“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.”
Nothing like being dive-bombed by the Holy Spirit! Of course, it only says the Spirit descended like a dove… But the image of a bird landing on Jesus’ head sticks for the literal-minded. That image can obscure the power of what gospel writers describe here: the moment when the Spirit of God – present at Jesus’ conception, present in his youth from the limited stories we have – fully indwells him.
This is when Jesus moves fully into his identity as the Christ, “the Anointed One.” (“Christ” is from the same Greek word for oil, or ointment, from which we get “chrism.”) This moment is when his public ministry begins, when he takes up his mission of transformation and redemption.
We receive the Spirit at baptism as well. We are baptized in water and by invocation of the three-fold name of God, and then we are anointed with oil, signed with a cross on our foreheads. That oil signifies the Holy Spirit. In some early baptismal rites, the oil was as important as the water, or more, so crucial was it to convey the power of the Spirit to be released in the newly baptized.
The gift of the Holy Spirit can be among the most unused gifts we possess, like a punch bowl gathering dust in the cupboard, or the wedding china left in the buffet except for “special occasions.” Yet St. Paul calls this gift of the Spirit a down-payment on the inheritance that we can access now. He writes, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
In essence, we have a huge inheritance in the bank, that will never run out. At baptism we receive the card and the pin number. We can leave it sitting there – or we can use it to bring spiritual power into all kinds of pain and brokenness and stuckness we encounter in ourselves and others.
Are you aware of the presence of the Spirit in you and around you? When do you access that power? Sometimes we can simply invite the Spirit to make him/herself known (the Spirit has no gender… but is not an “it.”)
Today you might sit quietly for a time, get comfortable, both feet on the floor, spine straight but relaxed, and pray, “Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me. Let me know you’re here.” And wait, with attention.
Or, if you’re confronted with a tense or challenging situation, you can invoke the Spirit over it, praying silently, “Guide me, give me the right words, protect me…,” whatever seems right. Think how engaged our churches can be in our communities when we all exercise the gift of the Spirit!
We aren’t always aware of such cosmic activity at baptism – yet I believe that each time we enact that sacrament, the heavens are opened, and the Spirit of God descends and alights on us. And once the heavens are opened to us, we have lifetime access to the God of the universe. Lifetime, and beyond.
Kate says we have a huge inheritance in the bank that will never run out. Wow! And baptism provides the access card and PIN. Neat! And if we dare to use our inherited spiritual power, we can address all kinds of pain. brokenness and stuckness. How Cool is That!
ReplyDeleteSo what makes us hesitate?
* Afraid the supply will be used up?
This inheritance never runs out; to the contrary, it grows more powerful with use.
* Afraid the need will grow unpredictably?
Walking by the Spirit seems to make for an uncertain life, but a rich life. See what crowds followed Jesus, and how He sought refuge in desolate places and the quiet of night. Yet His love grew deeper as he shared the burdens of the needy. If we are each led to be the heart and hands that God uses to help just one other person, is that not worthwhile?
* Afraid of losing control?
Yes! That's the rub for me, at least. I hold tightly to the comfortable delusion that I control my destiny and I choose what is best for me, thank you very much.
Give me grace and fan my faith into a great fire, but don't go pouring it out all over the place. Don't make me the center of a scene. Can't we have depth of faith with good taste?
Now my inheritance is locked away, to be twisted and applied to my purposes and never to be used as intended. That doesn't seem much like the power of the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord nurture every feeble wisp of faith into full-blown joy like Zachariah felt, and may it be free to work to God's glory. May we each live to see the Lord work powerfully in our lives and use us as vessels of His love.