Lent 1- Baptism and the Flood

 

Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15

We have now entered into the season of Lent. The practice of observing Lent began sometime in the 200’s. That was a time when being a Christian could be quite dangerous, and it was also a time when Christianity was spreading deep into the Roman Empire to people who had very little experience with Judaism or the Hebrew Scriptures. For Jewish people who came to believe in Jesus they already had a lot of the basic beliefs and practices in place- they had a solid foundation. However, Gentile Pagans needed more time and training to understand what they were getting themselves into. The time of Lent became a time when new converts prepared for their baptism, which would happen at Easter. The preparation would involve intense study of Scripture, and the abandonment of cultural values that were contrary to their new Identity in Christ. It was a time of repentance. They seriously considered what it meant to become a Christian, and what it would cost them- maybe family, friends, or work.

As Christianity became the norm within the Empire, there tended to not be adult converts and baptism tended to be for children of believing parents. Lent became a time or repentance for those who had seriously sinned and who had been denied the Eucharist as a form of church discipline. Lent was a time of repentance and preparation for when their time of penance would be over and they could once again receive the Eucharist at Easter.

At some point these practices sort of blended and the general body of believers began to practice Lenten discipline in preparation for Easter, even though they were not getting ready to be baptized, nor were they dealing with church discipline for a grievous sin. And now, as our culture becomes less overtly Christian, it is good to consider our Baptismal identity once again as being a baptized person will start to become more unusual in our society. It may be that in coming decades we will be able to relate much more to the church of the 3rd century, when baptism wasn’t something that was assumed about the people in the society, and was even a bit unusual. … Our readings today point to that baptismal identity in Christ.

When we look at our readings we see that we are circling back to this same gospel reading again. We heard it in Advent, and then we heard it in Epiphany, and now we have it again as we enter into Lent. And each time we see it from a slightly different angle. In Advent, we focus on John the Baptist proclaiming the coming Messiah. In Epiphany, we consider the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, as we hear the voice of the Father, and as the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. In Lent, when we consider our baptismal identity, we see Christ enter the waters of baptism. Our Baptismal identity is primarily an identification with Christ. Through it, we enter into the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. … Christ is our model. He enters the waters to identify with the Sin of humanity, and to become the perfected Israel who would be the light of the world. He rises from the baptismal waters and is led into the wilderness where he is tempted in preparation for his public ministry. For us too, our Baptismal identity is a call to ministry to the world.

Our reading from the first letter to Peter ties together the Old Testament and Gospel readings. Peter says that God waited patiently in the days of Noah (1 Pet 3:20). In Noah’s story sin had gotten out of control. We read that 

“every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5).

 It was a situation God wasn’t going to allow to persist. 

“The Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen 6:6).

 I hope we can hear the pain of God in that line. Sin had to be dealt with. … Don’t think about little sins. Think about the stuff that you don’t even want me to say because it’s too awful to think about. Think about the news stories that make you turn your head away and turn off the TV. … 

“Every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5).

 God was going to wash it away.

But, in God’s patience, He gave time to make salvation possible. God waited patiently for Noah to build the Ark before starting to cleanse the earth. Life would be preserved in the boat that Noah built.

Peter connects this to his readers, who were probably Gentiles. The Gentile world was full of a lot of things the Scriptures would define as Sin. However, God was patient. He waited, not for a boat to be built this time, but for Baptism to be made available to them. Baptism brings the person into the Body of Christ, like Noah’s family and the animals were brought into the ark. Being brought into the Body of Christ saves them from the floodwaters that judge Sin.

Like Peter, the Early Church connected the story of Noah and the ark to Jesus and his Church. St. Augustine saw the ark as 

“a figure of the church that was saved by the wood on which there hung [Jesus Christ] … As for the door in the side, that surely, symbolizes the open wound made by the lance in the side of the Crucified- the door by which those who come to him enter in, in the sense that believers enter the church by means of the sacraments that issued from that wound. … So it is with every other detail of the ark’s construction. They are all symbols of something in the church” (City of God 15.26).

 To St. Augustine, the ark is the Church that saves us from the floodwaters that come as a consequence of Sin.

The Early Church saw symbolism everywhere in this story. St. Maximus of Turin saw the flood as symbolizing baptism that washes away Sin (Maximus of Turin in Sermons 50.2). St. Augustine saw the mixture of clean and unclean animals aboard the ark as representing imperfection within the church, and the variety of animals as representing salvation of all the nations within the church (Augustine in Faith and Works 27.49; Tractates on the Gospel of John 9.11.1). St. Ambrose, and the Venerable Bede saw the dove that returned with the olive branch as representing the Holy Spirit that came to Jesus at the time of his baptism (Ambrose in Letters 40.21; Bede in Homily 1.12; Maximus of Turin in Sermons 49.3).

Just as God saves creation through the wood of the ark, so God saves creation through Christ and the wood of the cross. After the flood, God makes a new covenant with humanity and the rest of creation (Gen 9:11). And Christ also makes a new covenant saying, 

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Lk 22:20).

 … The church saw some very interesting and beautiful parallels between the story of Christ and that of Noah and the ark.

As we enter into Lent, we take time to remind ourselves who we are. Even though we are in the middle of a pandemic, and this have slowed down in many ways, that is really an outward slowing. We can still be very busy in our minds. We can still distract ourselves with many things. Maybe we need to allow our minds and souls to be stilled, so we can remind ourselves who we are. … Through baptism, we are God’s family. The destructive power of sin is washed from us. We are made to be the Body of Christ, and our head has conquered sin and death through his cross and resurrection. We are bound so intimately with him that we are called his body. Yes, we will face temptations, like he did, but he conquered temptation and has made his victory available to us.

Jesus returns from the wilderness of temptation proclaiming God's Kingdom. 

"The time has come", 

he says 

"The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news."

 And the news he will proclaim to people captured by sin will be that they can enter God’s kingdom. God loves them- He runs to them like a forgiving Father whose son has returned after squandering the family wealth and was reduced to feeding slop to pigs. He will proclaim that God rejoices over them when they return to him, like a woman who found her lost coin worth a fortune. … And, following our head, we proclaim the reign of God as returned prodigal children, and as those who were lost but who are now found.

May God guide you in repentance and align your will with His. May you always remember your baptism into the Body of Christ. May God give you strength to defeat temptation. May God train you as an athlete trains, and may you be a powerful force of transformation in our broken world. Amen.