God Sees You For Who You Are And Gives You A Place

Acts 8:14-17  Luke 3:15-17,21-22

My eldest daughter is in the final year of her Law degree and the other week she had the opportunity to shadow a judge.  It sounded like a really good placement and she especially enjoyed sitting alongside the judge as he heard the various cases in court. She told me that it felt a bit strange when the court was told to “all stand” and she walked out with the judge to take her place with him on the bench and then how he consulted with her about whether he should give a guilty or not guilty verdict. “People must have thought I was really important to be up there” she said “What would they have thought if they had known I was just a struggling law student.

In our changing world, we have an increasing uncertainty about where we belong, and can live in fear of being ousted into a lower place – and suitably humiliated into the bargain. I often say to people that it won’t be until the judgement day when I discover whether I have been the worst Parish priest of all time or not.

I have often found it strange to think of Jesus being baptised – but actually he’s showing us where we belong – right alongside him. Jesus himself lines up with all those called to a baptism of repentance. He is saying, I do not stand over you – judging and condemning you for who you are, rather in my baptism I draw right alongside where you are and offer to share your every experience of human living.

At his baptism the voice of the Father cries out “You are my Son, my chosen one with you I am well pleased” – you and I actually share in that chosenness. At his baptism the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove – you and I share actually in that spirit filled life.

I am sure you will have been to a wedding reception where there is a seating plan. Everyone has been allocated their seat, and you look at your place – and sigh with foreboding – oh no, not 5 hours sitting on that table..with them..and next to her…. and have you ever gone to the table and changed the nameplates around so that you can sit next to somebody decent. I’m sure you haven’t – but this sort of behaviour was always at the heart of Jesus’ ministry.

Changing people’s places so that they could see that God was alongside of them.

Jesus taking the servant’s place as he washed the feet of his disciples.

Preferring to invite tax collectors and the like to his table – rather than the religious worthies.

The unlikely Samaritan is the one who stops to help the fallen man.

The eventual guests a t a wedding are those whose home is the hedgerows

The Leper is the one Jesus touches and he himself is touched by a woman with a flow of blood.

He pours scorn on those who look down their noses at others, and encourages those with inferiority complexes to dizzy heights.

Jesus is alongside others at their moment of baptism. He sees you for who you are – a beloved son or daughter, full of His Spirit – and he offers you a place – right alongside where he himself happens to be.

When an adult takes the step towards Baptism such as John  is doing this morning, he is daring to say – this is where I belong – with you all – alongside Jesus. Not because I deserve it, but because that is the place I have found him to be.

I take great heart from the fact that immediately after his Baptism Jesus was thrust out into the wilderness – to show that he alongside us, not just in the moments when we feel good and things are going well, but when life is like a desert and we feel assailed by all sorts of doubts and questions which seem to get us nowhere.

Chosen to be alongside him together – that’s our privilege and our calling – and we’re always ready to make room for more

RH 10.01.10.