Baptism of the Lord: Revolution v.s. Social Transformation

Revolution v.s. Social Transformation

Baptism of the Lord

…he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street, a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth…

In the above passage many Jewish commentators understand that the “beloved servant,” isn’t specifically a single person but rather the collective responsibility of the People of Israel: the People of God are the bringers of justice.  If we read Isaiah as the prophet who encouraged the entire people to take up their role as bringers of justice, we may inevitably ask ourselves as Christians, what is our role in bringing justice to the nations? Sure Jesus is the beloved servant, the beloved Son of God, but do we not also have a share in his mission? Are we not also called to transform hate into love? Exploitation into cooperation?  Greed into generosity?

Isaiah calls for transformation: to bring forth justice not by “crying out” “shouting” “bruising reeds” or putting out the lights of other people.  Make no mistake, transformation is revolutionary, but it isn’t a revolution. In revolution, change happens, but the change is more of an exterior change that is held together by reluctant compliance and coercion.  Oppression doesn’t go away, it is merely transferred to a new set of people.  Because transformation is rooted in the Spirit of God it will result in positive social change in which all people are lifted up and are liberated from their roles of oppressor and oppressed. Unlike revolution, transformation does not happen through coercion or violence. The Servant of God (that is the collective of the People of Israel) will bring forth justice to the nations and work together to bring about a more just society in which the lion would lie down with the lamb.

Transformation will happen because people - as individuals and as groups - will come to see themselves differently and act differently. They will not look out only for themselves, but rather, they will see themselves as one another’s keepers. Moving beyond self-interest and self-serving actions, people will look to the well-being and concerns of their neighbors and work for the common good. John the Baptist called people to repent - to make personal decisions that would reflect an interior transformation from being consumed with matters of the self to be concerned for the well-being of others.

Inner transformation for us Christians requires that we identify with Jesus, God’s beloved Son.  When Jesus entered the waters of baptism in Mark’s gospel, God reveals to Jesus that he is the Beloved or “chosen” Son.  By accepting his identity - that is embracing who he is, Jesus identified with the poorest of the poor and the most rejected of all rejected peoples. By entering the waters of baptism Jesus immersed himself in the fullness of humanity and that meant that Jesus immerses himself in the plight of the oppressed, the lost and forsaken. His mission was to bring forth “justice to the nations,” to “open the eyes of the blind,” and “release to prisoners.”

God sent Jesus to announce a reign of healing and mutuality.  His mission established the reign of justice and compassion. Where Cesar’s reign came about by the use of violence, Jesus reign comes about through reconciliation. Cesar’s reign privileged only a few people and the result was inequality; an inequality that was sustained by violence. Under Cesar, regular people fought for scraps that dropped from the table of the wealthy.  Jesus’ reign is inclusive - no one is left out. Those who share in Jesus’ mission of bringing about the reign of justice and compassion work to life everyone up together. They work to establish a universal brother-and-sisterhood.  They act out of selfless love rather than selfish motive. They cooperate, not compete and they work toward the common good, not private gain.

If we are to accept our part in Jesus’ reign, we must therefore be purified of selfishness and self-preservation. We just repent and like Jesus, allow ourselves to be fully immersed into humanity - we must embrace everyone and fear no one. The Baptism of the Lord is our baptism in the mission of Jesus: to bring justice to all nations.

So, as we celebrate this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are invited to respond to the call of repentance, that is, to identify what we need to let go of so that we can embrace Jesus’ reign of peace and compassion. In repentance, we turn away from our individualized, compartmentalized and privatized lives and to enter into the Jordan River.  On this feast we step forward for communion in just the same way that Jesus entered into the Jordan with all people - sinners, the wayward, and the lost.  May the Eucharist of this feast prepare us for the work ahead: that is the work within each one of us and for the work we are called to do in this community and beyond.