“Go, Thou, and Be Likewise”

Mark 1:4-11

The focus of this sermon is on verses 9-11 of today’s text, Mark’s depiction of the Baptism of our Lord. I want to begin with some quotes from Scripture that have relevance to today’s text and this sermon’s interpretation of it. The first is Matthew 5:5, one of the Beatitudes, as translated by William Barclay: “O the bliss of those whose strength is in their gentleness, for they shall enter into possession of the earth.” The focus is on strength exercised with gentleness.

The next two, both dealing with the Suffering Servant texts from Isaiah, come from The Message. First, Isaiah 42:1-3, a portion of which is quoted in verse 11 of today’s text: “Take a good look at my servant. I’m backing him to the hilt. He’s the one I choose, and I couldn’t be more pleased with him. I’ve bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He’ll set everything right among the nations. He won’t call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and the insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.”

Jesus was the Servant foretold by Isaiah: the beloved One of God, God’s Son, the Messiah. Note the emphases on justice (setting things right), humility (not calling attention to himself and his regard for those considered insignificant by the world), and gentleness (his treatment of the bruised and hurting).

Now from Isaiah 53:7&8: “He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence… He died without thought of his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of [God’s] people.”

Gentleness and sacrificial love would be his strengths. He would suffer in silence. He would neither strike back nor raise a hand in his own defense. There would be no loud lamentations about the injustice of his situation: no curses, abusive language, or threats of vengeance. His would be a strength and power no other human would ever possess: the very strength and power of God. He would exercise this powerful strength in gentle silence. Thus these verses were it lived out by Jesus, the Suffering Servant Messiah, the Lamb who taketh away the sins of the world.

During the recent Presidential campaign an interesting slogan popped up: America first. That is such appropriate advice for all those involved in the American political process, but more importantly for those who govern this great nation. America first; political ambitions, self-serving legislation, and power broking pushed to the margins of national life. Public servants who truly serve the needs of the public instead of their own desire to be re-elected or lust for wealth and power. America first; insuring that the words of the Pledge of Allegiance would be lived out, especially those that declare liberty and justice for all.

Putting that aside for the time being, every Christian’s heartfelt passion should be exemplified by the phrase “The Kingdom First.” There are many ways to approach this but our primary model should always be Jesus Christ. He was obedient, even unto death. His was a life defined by humility and servanthood. He truly loved the Lord his God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, and his neighbors as himself. He rejected Satan’s offer of lordship over all the kingdoms of this earth. His gentleness was his strength. Instead of raining curses down on his tormentors from the cross he asked God to forgive them.

To better understand these actions and attitudes of Jesus we need to focus on his baptism, especially the power that would be the driving force of his life and mission: the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. What form did the Spirit take? That of a dove. And what does the dove symbolize? The creating power of God. Innocence and moral purity. Gentleness. And peace. These were the marks of the Holy Spirit, that Spirit who was to be the driving force of Christ’s life and mission – the force that is to shape and guide our lives as citizens in the Kingdom of God – that Kingdom which must always come first.

God’s Kingdom: not any king, kingdom, president, nation, or power of this world. And it is my sincere belief that, if we who are Christians in America truly place our citizenship in the Kingdom ahead of everything else, then maybe, just maybe, the America defined by “America first” could truly become the nation God wants it to be: a nation of liberty and justice for all, a nation whose every act is governed by the very justice and righteousness of God, a nation that places doing that which is right ahead of that which is profitable and expedient, a nation where honesty and integrity are the rule rather than the exception.

Am I dreaming? Yes. Is such a nation ever to become a reality this side of kingdom-come? No. Even the best among us, including the best Christians, will always be tainted by sin. Even our most noble motives will always be tinged with self-interest. Our politics, especially church politics, will be corrupted by a winner-take-all mindset. Like the citizens of every nation in history we will from time to time try to bring in God’s Kingdom by playing by the Devil’s rules. That’s why we Calvinists take to heart the reality of total depravity. ‘Taint nary one of us free of it.

But still, if we’re going to make a prayerfully sincere effort to live as citizens of the Kingdom, we must always, always, always have in us the same mind as Christ Jesus. He is our teacher, our example, and our model for living a Christian life in an unchristian world. His gentleness must become our gentleness, a gentleness that will ultimately be our strength. As he served us we must serve others. Following the example of the cross we must crucify our self-serving instincts.

When we speak the truth in love, that love must be obvious in our words and tone of speaking. Sometimes these will be words of tough love, but even then they must be spoken with just as much kindness as they are with firmness. Toughness does not have to be mean. Strength does not have to be exercised aggressively. We are never free to threaten, bully, or throw our weight around. Self-righteousness is always a no-no. We must act as peacemakers, realizing that working for true peace – God’s shalom – can be a risky business and can lead to conflict. Our decisions must be guided by what is just and right even though the culture around us is governed by injustice and unrighteousness. And as American Christians we must work to guarantee that there really is liberty and justice for all – not just for some.

When we are tempted to do those things we know are ungodly we must remember how Jesus faced down the Devil in the wilderness. That is especially true when the Devil offers us power to do something good. It cannot be said enough: we cannot achieve God’s will by following the wiles of the Devil. God’s will is achieved only by following God’s rules.

And when we are faced with threats due to our unflinching willingness to name anyone other than Jesus as the Lord of our lives we must place our lives in God’s hands. We must trust that God will be with us through every trial and tribulation. We may be forced to choose between God’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. If so, we must always choose the Kingdom of God. When we are called to quite literally pick up our cross and follow Jesus, then that’s what we must do, all the while remembering the words of our Lord about dying in order to live.

Following this sermon we are going to reaffirm our vows of baptism, in essence reconfirming our faith. We are going to make promises about Jesus Christ being our only Lord and King, about trusting in him alone for our salvation, and about living lives of obedience to God’s will and God’s Word. We are going to once again pledge our ultimate allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Afterwards, as we go back out into the world, it should be obvious to others to whom it is we belong. How do we do this? By looking constantly to Jesus, always hearing in our hearts this command: “Go, Thou, and Be likewise. Go be like Jesus.” Amen.