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Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."
- Luke 3:15-22
In yesterday's reading, we began the Gospel of Luke in the lectionary. First we read Luke's own introduction, undertaking to "set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us," and writing to Theophilus. Luke sets the story of Christ's ministry firmly in a place and time, naming the officials of various rank and power at that time, including the high priest, Herod, Pontius Pilate, and Tiberias Caesar. Luke tells us "the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." John the Baptist quotes from Isaiah: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' " He taught to the multitudes, "Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Many asked what they should do. John's reply is focused on the "leveling" in the society: of sharing, of the tax collectors taking only what is just from people, of the soldiers refusing to intimidate or falsely accuse, and being content with their wages.
Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." My study bible notes here: "With a clear understanding of his own mission, John points to Christ as coming Messiah who will baptize . . . with the Holy Spirit and fire. Although baptism is practiced by Jesus' circle of disciples (John 4:1-2), the prophecy here describes the baptismal gift of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Fire in this context seems to imply judgment, the same as the images of the winnowing fan and of burning the chaff. John understands that the coming of the Messiah brings judgment, as the Apostle John writes, 'This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19)."
And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. Here is the evangelist's pronunciation upon Herod: that for all the evils he had done, this also, above all is added: that he put John into prison for John's open rebuke about his marriage to Herodias.
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened." Again, I will quote from my study bible: "Jesus comes to be baptized, recognizing John's ministry. Jesus does not need baptism for forgiveness of sins, for He is sinless. Rather He is baptized to be revealed to Israel. In this baptism, He identifies Himself with His church that is to be, prefiguring our going down to death in baptism. By thus entering the waters of Jordan, He sanctifies forever the waters of baptism (and indeed, all of creation), by mystery restoring it to its original condition through union with Him." In this sense, Christ's presence, His open ministry in our world, is a revelation that sanctifies and transfigures our world. Jesus also undergoes baptism, with us, leading the way for all of us to redemption in Him, and the grace that is to come.
And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." My study bible says, "The dove in bodily form is not an incarnation of the Spirit, but a temporary sign showing the invisible descent of the fullness of the Spirit on Jesus." It notes that the style of Luke's genealogy is in contrast to Matthew's, as it traces back to Adam, "who was originally the son of God. Luke's purpose is to emphasize the Lord's unity with the entire human race, and to underline the office of divine sonship, made available to all in Christ." This simply described event of the baptism, in a single verse teaching us about the Spirit in the form of a dove and the Father's voice, gives us a full revelation of the Trinity, a theophany or epiphany. God who is fully God has come into our world, and manifests for us through grace, in forms perceptible to us.
Transfiguration is fully present in today's reading: Jesus, the incarnate Son, comes openly to ministry. In His beginning act, He sanctifies creation through His baptism, signifying and saving, helping us to be capable of receiving His Spirit, and all that is to come. In baptism, water and Spirit come together so that we may die to the old life, and live to Christ. The Father, Son and Spirit appear to the world in forms perceptible to human beings, so that all become - through grace - a part of creation, God with us. John's speaking of baptism as happening with the Holy Spirit and fire is an important notion to understand: throughout salvation history, the Spirit has already appeared as fire, such as the fire that did not devour the bush at Horeb. Thus, in the context of Christ's appearance and Judgment, the fire of the Holy Spirit becomes something we either receive or turn against. It is in this context of grace as fire, also, that we can view John's prophetic warning to Herod. It is a kind of fire that purifies, but it also devours that which is incompatible with its fire and cannot receive it. Many writers, from Patristic times to today, speak of hell as a mode or state of mind, a state of being, not a place. That fire can come to us in our lives, burning away through difficult experience the things in life we need to cast off and are better off without. It's a question of "changing our minds," the literal meaning of repentance in the Greek. When grace appears and makes itself manifest to us, it becomes a question of how we receive, how we make room, what we are willing to exchange for what it offers so that we can more truly and fully receive. How are you called more deeply toward the fullness of that grace in you? Are there things to which you need to say "no" in order to make its path straight?
