Making Everything Right Again

When Jesus went out to the Jordan River, John refused to baptize him. He told Jesus, “I need to get baptized by you!” But Jesus was adamant that he get baptized by John. Jesus said that the role reversal “fulfills the way of righteousness.” In Greek, righteousness is “dikaiosune,” one of the most mistranslated words in the bible. Dikaiosune is a descriptor of the divine. It means that God is determined to make everything right again – which is only possible when the oppressive social hierarchy is flipped on its head. This is precisely what Jesus did at his baptism. 

If Jesus really was some kind of lord, savior or son of God, he would be expected to be the one performing all the baptisms. Instead, Jesus released the power and control to the weird, wild prophet who wore camel hair and dined on locusts and honey. What Jesus really needed was to immerse himself in the radical, reassuring words from heaven: “You are beloved.” I desperately need this daily immersion too. I am learning from Jesus (rather slowly) that I can only hear these words when I stop equating my identity and security with my position on the oppressive social hierarchy.