would continue in the distress and agitation of Gethsemane where Jesus was "grieved to death." And the cup he drank along with his baptism into death would be the fate of all who shared the way with him.

Luke's telling of Jesus' baptism takes us beyond the event itself. He foresees the far-reaching effect that baptism will have in the empire. In The Birth of the Messiah, Raymond Brown says, "Luke and his audience know that the ripples sent forth by the immersion of Jesus in the Jordan will eventually begin to change the course of the Tiber." Enough to make rulers as well as clergy tremble--and rejoice!

Perhaps the terror of baptism can be compared to the experience of having your doctor show you the X-rays and speak the word "cancer." Suddenly everything is charged with new meaning. You look at things differently. You take nothing for granted. Things you barely noticed yesterday are now treasured gifts. Each day becomes precious, and you receive the most common things with a heightened gratitude. (All of this happened to my wife and me, with a good outcome, a gracious reprieve!)

Baptism is more than a reprieve: it means resurrection from the dead and a new creation. For those held in the grip of terror, for the exiles in Babylon, Simon in Samaria or Jesus at the Jordan or in Gethsemane, the voice that shakes the wilderness and causes oaks to whirl also speaks tenderly. "Do not be afraid ... when you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." "You are my beloved one; with you I take delight." Because Jesus went into the water first, we need have no fear of death-dealing waters or trial by fire. What goes under the water is nothing compared to the new self risen with Christ, more human, more hopeful and more eager to seek God's glory and the neighbor's good.