• Date: January 8, 2023
• Bible Reading: Matthew 3:1-17
• Free Resource: Living Baptism (3rd-6th, NL)
• Unit Theme (December 25—January 15): God’s Promise of Jesus
• The Point (Dec 25): Like John, we can help others recognize the promise of Jesus.

In addition to baptism, Matthew 3 confronts us with the theme of worthiness. What does it mean to be worthy in the eyes of God?

Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord

Happy New Year! The reading from Matthew 3 is assigned for January 8, 2023, which marks the first Sunday in the season of (or after) Epiphany. The festival of the Epiphany is indeed on January 6th, but many of us Protestants celebrate the festival on the nearest Sunday. And the Sunday after Epiphany is always the festival of the Baptism of the Lord. This means that many times, we celebrate both at once.

Worthiness

Our Bible reading for today starts with the introduction of John the Baptist and ends with Jesus’ baptism. The most obvious through-line and connection to the festival of the day is baptism. Baptism forms the core of John’s ministry (thus his most common descriptor).

However, when reading through the passage, I noticed another (perhaps more tenuous) theme: worthiness. In the NRSV, John demands that the Pharisees and Sadducees “bear fruit worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). John then talks about the coming Messiah such that he is “not worthy to carry [the Messiah’s] sandals.” It’s not stated, but we can easily infer that John is hesitant to baptize Jesus because he felt unworthy. Finally, God announces the absolute worthiness of Jesus.

Weight and Worth

The Greek word used by John against the religious leaders comes with the concept of weight, specifically weighing in relation to something else. When the word is translated “worthy,” the Gospel writer is clearly not referring to physical weight but something more abstract.

When I was first considering this theme, I had an error in memory. At first, I was thinking that—like himself in verse 10—John was talking about the worthiness of the Pharisees and Sadducees themselves. But that’s not what John says.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”

Matthew 3:7-8

The worthiness John is talking about here is not about the leaders themselves, but about their fruit (actions). He commands them to act in a way that weighs the same as repentance. Basically: “Show true repentance through your actions.”

Worthy and Enough

While John talks to the religious leaders about the worthiness of their actions, he does now move to his own, personal worthiness. However, unlike the NRSV, the Greek doesn’t use the same word here. Instead of talking about weighing, this word is about attaining or being adequate. John is confessing that he doesn’t think he is adequate to do one of the lowliest tasks of a slave: carrying nasty sandals for this Messiah. He doesn’t think he’s good enough.

Worthy to Baptize

Sometime later, this Messiah arrives. And not only does Jesus talk to John, but he also asks John to baptize him. John objects—undoubtedly thinking that he is not worthy—not to mention that this figure who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire doesn’t need a baptism of repentance. But Jesus disagrees. You can either surmise that Jesus thinks that John is worthy or that John’s worthiness is irrelevant to the calling he has been given.

Worthy in God’s Eyes

After Jesus has been baptized, we all get an epiphany (revelation) of who Jesus is from the very voice of God. The Gospels don’t indicate that Jesus had any self-doubts like John did, concerns about his worthiness to fulfill his own messianic calling. But, even if he did, God dispels that very quickly. Jesus is declared to be God’s Son, Beloved of God, and One in whom God is pleased. God sure thinks that Jesus is “worthy.”

Faith Formation Connection

Now, God’s pronouncement about Jesus does not apply directly to us, only to Jesus. However, Scripture makes it clear elsewhere that we are indeed children of God, beloved, and that God is pleased with us.

Because of God’s unconditional love for us, we are all adequate—enough. We are worthy, not because of what we do, but who we are and what Jesus has done for us.

One of the take-home messages for your faith formation participants (now and always) is that they are enough—they are worthy—in God’s eyes. And those are really the only eyes that matter.

May God’s unconditional love be revealed to you this Epiphany season!

Blessings,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Free Resource

During the main Narrative Lectionary year (this year: September 11 to May 28), we provide a free resource download from one of our products to help you in your faith formation ministry. This week, download a free activity “Living Baptism” from our Living the Word: Kids (3rd-6th, NL) curriculum. This activity can be used intergenerationally or with most age groups individually.

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2022-2023 Faith Formation Resources

January is here, and this might mean that your educational programming is back to normal. Do you have your Winter lessons yet? You can still order Winter (and Spring) lessons of our Narrative Lectionary and Revised Common Lectionary resources, or one of our Learning Together units! You can download the lessons as soon as your payment is processed.

At Spirit & Truth Publishing, we might just have exactly what you are looking for:

• Resource for the Revised Common Lectionary (intergenerational classroom)
• Resources for the Narrative Lectionary (products for all ages)
• Learning Together: Five-lesson topical units for VBS, Sunday school, children, and intergenerational classes.
• Cross+Generational Confirmation
• Worship and Liturgy Education

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