Is Christmas Over?
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Lectionary: 21
Unpolished draft, FWIW.
Is Christmas over? Well, that depends upon whom you ask. The US Bishops say yes. Today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the last feast of Christmas time, and is simultaneously the first Sunday of Ordinary time. Prior to 1969, the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord or the Purification of our Lady closed the 40 day Christmas season. In much of the world, Christmas trees and such are brought down on or even before the Feast of the Epiphany. In other parts of the world, the manger scene stays up until the Feast of the Presentation. And that’s just in the Latin Rite churches.
People really get into arguing about the church seasons, cycles, and times. Well, people who like to argue like to argue about it, anyway.
I think it might be a bit of a blessing in disguise.
Practically speaking, it is acceptable to take our Christmas decorations down as early as Epiphany, or as late as February 2. That’s plenty of wiggle room. If our team is alive in the playoffs, then perhaps February looks better. If they’re not, then any day without too much wind is an acceptable day to get on the roof.
Spiritually speaking, I kinda like that the season during which we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord has fuzzy boundaries. Advent eases into Christmas, Christmas into Epiphany, and before we know it, we’re looking at Ash Wednesday with Christmas seemingly just yesterday.
In some ways, we’ve accidentally stumbled into one of the great mysteries of Christmas. It never really ends. He who is Emmanual, God with us, remains with us always. Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin are always looking for a place of welcome in our hearts and lives for the child Jesus. The angels always sing Glory to God in the Highest, and extend God’s peace to all people of good will. The infant child is always waiting to receive our adoration. The Herods of this world always seek to destroy life. The wise always travel a different road after they encounter God.
Today, we have a little time travel. A week ago, the magi visited the child Jesus. In a few more weeks, the baby Jesus will be presented in the temple. Today, Jesus is about thirty, and beginning his ministry.
Jesus doesn’t seem to do much to deserve the Father’s praise. He quietly comes down to the river, and asks John to baptize him. John tries to decline, but Jesus politely requests that John allow it. John baptizes him, and heaven is opened to Jesus. The Father declares his love and satisfaction with the Son, as the Holy Spirit descends to rest upon the Son.
Jesus didn’t need to be baptized for repentance. This Emmanual, God with us, whom angels declared to be the Son of God two weeks ago, and whom representatives of all the nations came to worship a week ago, is beginning his ministry with humility and obedience.
When we look at this baptism in the light of Easter, we realize that here, at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is already taking the burden of our guilt upon his shoulders, and bearing it into the depths of the Jordan. He is already taking the place of sinners. (Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth ch1) This physical baptism is just the beginning of his baptism. Soon, speaking of his death, he will ask James and John if they are willing to be baptized with his baptism. Today he shows the same humility and obedience as the night when will tell the father “not my will, but thine be done” in the garden.
And, because of this humility and obedience, the trinity is, perhaps for the first time, explicitly revealed. Because of this humility and obedience, the Father is well pleased.
The beautiful thing is that God shows no partiality, as we hear from the Acts of the Apostles. Everyone, everywhere who fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable to God.
We do not need to do anything amazing.
We do not need to cry out or shout for attention.
We only need to live with humility and obedience.
We, too, can be acceptable in the eyes of God. We, too, can be beloved of the Father. We, too, can have the Spirit dwell with us.
In humility, we proclaim peace through Jesus Christ. Not through our works or our merits, but through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
In obedience, we love God, and love our neighbor. We obey the laws of the church. We care for the needy and the most vulnerable among us.
And we bring the Christ Child with us – he who is God-with-us, and our perpetual example of humility and obedience.
