Cycles of Newness

But made himself nothing, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:7 KJV (my favorite verse)

I struggle with writing, finding the best word or metaphor for a thought swimming through my head. I like topics with depth and meaning, the kind of topics that matter – relationships, God, healing, salvation. I have opinions on such things, just like bellybuttons have lint. I also have fears that I might not give the topic its due, or alienate someone with my strong opinion. My struggle to control the outcome of what I write is a symptom of a deeper problem of the soul . . .

I suffer from a chronic illness, one that slowly chips away at me day by day, hour by hour. (Lead with your weakness, they say.) The minute I was born the clock began to tick, leading to a day when the clock will stop ticking for me. In my anxiety I try a million things to control the passing of reality or distract myself from it. This mortal coil was passed down to me by my first ancestor, Adam, the first to struggle with his own lack of control and in a lapse of folly tried to be like God.

This problem of the disease of death did not go unnoticed by our Creator. In His plan of Salvation He sent his Forerunner John who “went into the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Luke 3:3) John could not baptize as a mere outward sign of accepting Christ as savior, for Christ had not be revealed yet. But rather he baptized for remission of sins. Remission is a not a word of condemnation but one used to describe the healing of a sickness. When a loved one’s cancer goes into remission we rejoice, we do not judge them for having cancer. The people came to John to be changed (repent) that their sin would go into remission. But an even greater miracle was to come.

As you were baptized in the Jordan O Lord, then the worship of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You, naming You the Beloved Son; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of the word.

Great Blessing of the Waters

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3: 13 – 17 NKJV

The Light of the World arrived in Galilee to be baptized by the Forerunner. As the clay faced His maker, he felt unworthy of his task and exclaimed, “I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?” but the Lord insisted that all righteousness be fulfilled. Christ came as nothing, but surrendered Himself to the waters of the Jordan, an image of the grave. Baptism is to die to the old self: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3) When He came out of the waters his true nature was revealed as the Father spoke from Heaven, “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

In Orthodoxy Baptism is known as a sacrament. Many are familiar with the term “sacrament of marriage” though our modern culture struggles to describe what that means. How do you explain a sacrament? The English word “sacrament” comes from the Latin word sacrāmentum which in turn is derived from the Greek mysterion (mystery.) Sacraments are holy mysteries. We struggle with mysteries; our first urge is to explain them or control their nature. The struggle is the very same temptation that the serpent used on Adam, “If you eat from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will know all and be like God.” True mysteries, the heavenly kind, cannot be explained or controlled; they can only be revealed. No amount of control can force a marriage to work. Nor can an explanation of baptism as a mere bath remiss sins.

Christ, the only One with absolute control and knowledge, was also the One who “made himself nothing and took on the form of a servant.” When He surrendered Himself to the mystery of baptism He was revealed to be the Beloved Son of God. Just like Christ, the only way to “fulfill all righteousness” in our lives is surrender, to let go and let the Heavenly Mystery be revealed. Only by surrendering to the waters of the Jordan, baptized into His death, shall our chronic illness begin to remiss and reveal us to be what we truly are.

The way down is the way up.

St. Sophrony of Essex