Today is the Sunday of the Lord’s Baptism. Based on Matthew 3:13-17, we are celebrating the moment when God was baptized by a human.
Many people see Jesus’ baptism as just the ‘kick-off’ to his public ministry. However, if we look closely at the specific details of the story, we find something much deeper.
When Jesus arrives at the Jordan river, John tries to stop him, saying, “Master, the roles are reversed here. I should be the one in the water, not you. Jesus then rejects the celebrity status that John tries to give him.
And the Jordan river being mentioned a lot in the Bible, not many people know that the river is actually quite humble. It’s not like those giant rivers such as the Amazon river, or the Yangzi in China or the Mekong in the East Asian countries.
The scale of the Amazon river, in particular, is indescribable. During the wet season, parts of the Amazon can swell to over 40 km wide. It is so big that it accounts for 20% of all the freshwater that enters the world’s oceans.
While many Christian pilgrims arrive with grand expectations, they are often struck by the modest scale of the Jordan River. There is a profound beauty in its simplicity; it remains a remarkably humble stream despite its monumental place in history.
But that is exactly what makes the moment so powerful: Jesus didn’t launch his ministry from a majestic stage. By stepping in that humble river with all sorts of sinners around, Jesus chooses solidary over status. He chooses the humble shame over glory. Jesus began his Kingdom ministry not on a throne, but in a muddy river.
That’s why often say that Christianity was not supposed to be a religion. Religion is human study and effort to find divinity. But in Jesus Christ and his life, God entered human world. Christianity did not start on earth. It began in heaven. Standing in the muddy rive humbly and vulnerably in line with the very people he came to save, God came to meet us right where we are.
The Angels of Sorok Island in Korea
I want to share the story of Marianne Stoeger and Margaritha Pissarek. Seventy years ago, they stepped into their own “muddy Jordan River” in South Korea. These two Austrian nurses became known as the “Angels of Sorok Island.”
At the time, Sorok Island was a place of deep suffering and social stigma. It was a colony for people with Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy). The patients were treated as the “living dead.” Most medical staff kept a fearful distance, wearing heavy protective gear and treating patients with cold detachment.
When Marianne and Margaritha arrived in 1962, they shocked everyone. They refused to wear gloves and protection gear. Instead, they bandaged wounds and applied medicine with their bare hands. By touching those who were labelled untouchable, they showed true solidarity.
For 43 years, the two women lived in a tiny, cramped room on the island. They refused to take a salary, living only on small donations from their families and Catholic organizations in Austria.
In 2005, when they were in their mid-70s, the nurses realized they were becoming frail. They didn’t want the people of the island to have to care for them, so they decided it was time to leave.
They didn’t want a parade or a grand farewell ceremony. One night, they quietly packed their few belongings into two old suitcases. They left a simple note on a piece of scrap paper that said:
“We are getting old and might become a burden to the island. We are going back home now. Thank you for everything.”
………………………….
These stories teach us that status is a wall, but solidarity is a bridge. I’ve seen it a lot in my ministry. Social status keeps people apart, but solidarity brings them together. The world often tells us to “move up” so we can distance ourselves from the problems and issues of others.
However, the example of Jesus in today’s passage, and people like those Austrian nurses, shows that God’s power is found when we “move down” and get close to others, especially the struggling.
Some might naturally ask themselves. Why should I step into someone else’s muddy water when I’m already struggling just to keep my own head above water?’
Why should I worry about other people’s problems when I already have more than enough of my own to deal with?
Why should I take on more burdens when my own life is already hard enough?
I believe the answer lies in the mystery of the Jordan hidden in the verses 16 and 17 of today’s gospel reading.
They describe the Jordan mystery this way. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and lighting on him. Then a voice said from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.”
The heavens only opened after Jesus got into the water. This scene is one of the rare moments in all the Scriptures, where all three persons of the Trinity God are present simultaneously:
The Son is in the water. The Spirit descends like a dove. The Father speaks from the heavens.
Friends, this is the mystery of the Jordan: When you choose to step into the “muddy water” of someone else’s life—while everyone else is trying to run away—I promise you will experience the Jordan river mystery.
In those moments, the entire Trinity God will be right there with you. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will surround you with strength, support, and blessings. Why? Because you are following the exact path Jesus took when he began his ministry on earth.
When heaven opens over your life—when you hear God’s voice and feel the Holy Spirit rest upon you—anything becomes possible. In this fast-passing life, what more could you truly ask for?
Friends in Christ, I urge you to see the mystery of the Jordan River not just as a story in the bible, but as a choice you make every day. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to find you. Look around closely, find someone who is struggling, and choose to step into the ‘muddy water’ with them.
When you deliberately choose to stand with others in their mess and their struggles, I guarantee that your life—and the lives of those you love—will be filled with the presence of God of Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Sprit.
A Closing Prayer
“Lord, we often spend our lives trying to stay dry, trying to avoid the mess, and trying to climb higher. Today, remind us of the Jordan mystery. Remind us that You did not stay on a distant throne but stepped down into the mud to stand in line with us.
Lord, give us the courage to step into the ‘muddy water’ of those around us this week. When we see a colleague struggling, a student feeling lonely, or a neighbour who is overwhelmed, help us to simply stand with them.
We thank You for the promise that when we move toward others in love, we are moving toward You. Amid the mess, may we hear Your voice calling us ‘Beloved. My child. Amen.”
