FEELING DIRTY, 

FEELING CLEAN 

INTRODUCTION


The title of my homily for this feast of the Baptism of Jesus is, “Feeling Dirty, Feeling Clean.”


There are various options for readings for today - so I didn’t know what to preach on. Baptism obviously. The readings last week mentioned baptism as well - and I preached on baptism on Friday at Heritage Harbor - and I had a nice baptism yesterday - so baptism is on my mind - but what to preach on?


THE ESSENCE


I asked myself, “What is the essence of baptism? What is the key meaning - the central reality - of baptism?”


Since water is the main ingredient, I assumed the answer would either be cleaning or life. Without water, there is no life.


Come Holy Spirit - enlighten me - to what is the best answer to the question: “What is the essence of baptism?”


The answer that hit me for today is, “cleanliness”.

"Come to the waters!"


Sometimes when we really feel grungy and grimy, we say to ourselves, “I need a good shower.”


Way before showers - or if people prefer baths, it would be, “I need a good bath.”


And we come up out of the water or out of the shower feeling new, cleansed, alive and awake.

And people go to the ocean or to water falls or lakes or pools or the river - for renewal.


JOHN THE BAPTIST’S BAPTISM


If one reads the scriptures carefully, John the Baptist called people to the Jordan River, so they could bathe themselves, cleanse themselves, wash themselves free of sin. Repent! Change! Start again. [Cf. today’s gospel, Mark 1: 7-11]]


I was told in theology and scripture studies that John saw his baptism as a reenactment. When the people of Israel entered the Promised Land way back when, they came to the Jordan River. They then down went one river bank - went through the waters - and came up the other side a new people. With God’s promise, they were being given a fresh start in the Promised Land. [Cf. Joshua 3: 1-17]


There is a catch in this interpretation because in the Book of Joshua - as in the Book of Exodus - when the people crossed through the waters, the waters parted. [Cf. Exodus 14: 15-31] In time and in memory - in song and in story - these moments were connected and seen as going through the waters in order to enter new life - to be given freedom and a fresh start.


How many western movies have we seen a scene where someone who has been in a lot of trouble or mess says, “Let’s ride to Rio Grande - cross the river into Mexico - and make a fresh start on the other side?” How many people cross the ocean or rivers and come to a new place - with the idea of a fresh new start.


The Greek word for dip is “baptizo” - from which we get our word, “baptism”.


The word was used in describing the process of dyeing clothes. Garments were dipped into a colored liquid. The word was used to describe putting a ladle into soup or water to draw some out. In the gospel of Luke the word is used for washing.


So it has many meanings.


The key issue is the symbolic action. The key thing is to see baptism as a religious gesture - a reenactment - an action that gets across a deep message and a deep reality.


In the Dead Sea Qumran Community around the time of Christ they had ceremonial washings. The documents that they have found there say that mere washing is not enough. An inner change - an inner purification of the soul - is called for. [1]


When little kids say a dirty word, a mom or dad give the warning, “I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap and water.” Kids get that message - probably because they tasted what soap and water taste like - perhaps when they got water in their mouth while taking a bath.


When adults say the wrong thing. When gossip or a cutting remark comes out of our mouth - we feel ugly. We feel dirty. We might even shake our head. Is that an attempt to push the dirty feeling our tongue has for being used to hurt someone - to their face or behind their back?


So down deep - we get baptism.


When parents of a new born baby pick god-parents for their child - I would think they have inborn instinct about those they pick and those they don’t pick.


Down deep we know what it feels like to be right with God and ourselves and others - and when we feel wrong about ourselves and others.


Down deep we know that the old saying, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” - makes sense.


Down deep we feel the need for confession or to get to church - to say the prayers in the first part of the Mass. Down deep we get the meaning of blessing ourselves with Holy Water when we come into church - so as to be clean. We get why people wash their feet in some religious ceremonies or before entering a temple or mosque.


Some people sometimes feel, “I just need to take a shower.”


And hopefully we hear the words of God the Father said over Jesus once again, “This is my beloved son [or daughter].” And we feel the Holy Spirit breathing deep within us once again. Amen.


CONCLUSION


So baptism means many things. I’m stressing today the idea of being cleansed - getting a fresh start - and feeling clean again. I ask you to do your homework and ask yourself, “What’s my take on what baptism means”?



NOTES
 
[1] John McKenzie, S.J., Dictionary of the Bible, "Baptism," page 79