Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Many people who come after Jesus, most notably the writers of the Christian gospels and other religious officials, spill buckets of ink insisting we believe certain things about Jesus. But John the Baptizer ‘came before’ Jesus pointing the way of repentance. And Jesus comes before us, embodying the way of living in right relationship with God, all people and creation.
The question true Christians face is not, “What do we believe?” It is, “How are we living?”The clue to answer this question is hidden in plain hearing, in Jesus’ response to John’s hesitation to baptize him. And Jesus says, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” We are meant to live in fulfillment of all righteousness.
What does righteousness look like? Let’s begin with what it is not. Righteousness is not an abstract moral code nor a mark of religious piety. Righteousness is not about belief. Righteousness is right living. It is an attribute of God and as beings created in the image of God, righteousness must also be an attribute of each one of us. Righteousness means living in right relationship with God, all people and creation. As righteous people we are faithful, truthful, humble, and make choices for the good of all people (even at our own expense).
It is important to understand that the writer of Matthews gospel is interested in Jesus’ identity. This is evidenced in the baptismal narrative when a voice from heaven addresses the crowds, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” But Jesus has a different agenda and I would argue it is Jesus to whom we must listen. Jesus’ life and ministry is nothing if not a gleaming example of how to live in right relationship with God and all people. This is righteousness.
Which brings us to Jesus’ other weighty word, ‘fulfillment.’ To fulfill is to make real and carry out. It presumes there has been an order or instruction that is to be performed and perfected. When Jesus says, “for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness,” we understand the instruction to be performed and perfected is righteousness, living in right relationship with God and with all people.
The radical twentieth century social activist Dorothy Day who founded the Catholic Worker Movement writes, “All are called to be saints but all are not called to be extraordinary.” Day continues, “God expects something from each one of us that no one else can do. If we don’t do it it will not be done.” * Each one of us is uniquely gifted to do what only we can do by living in righteous relationship with God and all people.
Earlier in Matthew’s text we hear John the Baptist excoriating the outwardly religious folk, “You brood of vipers! … Bear fruit worthy of repentance.” (Matt 2.7-8) John’s message is clear. It is not enough to step into the river and be baptized. It is not enough to go to church on Sunday and resume life as usual on Monday. Our actions must make real the mark and mission of our baptism, otherwise the ritual is empty as a fist full of air.
Empty rituals can not fulfill a life of righteousness. Kings’ Cake at Epiphany parties, exotic vacations even lavish liturgies and baptismal rites may be titillating but they do not fulfill a life of righteousness. We are meant to use our lives to embody and express God’s promise of dignity and love for all people.
So, how will you answer the call to be an ordinary saint today? How will you do the one thing that no one else can do to fulfill your life of righteousness?
- Shawn Madigan, CSJ, ed., Mystics, Visionaries & Prophets: A historical Anthology of Women’s Spiritual Writings (Minneapolis, Fortress Press) p332.
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