Feast of the Lord's Baptism

 


FEAST OF THE LORD’S BAPTISM [C]


What do you think about when you hear the name “Cinderella?”  More than likely, you’ll find yourself thinking about the ball, the prince, the glass slipper. And yet, these elements relate to the second half of the story. They don’t explain how she comes to be identified as “Cinderella.” That source of information can be traced to the first half of the story. No, it doesn’t make for happy reading. The author describes a Cinderella who is being thoroughly exploited—she is being exploited by her step-mother and her two step-sisters. Whatever is tedious, all of the menial tasks, these are reserved for Cinderella. She has to dust, she has to sweep, she has to scrub the floor, do the laundry, wash the dishes. If that wasn’t enough, she is also responsible for tending the fireplace. The efforts at the fireplace leave her coated with ashes. Ashes are basically cinders. Meanwhile, the French term for girl is “ella.” Put it together and you arrive at the name of “Cinder-ella.”  She is the girl of the ashes. 


She of course will not remain the girl of the ashes. We know that Cinderella will eventually be delivered from this life of humiliation. We know all about this. But we don’t know anything about how the subsequent duty roster will take shape following her departure. Who will be responsible for keeping the place clean? Furthermore, who will be responsible for keeping the place warm? It’s hard to imagine the step-mother rolling up her sleeves, committing herself to such a burdensome workload. Therefore, we can only assume that the step-sisters will be called upon to fill the void that Cinderella leaves behind. Somebody has to fulfill this role. You can’t allow the house to become dirty. And by all means, you can’t allow the house to become cold! That’s the expectation. It’s expected that these two standards will be maintained: a house needs to be clean, and a house needs to be warm. 


It turns out that we can say something very similar about the human soul. You want your soul to be sufficiently clean. That’s why you might gravitate toward a charismatic figure like John the Baptist;  his baptism will make you spiritually clean. However, you will want to pay close attention to the message that he is proclaiming. A New Covenant is about to be established. With this New Covenant we will also see a new baptism. This baptism will provide you with an experience of cleansing, and it will furthermore bring you into contact with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). A fresh fire will burn within you, at the level of your soul. This brilliant new flame signifies a brilliant new way of being alive. Jesus will refer to it as the “abundant life” or as “life in abundance” (see John 10:10). 


Essentially, this new baptism satisfies both priorities: you are clean inside and also warm. It parallels what you would desire for your house: you want it to be both clean and warm. When you care for your soul, it can be said that you are putting your “spiritual house” in order. You are permitting the cleansing waters of baptism to have their effect. And, as a bonus, you also have flames dancing away in your fireplace. Still, let’s keep in mind the following principle: a fire is something that needs to be monitored. Your typical fire has to be monitored, and it also has to be stoked periodically. Notice the case of Simon Peter and how he is continuing to make new discoveries (see Acts 10:34-43). This would suggest that the fire burning within his soul is NOT being neglected. Eyes are being opened, as we hear in this passage from the prophet Isaiah (42:7). These eyes have the capacity to look, both outward and also to what lies within. 

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