Great Expectations

Baptism of the Lord – Year C

Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

For centuries the people of Israel had been waiting for the coming of a Messiah who would lead their nation to a place of safety and power, ridding themselves of all oppressors and enemies. The prophecies of scripture foretold of his coming, and now this man, John, emphatically claimed that the time had come.

The people were filled with great expectations, since this was to be a glorious time – a victory for the Righteous God. They wondered if John himself was the Messiah. But John made it clear that he was not the Messiah that the people hoped to see, but that "one who is more powerful than I is coming." John knew that his role was to prepare the way for the Messiah; John must decrease while Jesus must increase.

John further emphasized this difference in power as he said his baptism was of water, but that the Messiah's baptism would be one of the Holy Spirit and "fire." Fire, in this sense, refers to a deep and abiding passion – an undauntable commitment to the proper understanding and acceptance of God's love and compassion. The Messiah "burns with passion" regarding this core essence of God.

What do the readings from today tell us about this core essence of God? Isaiah can barely contain himself as he hits on the high points:

• In the fullness of life and eternal nature of our souls, we have nothing to fear. "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you..." and, "Do not fear, for I am with you..." John the Baptist may have tried to scare people into salvation, but Jesus was more apt to attract them through love, to awaken the goodness inside each person.

• God has a deep, abiding, personal interest in each one of us. "I have called you by name, you are mine...I will be with you...Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you..." He knows each one of us intimately, and cares for us; He made us, He formed us.

• It's God's intent to bring us all back home to Him some day, one way or another: "I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, 'Give them up,' and to the south, 'Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth...' "

John interjects a comment about the wheat and the chaff, often interpreted as either a person would end up as "wheat" and be saved into God's barn, or that a person would be considered as "chaff" and burned in the unquenchable fire. (Luke 3:17) But Jesus knew that every person is part wheat (goodness) and part chaff (egocentric). Both wheat and chaff are part of the same plant. As part of God's plan to bring every one of His children home, He will indeed separate the wheat part of us from the chaff part of us, cleaning us up where needed. The wheat part will be brought home, and the chaff part destroyed.

Today, we respond to these great expectations we have of Jesus' love for us by passionately fulfilling our Baptismal vows. We continue in the apostle's teaching, resist evil, seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. And we do this in our own unique way, in the way that God made us, and in the place that He's put us, moment by moment.

Reflection Questions

1. Do you have these same great expectations about God's love for you?

2. What do your Baptismal vows mean to you?

3. How can you develop a closer relationship with God in your life?

4. How can you share your relationship with God with other people?