(Homily for Gayton Road Christian Church's Worship on January 13, 2019, Baptism of the Lord Sunday)
The Voice of Love
This morning, as I read about
Jesus hearing the voice of love that broke through the heavens and told him who
he was, I think about the girl who looked with disappointment at the grade on
her returned chemistry test. It
was way below what she expected.
As she crumbled up the test and stuffed it in her backpack, a gentle
shadow fell over desk. Keeping her
eyes down, she heard a voice: “Hang in there. I see a future chemist in you. This one grade does nothing to change that.”
This morning, as I read about
Jesus hearing the voice of love that broke through the heavens and told him who
he was, I think also about the boy who stood dejected on the sideline as the
final whistle blew. He had missed
a great chance, and as a result his team had lost. As he picked up his bag and began to leave, a big hand
caught him on the shoulder. He
heard a voice: “Chin up! You ‘re a great player, I have no
absolutely no doubts about that.
Don’t let this game get in your way, because you are full of promise.”
This morning, as I read about
Jesus hearing the voice of love that broke through the heavens and told him who
he was, I think also about the young man who opened up yet another rejection
notice. Not one publisher had
shown interest in his work. As he
shared the discouraging news with his father on the phone, there was a pause. Then he heard a voice: “The one thing
I’m certain of is that you’re a writer.
And a very good one. Being
published or not, may change how you feel. But don’t let it change who you are.”
What Begins the Story
The world preaches
achievement. If you want to be
somebody, you must prove yourself.
If you want to make it in the world, you must earn your place. You must win. According to the US Department of Education, this is the
goal of education: “to promote student achievement and preparation for global
competitiveness.”[1]
It’s only natural that when we
hear John the Baptist preach about a winnowing fork, and about wheat being
separated from the chaff, we think in terms of making the grade. Either we make it or we don’t. Either we are good enough, or we
aren’t. Either we are the wheat or
the chaff.
But I wonder if this isn’t
distorting the gospel, if it isn’t imposing the world’s way of thinking on
God’s way of thinking. Because
when I read just a few verses later, I see something completely contradictory
to world’s way of thinking.
When God’s voice breaks through
the heavens and proclaims to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am
well pleased,” it is not after Jesus has healed the sick or taught an inspiring
lesson or preached a great sermon.
It’s not after he has performed his quota of miracles. No, in the gospel’s account of things, he’s
done practically nothing. His
recorded ministry hasn’t even begun.
The love of God isn’t a reward.
It doesn’t come as a result of any accomplishment. That’s how the world explains life, but
I’m beginning to wonder if the world hasn’t got it backwards. Because in the ministry of Jesus, the
love of God is at the beginning of the story. The love of God is what
begins the story. It’s only after
he hears these words from God, that Jesus embarks on an unforgettable
three-year adventure that will forever change history.
I wonder then: is it a
coincidence that the Spirit descends upon Jesus at this time, anointing him and
empowering him for the years ahead?
Or is this Spirit nothing other than the love of God, one and the same
with the God who declares, “You are my beloved.” Isn't it love that anoints us and empowers us all for the
journey of life?
In one of Jesus’ most famous
stories, there are two sons. The
older son is responsible. He works
hard all of his life. The younger
son is reckless. He wastes his
inheritance. In the world’s terms,
he literally is worthless. The
twist, of course, is that the son who receives the love of his father isn’t the
hard-working, self-made older son.
It’s the reckless, worthless, good-for-nothing younger son. Jesus couldn’t emphasize his point any
stronger: love is not after, as a reward, as an accomplishment. Love is always first, without reason,
without why. Love is the beginning
of life.
The Winnowing Fork of Love
“But what about the winnowing
fork?” we might ask. “What about
the wheat and the chaff?” What
about judgment? Is that not also
part of the Bible’s story?
It undoubtedly is. But again, I wonder if we’ve been
reading it backwards, so conditioned as we are by the this-for-that thinking of
the world. I wonder if judgment
comes not before a final embrace (or
rejection), but rather after God
embraces us in love.
For when I think back on my life,
I find that the winnowing fork has been most effective in relationships of
love—with my parents, with my teachers, with my coaches. When I am loved without condition, when
I am affirmed not for what I do but for who I am, the best is called forth from
me, and the chaff naturally falls away.
Love is what slowly, patiently, painstakingly winnows from us our
hurtful habits, selfish inclinations, and unhealthy choices.
God’s Love, Which Is also a Call
“Hang in there. I see a future chemist in you.”
“Chin up! You ‘re a great player. I have no absolutely no doubts about
that.”
“The one thing I’m certain of is
that you’re a writer. And a very
good one.”
These are each in their own way
echoes of God’s love, which is also a call. When Jesus heard it, it made him who he was. It began the story of his ministry that
we read in the four gospels. And
the good news that he proclaimed, if we would believe it, is that God also
calls out to us in the same way.
Have you heard it in your own
life? How? Has it been through the words of
others? Or have you heard it in
creation? Or in the words of
scripture? Or in the inscrutable
depths of your heart? Where in
your life do you know God’s love, and how is it calling you more fully into
yourself and into the world?
Sometimes it’s hard to hear the
call because we are so distracted by earning and achieving. Perhaps, then, it’s helpful to remember
that contrary to the teaching of our world we are not called to be successful,
to achieve, to win. We are called
only to be faithful. What might
feel like a setback to us, may in fact be a crucial step on the journey of
salvation. (It is a cross, after
all, that stands at the heart of our faith.)
Prayer
Creator God,
Whose love calls forth life:
So often we miss your love
Because we are too busy
Trying to earn it.
Open our ears to hear
Your first words to Christ,
Which are also your first words
to us:
“You are my children, my beloved.
With you I am delighted.”
Through the call of your love,
May we be drawn more fully
Into ourselves
And into the world.
Amen.
[1] U. S.
Department of Education, “Overview and Mission Statement,” https://www2.ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml,
accessed January 8, 2019.
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