'Baptised into Christ' by Rev Allister Lane

19th June 2022

Luke 8:26-39

Galatians 3:23-29

The Gospel passage is a vivid narrative of powerful conflicts, transformations, rejections, and resolutions.

In this chapter (8) of Luke’s Gospel there are four encounters with Jesus’ power:

1.    A storm is stilled

2.    A demon-possessed man is set free

3.    A bleeding old woman is healed

4.    and Jairus’ daughter is brought to life.

In his visit to Geresenes Jesus comes...

to heal and restore.

We see the transformation Jesus brings to the life of the demon-possessed man.

·      Display of Jesus’ power for those who are spiritually hurting, and care for people on the margins.

·      The transformation – from terror to wholeness.

Once naked, banished, homeless, convulsive, guarded, uncontrollable –

…he becomes a disciple of Jesus, sane and clothed.

Jesus can be a menace for destructive forces – he’ll destroy them.

Not every individual or institution is ready for the overhaul that Jesus brings.

This power Jesus brings is expressed in the letter to the Galatians as a transformation for all who are baptised into Christ:

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (v28)

In the earlier part of his letter (Chapter 3, before this passage) Paul is making an argument contrasting the law with faith in Christ.

The Galatians were saying Christians must obey the law of Moses,

but Paul says this burden of good behaviour is incompatible with faith in Christ.

Our oldest child is now at the age where he can babysit – technically.

At this stage, when we go out, Naomi and I still choose to get a more mature babysitter!

Paul says to the Galatians “the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came” (v24)

The word ‘disciplinarian’ can be translated as ‘babysitter’ – the law was a babysitter until Israel should grow up.

When grown up, a babysitter is no longer necessary.

With the coming of the Christ, Israel was at last God's grown-up child.

The faithfulness of the Christ himself is the sign that here at last is a mature Israelite, come to bring God's promises to fulfilment.

The answering faith of the believer is the sign that this person, no matter what their ethnic background, is a full and complete member of God's family.

So, the law – as with any other loyalty – is displaced by the centrality of Christ.

Through baptism we come into God’s family by faith.

Our belonging is expressed powerfully in spatial terms:

“in Christ” (v26)

“into Christ” (v27)

“clothed yourselves in Christ” (v27)

(The image of being clothed in Christ is so wonderful! We don’t have time to explore all this offers – it’s a whole other sermon!)

But this language is about proximity and intimacy.

The power of Christ overcomes division.

Christ lives in and through you, and you live in Christ.

Our identity is primarily now in our connection with Christ, marked by our baptism.

Last Sunday, was Trinity Sunday and we remember that above all else this understanding of God as three-in-one is about the profound reality of relationship.

This is what God shows us in God’s very being.

The full picture of Jesus ministry and teaching reveals God’s Kingdom is not limited to those of a certain class, gender, race, education, career, social standing, moral conduct ...or any of our other default divisions.

That is why, as well as the man being healed, we could imagine that (at some later point) his community would come to be healed too – from the divisions based in a fear of difference.

There’s a story (author unknown) about two brothers.

Their father had a large farm and when he became too old to work, he called his sons to him. "I am too old to work anymore," he said. "I will divide my farm in half and give each of you one half. I know that you will always work together and will be good friends."

When the brothers first started farming on their adjoining farms, they were the best of friends and would share everything together. Then, one day there was an argument between the two brothers and they stopped speaking to one another. For many years, not a word was spoken between them.

One day, one of the brothers was at his house when a carpenter came to his door and said, “I would like to do some work. Do you have any work that I can do?” The brother thought for a moment and then replied, “I would like for you to build a fence on my property. Build it down near the stream there that separates my farm from my brother’s. I don’t want to see my brother any more and I would like for you to build a high fence there please. I’m going into town and I’ll be back this evening.

When he came back that evening, he was shocked to see that the carpenter had not followed his instructions. Instead of building a high fence there, he had built a bridge over the stream. The man walked down to take a look at the bridge, and as he did, his brother walked toward him from the other side. His brother said, “After all the terrible things I’ve done to you over the years, I can't believe that you would build a bridge and welcome me back.” He reached out to his brother and gave him a big hug.

The brother then walked back up to his farmhouse to talk to the carpenter. “Can you stay?” he asked. “I have more work for you to do.”

The carpenter answered, “I’m sorry but I can’t stay. I have to go, for I have many other bridges to build.”

How can the power of Jesus transform us?

Where are there divisions in our lives? Who can we give the grace of Jesus to?

Baptism gives us a special identity, and yet it is highly inclusive.

Far from separating us from others, the life of the baptised is lived for the sake of others.

In Jesus we see that God does not like division, and is working to overcome it.

Just like the first disciples, Jesus shares this mission with us all – as well as power for us, there is power through us.

Let us claim our identity in baptism to overcome the divisions in us, the divisions between us and the divisions around us.

Our baptism is our commissioning to this mission.

Amen.