Pastor Timo’s sermon,
Jan. 13, 2008
Baptism of Our Lord 1/13/08 Matthew
3:13-17
Translated by Katja Kupari
The best gifts in life m ay sometimes be taken for granted.
Often you will discover their value only when you miss or lose
them. It’s not something we do daily; thank for our healthy legs
and arms. And for being able to speak and read, and to be able
to choose what you eat.
By
the way, did you know that: “if you woke up healthy this morning
you're luckier than millions of people that didn't make through
this week. If you have never experienced the perils of war,
never felt the loneliness of prison; never felt the agony of
being tortured or the afflictions of hunger you are better off
than 500 million people. If you can go to church or to your
chosen holy place without the fear of being humiliated,
arrested, tortured or killed, than you are more fortunate than 3
billion people.
If you have food in the fridge, clothes in your wardrobe, a
ceiling above your head and a place to sleep, you are richer
than 75% of the world population. If you save some money in the
bank you are among the richest 30%. (source: The Miniature Earth
project). And one more local view of the world; if you are in
the average income level in King County, you are richer than 99%
of the world's population. Did you know that about a billion
people in the world earn a dollar or less a day.
I
recently read about one of the richest people in the world,
Warren Buffet, who reminded us of how every American citizen is
actually living better than the richest person of all times,
John Rockefeller, who was influential in the 19th and 20th
century. The Rockefellers did not have heating at home, no
dentist, he could not travel by airplane, drive on the highway
or wear comfortable shoes. And the average life expectancy was
not nearly as high as it is today, although Rockefeller himself
lived to be almost
100.
Talking about important things; one thing in life that’s
necessary and more valuable than gold is water. It is also often
easy to take for granted. Water is second after oxygen in
keeping us alive. People consists mainly of water, about 60% of
all of us is water. Same thing with the earth, 2/3 of its
surface is covered by water. Water is necessary for plants to
grow, for animals to reproduce, for industry to run and
humankind to stay alive. Water is also central to today’s
gospel. Baptism water, that is. Jesus Himself was to be baptized
before He begun His public work. Later, before ascending to
heaven He gave the Disciples an assignment: “Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a]
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age." (Matthew
28:19-20)
The importance of baptism water to a Christian is as important
as that of the rain water to the fields and pure drinking water
to human health. Baptism water is the water of life everlasting.
So it is water that allows people to live with God forever.
Daily access to water is a vital condition for us; in fact, you
could think that water saves your life every week! Baptism
water, too, is water of salvation. Baptism water in itself is
like any other water, but combined with God’s word it becomes
water of salvation. The reformist Martin Luther says:” Therefore
state it most simply thus, that the power, work, profit, fruit,
and end of Baptism is this, namely, to save.” Baptism brings
humans into unity with Christ, the Christ who died for us and
forgave us all of our sins so that we could live with Him
forever. Baptism is no small gift. Although often its meaning
can be forgotten, just like other comforts of life that we so
easily take for granted. The gift of baptism is the grace of God
that humans receive through faith in Christ. It is a concept of
Lutheran faith that in baptism people receive this faith in
Christ for free, as a gift, without own merit.
At
the same time, the gift of baptism is given to be used. Luther
reminded of this when he said: ”Without faith it [baptism]
profits nothing, notwithstanding it is in itself a divine
superabundant treasure” Jesus says: ”Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:16. This is
then where the human part, as receiver of the gift, enters the
picture. But unlike other gifts that we’ve received, the gift of
baptism does diminish by usage. Both faith and love and rare
resources because they actually increase by usage. Unlike the
money from your bank account that diminishes as you use it and
the car that you drive that gets older and more used the more
you use it, faith and love only multiply when you use them. They
rust only if they are left unused in the closet or unopened in
the gift wrap. God’s gifts work opposite than other gifts, that
is why they come with a different manual; spend and splurge,
give to others and you will see that you too will receive. On
the day of Jesus’ baptism we can also think about our own
baptism, the formidable, precious gift that we have received. We
too should treat it like Apostle Paul says: “As
God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in
vain.” (2 Cor 6:1) How should one then cherish the gift of
baptism? The gift of faith becomes stronger with God’s word,
with the congregation, prayer and Holy Communion. They are the
necessary nutrients for spiritual life and growth. Luther says
that Christians should return to the grace of baptism every day.
The baptism in itself is enough, it does not have to be renewed,
because Christ dying on the cross and His atonement are complete
and enough for our sins, as well as Christ’s resurrection is
enough for a Christian to resurrect to eternal
life.
Christ’s deed remains valid, there is nothing we can add to it
or take away from it by what we do or do not do. Our own
mistakes and errors cannot separate us from God’s love. Of
course we can turn our backs to God and choose not to live with
Him. But on God’s side the connection is open and He is calling
us to that unity. Humans only have to return to this grace.
Returning to the grace of the baptism is not just remembering
what happened in Golgotha, but it’s also daily renewing. One of
the promises of the baptism is a new life in Christ. Paul
writes:” Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “We were
therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) The
gift of baptism is this new beginning, ”every day is a new
grace” (Finnish hymn). God does not count second chances. What
He forgives those who repent, is in the past, it can be
forgotten. You can look ahead in faith and take off, renew
yourself in faith. Jesus says:” If anyone is thirsty, let him
come to me and drink. 38Whoever
believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of
living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38). It is
this unity of God’s renewing grace and forgiveness that the
congregation, community of the baptized lives on. Both you and I
can be a part of that.
Let us now rise and confess our Christian faith:
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