When we seek to historicize the texts about John the Baptiser and Jesus, we come up short. In the gospel of John, the Baptiser says he never laid eyes on Jesus until he came out to be baptised; Luke, on the other hand, says their mothers were cousins and were close. Matthew, Mark and John say that John the Baptiser baptised Jesus; Luke says John was already in jail when Jesus went for baptism. We can easily say we are not looking at history, but at theology, in the biblical texts. And theology offers a wide variety of insights in these stories.
Today let's look at what the coming of Jesus means as he is commissioned by the Baptiser. This is the launch of a prophet in Israel. We see a perfect model in Isaiah. There we see the Suffering Servant, initially symbolizing the Jewish People -- chosen from the womb and fashioned to be God's own. Being commissioned, the servant leader is called, first to a role in the restoration of the nation, and in turn for the nation to be a light to the world. What the prophet is to the nation, the nation is to the whole world.
We need to hear that this week. On Friday, we will inaugurate a President of the United States. He will be another minority president, chosen not by the American People but by the Electoral College. He will be the first president with no experience in governance and no military service for our nation. He is also noted for having degraded women, disabled people, and having demonized a religion, also making fun of the rite of communion in the Christian Religion. He has done a lot to alienate already.
Yet, as Christians, we are called to discern, not to judge. Friday, Inauguration Day, is a kind of new beginning. Many have already tried, found Mr. Trump guilty, and ordered his execution -- before a chance to even be sworn in. Like it or not, he will be the president of all us Americans. Let us give him a chance. On the other hand, as Christians we have a strong responsibility to the gospel of Christ and, as we go forward, we must maintain our prophetic role, inherited from Jesus, the Supreme Prophet of God. We must not allow ourselves to be coopted, as many conservative Christians have, into a value system inconsistent with our Faith. Let's be fair and open, keep our edge, but stay true to who we are as America embarks into unknown territory.
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