To all the
venerable clergy and laity within all the constituencies of our Archdiocese
in North America Greetings and Blessings from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ
Beloved In Christ-
According to the calendar of
our Church, Epiphany or Theophany which means Divine Appearance, falls
twelve days after Christmas. As a matter of fact, however, Christ's baptism
was performed when Jesus was thirty years of age. What actually transpired
during the thirty-year interval, the records of the four gospels does
not tell us. The only vivid hint is found in the gospel of Luke, the second
chapter, where we are told about His visit with His parents to Jerusalem
when only twelve years of age, and how, when He was missed by them, was
found in the church of Jerusalem, discussing religion, asking and answering
questions. And in answer to the anxiety of His parents relative to His
whereabouts, gave a statement in which he set forth the purpose of His
mission. "I must be about my Father's business."
There are books without number that deal with the life of our Lord. It
would probably take a person a lifetime to read them. Some of the writers
of these books undertake the laborious task of trying to solve the mystery
of the silent years, to surmise what Christ had been doing during the
eighteen years which intervene between His appearance in the Temple when
twelve years of age, and His baptism when thirty years old. Some try to
tell us that, since Joseph was a carpenter at Nazareth, Jesus naturally
learned the same trade. Be that as it may, we are advised "not to
be wise above that which is written." The record does not so state
the case. Therefore, guesswork is out of order in matters of religion.
But it is no guesswork to say that our Lord was doing His Father's business.
If he had worked with His blessed hands to help support the family, it
was the Father's business to do so. Christ thus would have sanctified
and blessed work and left us the good example of supporting our families.
But judging by His high standard of teaching and preaching and the great
spiritual principles he set forth, he spent many hours reading the sacred
books of the Old Testament, actively engaged in the religious services
of the church at Nazareth, keeping a constant and uninterrupted communion
with God.
We want to organize our thinking relative to the meaning and significance
of Christ's baptism. The answer has a two-fold meaning. First, the example
of our Lord to instill in us obedience to the ordinance of man, that is,
the ordinances of the church. Christ, in order to fulfill the law, submitted
to its ordinances so that he could perfect and perform redemption so that
you and I may follow in His footsteps.
Secondly, to show us the value and place of the instrumentality of man,
that, God can and will use men to be co-partners with Him in the affairs
of His Kingdom. God has, from the beginning of time, called men to minister
in His name to all His people. Some people today are opposed to all kinds
of clergymen. They labor under the mistaken idea that it is against the
teaching of the Bible. Christ's own example and teaching are proof against
such gross misconcept. Ministers represent organized, authorized religion,
and organized religion is as necessary as organized governments, organized
homes and organized businesses. Christ bowed His blessed head in baptism
to a mere man who was the minister of His church in order, as He said.
"To fulfill all righteousness.'' It was humility of the highest type.
Then too, it was an act of consecration. Christ was conscious of His Divine
sonship and His relationship to the Father as He was also conscious of
the importance of His mission; and consequently, He needed the assurance,
the testimony, and the equipment which God, and God alone, can give. Christ
would not, even though He was the Son of God, venture to preach the glad
news of the Kingdom of God unless He was assured of the Divine presence
when he saw during His baptism the spirit of God descending like a dove
and lighting upon him and a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'' Christ's power in healing diseases
of all kinds and forms, power in raising the dead, power so great and
creative as to multiply five loaves and two fishes to an amount sufficient
to feed five thousand people, power to still the raging storm of the sea,
was due to the fact that God's Holy Spirit was working in and through
Him.
This fact teaches us volumes as to the necessity that priests and Christian
workers should be so consecrated and equipped. The ministry of a priest
could not be effective without it. God's Holy Spirit must be present to
bless, to use and to make the work effective. A priest may have a college
degree or a dozen of them, may have been educated in the best universities
both here and abroad, may have a string of titles prefixed and attached
to his name and attained many doctorates, but unless he is indoctrinated
in the school of grace, and God's Holy Spirit witnesses to his words and
works, and is conscious of it, all is in vain.
Thirdly, Christ's baptism signifies Christ's identity with the human race.
Said the sacred writer, "Wherefore in all things it behooved Him
to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God."
The first step Jesus took to redeem humanity was when He took upon Himself
our form, when His divinity was absconded and shrouded by His humanity.
The second step, His baptism, thus in both to become like unto His brethren,
that is like you and me, to taste the bitter dose of the human nature,
its weakness, its likes and dislikes, its ups and downs; and that, mind
you, is done so He can be our helper in time of trials as well as our
Redeemer.
Once a little band of Christians were forced to meet in secrecy to worship
their Lord and Savior. A spy betrayed them to the secret police, and an
officer with several men surprised them one night at their place of prayer.
Looking about him in anger and contempt, the officer ordered one of his
men to count all who were present and to report their names. When he had
done so he reported to the officer that there were thirty men and women
there.
At that, an old man stepped forward and said, "Officer, there is
one whom you have missed. There is one more here."
The officer looked at him in scorn and said, "What do you mean? We
have counted them carefully. There are just thirty here."
"No," the old man insisted, "there is another here whom
you have missed."
"Very well," said the officer, "we will count them again."
Again he counted them and again the count was thirty. "There,"
he said, "it is just as I told you. There are only thirty. Thirty
of you miserable Christians. Thirty and no more."
"Yes," said the old man, "but there is one more here, one
whom you missed, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ."
Wherever men are faithful and true to Christ, there in their midst, to
comfort and cheer them is the Son of God whoever identifies himself with
his people.
When we contemplate the life of our Lord, His utter humility, compassion,
tenderness and love, we become amazed at the depth of God's mercy. But
to leave the matter there is downright apostacy and lack of faith. One
cannot contemplate and meditate upon such matchless personality without
being prompted to do something about it. Admiration on your part and mine
is not enough. It calls for dedication, consecration and lifelong service
to God and to our fellowmen. God in Christ is calling to you and me to
live worthily, creatively, holily. Christ's coming into the world was
not merely a matter of history, but to show us how to live.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism one enters the threshold of the earthly
Kingdom of God, and becomes a member of the Church. Through Baptism one
receives forgiveness of sins and becomes a member of the body of Christ,
. . . "be baptized . . . for the forgiveness of your sins" is
the command of the Holy Spirit. Baptism, of course, presupposes faith
in Christ and a determination to live the Christian way of life. Since
the practice of infant baptism was introduced in the Church, the creed
of faith is pronounced in a baptism by the child's sponsor. Together with
the parents. the sponsor sees that the child is brought up in the Christian
Orthodox faith.
It is our heart-felt prayers and wishes that the year 1964 will be
one of peace, harmony and cooperation among all races and classes of people
throughout the world as we also heartily hope that there will be harmony
and unity within the ranks of our Holy Orthodox Church and that one for
all and all for one will be our motto this year.
YOURS IN CHRIST,
ARCHBISHOP ANTONY BASHIR
Metropolitan of New York
and all North America
From Word Magazine
Publication of the Antiochian Orthodox
Christian Archdiocese of North America
January 1964
p. 3
