Water and the Word

Titus 3:3-7

Who knew baptism was such a controversial topic?  Well, lots of people, but I figured baptism is baptism, no matter when, where or how.  I've come to learn that the means and meaning of baptism have embroiled the church since the 16^th Century.  

My own baptism story is a little different.  In the Catholic church, a baby is typically baptized within a few months of birth.  I, on the other hand, can remember my baptism because I was several years old.  I don’t recall consciously deciding to say “Yes” to God, but I did know something special was happening inside St. Mary's that day.

As I got older, I learned I had taken part in a sacred sacrament that washed away sin and offered salvation.  Then in the 8^th grade, during my Confirmation, I renewed my baptismal promises, this time wholly acknowledging what I was saying “Yes” to. 

Fast forward to my children’s baptism.  Again, things happened a little bit different because my son was eight and my daughter, five.  They too have vivid memories of the day the benefits of baptism were bestowed upon them.

Preparation for today’s reading lead me to do some digging and learning about the history of baptism.  It also pointed me to Luther’s Small Catechism, which I didn’t have growing up.  Luther uses Titus to answer the question, How can water do such great things?

…For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.” (Titus 3:5–8)

For me, the bottom line is… through baptism we are saved, “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (v.5).  And whether we’re six weeks or 60 years, when water and the word combine, we are renewed in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for the blessings of baptism!

      

Sunday

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11)

A Christian has the luxury of viewing death in a different light than someone who does not believe. Because of our faith, we know that physical death is actually a rebirth into a new life. I am not diminishing the grief which accompanies the death of someone we love, but the fact is that this death is the beginning of something great - not the end.

My husband and I spoke of this often during his brief illness. While every day wasn't filled with happiness and smiles, when it came right down to it, we knew we would be together again one day and that day would not have any of the pain or hurtful memories we shared now. While this may sound trite, it did give us hope and a vision of a better day.

"By his power, God raised the Lord from the dead and he will raise us also." (1 Corinthians 6:14)

We may view death as the ultimate brokenness, but it is the first step into a new life with Jesus. Do we need any more reason to share the Gospel with others than this?


Romans 8:1-11