Then John Consented

This morning at Lectio I was pretty distracted. My brother called me last evening and he was pretty upset. My nephew, his son, is addicted to alcohol and drugs and he'd blown off work (3rd day into a new job) to go out drinking. While we were talking his son came into the house and started demanding my brother give him money. When he refused, a shouting match started and I got pretty worried. I suggested my brother might need to call the police because his son would not leave the house. That conversation ran late - after midnight and I wasn't sure I'd make it to the 6:30 prayer time.

The passage was Matt 3:13-17 where Jesus comes to John to be baptized and John says, that's not right, you should be baptizing me. Jesus presses the issues and says this is the right thing to do at this time and John consents to baptize Jesus. After, when Jesus is coming out of the water, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends on him and God speaks.

After reading and hearing the passage read 11 times, my distraction kept me from seeing or hearing anything from God in this passage. I started to journal as we are often encouraged to do. As I wrote about my conversation and concerns with my brother's situation I felt like I often feel, that I'm saying the same thing over and over, which Mr. Einstein has said is the definition of insanity. It seems useless and hopeless. Then it struck me that my perspective was skewed just as John's was by the physical world in which we live.

What I mean is that when Jesus asked John to baptize him, he said that doesn't make sense. Why would the priest baptize the Pope or the congregant baptize the pastor? John was looking at things from a very human, very physical perspective just as I often do. It makes no sense and seems counterproductive. But, Jesus encouraged him to do it regardless of how it seemed or would appear to those around.

And then, John consented. And when he did, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down and the God of the universe spoke. Wow! It is amazing to think how many spiritual miracles might be around the corner from the seemingly meaningless things God inspires us to do.