Washed Clean

Today, we celebrate Jesus' baptism. At first, this seems a bit odd - just last week we were celebrating Epiphany, and now we've fast-forwarded over almost thirty years of Jesus' life. As with any gospel reading (any Scripture, really) there are a lot of ways to look at it. You can look at it from a "faith and works" standpoint (which I've discussed before) and say Baptism is not what makes somebody a good Catholic.

 In the meantime, let's look at one of the crucial elements of baptism - any baptism. Its symbolism pops up throughout the Bible, and it's one of the four classical elements: water.

First, let's take a look at today's Gospel and get the stage set, then we'll go back and look at how many thousands of years of Salvation History had to pass before this point could be reached.

"The people were filled with expectation, 

and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.

John answered them all, saying 'I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'"

-Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Why did Jesus need baptized? To sanctify it. To say 'It is good'. Jesus needed baptized to show that baptism was a crucial aspect of Christian life. Why water, though? Why is water so necessary? Why is it that even when the priest can technically be removed, the two absolutely vital signs are water and the invocation of the Trinity? Because water has been established as another means of purification for thousands of years by this point. 

Water symbolizes newness. The earliest description of the universe from Genesis 1:2 shows "a mighty wind (sweeping) over the waters."  In fact, the sky is called "the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it." 

Not much later, in chapters 6 and 7, we find the story of the Great Flood. Humanity had descended into a very bad place, and God decided it was time for something new. So, he sent water. 40 days of water, to be precise. But forty is a whole other story.

Then, we find water in the ritual washing prescribed by the Old Testament. The ancient Jews saw the cleansing symbolism of water and used the ritual bath (the mikvah) in many of their ceremonies. 

Then, there's Jesus. 

Jesus starts his ministry with his baptism, as we see today. Water. 

When Jesus cures a blind man, he tells him to go wash after Jesus smears mud on his face. The man "washed, and came back able to see" (John 9:7). 

We see the greatest symbol of water in the crucifixion. "One soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out," (John 19:34). 

Again and again we see the immense symbolism of water. In baptism, in the Flood, in Christ, even in the holy water at the doors of a church. Water cleanses. 

So, today when we remember Jesus' baptism, let us also remember our own. When we consider such a common substance, one we encounter every day, let us see God in every droplet. Because God truly "sends down His Spirit like the dewfall."