Sermon, January 20, 2008, Saint John and Baptism
Pastor Wesley Howell

Does it strike you as a bit odd? Last Sunday we had the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, dove, words, “Behold my Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Now we shift over to the gospel of John. For those who think the Gospels are all the same, see how easy it is to have your mind fill in the blanks where the words are not actually there.

Same setting: John the Baptist, wilderness, all the people coming out, Jesus showing up. There is even the dove of the Holy Spirit...but NO Baptism of Jesus. Just as later, at the end of John’s gospel there’s NO Last Supper, NO institution of Communion. Jesus washes feet instead.

Now instead of trying to blend them all together can we take a deep breath and let our needs for everyone and everything to agree in lockstep. It may give us a feeling of security but that’s not what’s happening if we truly take the Bible as it comes.

John has a different take–a different agenda–a different vision. Already in the early church, right from the beginning baptism was entry, a new birth, a new identity. You were being born and embraced by a new family. You belonged. You became part of the body as Paul calls it. And that’s fine. But is it enough? Are there dangers?

John thinks so. He’s the one that talks about being born again. Not just new identity, but new life, transformed life, changed life.

Believe not just to belong. Love is not just a fond feeling that holds the group together. Love is action for John.

This is my commandment, just one; Love one another, as I have loved you. If there is one word which shows up the most often in the New Testament, God is the most frequent, but a close second is love. But what do we mean by that?

Language and translation is a sticky subject. Words trying to convey how we feel. It’s the same with Love. We use that word to convey a thousand different meanings. The Greeks were wiser; they had three words:
Eros: Romantic, passionate love
Philia: The love of friends and family
Agape: Caring for someone, looking to their needs. Thinking of them and jumping in on their behalf. Doing what is necessary, often putting you own agenda aside.

We are not called to “love” God with an “eros” kind of love, an erotic love that doesn’t get too far away from my needs. It may branch out to one other person but it doesn’t reach out too far. I HOPE!

We are not just called to “love” God with a “philios” kind of love, with the kind of brotherly love that seeks to have fun with God. It’s not that it’s not there, but we’re called to go deeper. Instead, we are called to “love” God with an “agape” kind of love, with a love that is self-giving, self-sacrificing, and disinterested in gaining any kind of return.

Agape love is a choice, a decision, to make every decision in the best interest of the other. With this kind of love, we are called to invest our entire selves.

John again, “This is how they (others) will know that you are my disciples–because you love one another.” Now it makes sense. We may feel for those around us; they may be friends or family and we’re fond of them but Jesus says, Agape. Reach outside yourself and take care of those around you–who ever they are. Love is action.

Christianity isn’t a private only a “me and Jesus” thing. It’s a team sport, it is a communal movement, and it is a relationship that restores life to the way life is intended to be lived. We reduce “love” to an emotion or impulse (eros) or a warm fuzzy feeling at best (philios) but seldom consciously think of love as a decision, a choice, an act of self-giving (agape.) God tells us love is action and it’s a team sport.

Now take all those spinning ideas and bring them back into today’s story. John’s evangelism is not “I have and idea, a set of principles and I’m going to argue with you until you agree. And then when you agree you can belong–if you believe correctly.

Here’s John’s way. Behold. Look! See! Here is the Lamb of God, who…LOVES…acts by talking away the sin of the word. Are you the one? Come and see. And when the disciples go to tell others they’re met by skepticism. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” “Whatever, I’m not going to fight with you, just come and see.”

Come and see. I’m not going to argue with you or have some debate. See what a difference God has made in my life. Open the Bible and read and as you read, can you see? See a God who cares; who finds lost sheep and lost people; who reaches out with healing to everyone, especially to those on the fringes.

Come and see a community of agape. John again says, “This is how they (others) will know that you are my disciples because you love one another.” Now it makes sense. We may feel for those around us…they may be friends or family and we’re fond of them…but Jesus says, Agape. Reach outside yourself and take care of those around you, whoever they are. And not just those of the inside group, then we’re back to the club.

But the hard work…the spiritual battle…is to do everything in our power to live it. What will they see?

Love is action. It’s caring; truly caring. Not just agreeing to calm the waters but struggling to wrestle with honesty. I can’t say I care if I just let you walk off a cliff, for fear of saying something you might not want to hear. A community is not driven by fear though we are that–sometimes. We can always be more if we take the risk to be born again–as people–as a congregation.

Amen