January 11 - "Baptism and the Kingdom of God"

Baptism of our Lord

January 11, 2026

Williamstown, MA

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus’ baptism marked the start of his ministry. His ministry was wide-ranging, which makes describing it succinctly difficult. Furthermore, as preachers we come to the pulpit each week carrying what rests on our hearts and what we believe resides in the collective hearts of the congregation.

Jesus’ ministry challenged the empire’s power. Then, it was Rome. Its economy took money from the anawim, the everyday people, to enrich the already rich and powerful. It kept peace through fear, notably an army bearing instruments of violence.

Over the past eight days we have witnessed a contemporary empire’s power. The invasion and capture of Maduro eight days ago demonstrated the raw power of its apex and the shootings of three people by federal agents, two wounded in Portland, Oregon and one fatality in Minneapolis, made clear that the abuse of power at the top has allowed its agents on the ground to disregard ethical and moral restraints imposed by human dignity.

Though baptism has many theological meanings, Paul’s perspective, that baptism binds us into the body of Christ, makes it the foundation of the church. Our celebration this morning with Carolyn’s baptism, bringing Conor, Dietmar, and John into membership by reaffirmation of their baptisms, and reaffirming our baptisms binds us not only as a congregation, but as siblings in Christ, children of God.

The gospels’ meta theme was God’s incarnation in Jesus who taught us that God’s kingdom on earth was an alternative to the empire. Both birth narratives set up the confrontation between two kingdoms. The proclamation in Luke, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” echoed the proclamation for Ceasar’s reign. When Matthew wrote that the magi asked Herod where they might find the child “who has been born king of the Jews,” he named the confrontation. The confrontation between the two kingdoms, the empire and God’s kingdom came to head beginning on what we know as Palm Sunday, when the processions of Jesus and Pilate entered Jerusalem on opposite sides of the city. The former an unarmed contingent holding fast to the teachings of their rabbi, whose message was a profoundly and radically inclusive love, facing the latter, an armed contingent displaying the instruments of the empire’s power. Though several days later the empire executed Jesus on a cross, his resurrection after three days proclaimed that God’s life-giving ways will always trump the empire’s ways of death. That love will always cast out fear. That real power is humility and that swords will be beaten into ploughshares.

Just as baptism began Jesus’ ministry, it is ours as well. The Holy Spirit, which was sealed in us at our baptisms, empowers us to continue the ministry Jesus began 2000 years ago. Though today’s empire is not the Roman Empire, the empire’s character remains. Though this week’s news might tempt us to name the current administration as the empire, it’s not just this administration. The empire has been organized by a world view believing in scarcity, not abundance, ensuring peace with instruments of violence, not the bread and the cup, measuring wealth by possession, not generosity, securing the individual, not the common good. 

That we have food insecurity is an outrage when we are the richest nation in the history of world and our farmers collectively produce more food than we can eat, particularly when we realize that by accepting food pantries, we implicitly accept begging as part of the solution. In the recent fatal shooting in Hinsdale this past week, the victim’s family cited the medical system’s failure for the victim to get treatment for his mental illness. We can probably name other failings. Our current problems transcend governance by both parties.

Jesus’ ministry was both prophetic and caring for the people who were crushed by the empire’s power or were relegated to its margins. The familiar adage, “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” summed it up well. As the church we’re called to be prophetic. That would be to speak truth to power, regardless of who holds the power. We’re also called to comfort those who are afflicted, people whose hope is dimmed due to economics, race, immigration status, gender and sexual expression and limited physical and mental capabilities. 

I am truly grateful for having this opportunity to serve you for the past six months. We are the body of Christ whom God calls every day to use our gifts to bring forth God’s realm of peace and justice into this world rooted in a radically inclusive love. We remind the world that God’s kingdom is life-giving as opposed to the empire’s world, the way of death by speaking truth to power and caring for the afflicted.

We do this together. Remember the dragon boat race. Twenty people paddling together. That’s the image and metaphor for us because when everyone paddles together, open water is ours.