God With Us in Our Suffering Humanity

Homily for Sunday, January 12, 2025
The First Sunday After the Epiphany
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

“Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” is a song often associated with suffering and loss.  It was composed by Thomas Dorsey, who wrote the song following the death of his wife and also of their infant in childbirth.  And Aretha Franklin sang it at MLK’s first memorial service, and Mahalia Jackson sang it at his funeral a few days later.  

And I want to get back to “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” but first the question, “Where is God when we suffer?”  When tragedy strikes – as it did for MLK and also Thomas Dorsey – we often wonder, “Where is God?”  When things seem dark, when our suffering is acute, it is human nature to want to know, “Where is God?”  We may know at least in our heads that when we suffer, God is with us –   Jesus is “Emmanuel,” Matthew writes, “God with us” (Mt 1:23).  And we may recall Elie Wiesel’s story of the boy hanged in a Nazi concentration camp: “Where is God?” Wiesel heard a man behind him ask.  “Hanging here from this gallows,” a voice within him said.  When we suffer, God is with us.

Today’s Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord is a feast of the Incarnation that reminds us that God is with us, that in our suffering God “takes our hand.”  AND...today’s Feast reminds us that God is not merely with us, but in our suffering there is movement, for in our suffering God leads us on.  To better speak to today’s feast and God’s presence and God’s leading us on, please turn to the icon on the front cover of today’s order of service.  

There are multiple things to note about this icon, which hangs near the Baptismal font of a church in Portland, Oregon:

·       Note the blue circle, the hand and the dove at the top. They depict how (from this morning’s Gospel) “the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.”

·       Note the axe and tree in the lower left-hand corner.  The axe and tree are likewise mentioned in this morning’s Gospel:  “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the tree,” Luke writes.

·       On the right side of the icon is a gold background with angels, symbolizing heaven.  This portrays how, in this morning’s lesson,“The heavens were opened.”

·       Toward the left John, gaunt from his diet of locusts and wild honey and wearing “clothing of camel’s hair,” [toward the left John] baptizes Jesus (Matt 3:4)

·       Behind him, emerging from a cave are two about-to-become-apostles.

·       And, whimsically,many iconographers in the water on either side of Jesus’ feet depict water spirits looking up in awe of Jesus.

But most importantly in regards to Jesus’ “taking our hand” and leading us on, the icon shows Jesus:  1) fully naked, 2) in the water, which is a symbol both of life and death; and the icon shows Jesus 3) between heaven and earth.

First, Jesus is fully naked.  Though many icons of Jesus’ Baptism give him a small “modesty garment,” this particular icon follows the tradition of a naked Jesus.  In contrast to Adam and Eve, who after they had eaten of the apple hid and covered themselves, in this icon Jesus stands fully naked, as if to say, “I have nothing to hide.  I am fully human like you; I am fully human with you.  And I invite you to bring your entire self, so that all parts of you – including those parts in which you have experienced suffering and loss – [so that all parts of you] might be with me in the presence of my healing and redemption.”  

Second, Jesus stands in the water, which is a symbol both of life and death.  Though many icons of Jesus’ Baptism depict him standing maybe ankle deep, or even sometimes standing on the water, this icon shows Jesus standing immersed in the water.  By showing Jesus immersed in the water, the icon reminds us that Jesus is immersed in our world, that he has fully“signed on” to being with us, including to being with us in suffering and death.  By his Incarnation Jesus, as the song says, does indeed take our hand.  

Lastly, Jesus stands between heaven and earth.  Note how on the left side of the icon the earth is red, and it is where the people are.  On the right, the background is gold; it is where the angels are.  The icon depicts a journey from earth to heaven; and it goes through water, the symbol of life and death.  In this water Jesus stands – he is with us when these waters are death; and he leads us on to waters that are life.  By this journey the icon reminds us that our suffering needs not be static, that our suffering can lead somewhere.  For with Jesus, who stands ready to lead us on, there is always the possibility of movement, to transform these waters that are death to waters that give life.  Jesus leads us on in such a way that it is not, “Our journey has included suffering and now we are healed.”  Rather, he leads us on in such a way that, “It is at least in part because our journey has included suffering that now we are healed.”  As painful as suffering may be, as dark as our losses may seem, God can use our suffering and loss for good.  Recall how in Genesis God used Joseph’s being sold into slavery by his brothers to preserve life:  “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here,” Joseph told his brothers.  “For God sent me before you to preserve life”(Gen 45:5).  Though it may take years to see, God can use our suffering for good. When we take his hand, our Lord leads us on.

Today’s feast and icon of the Baptism of Our Lord speak to the question, “Where is God when we suffer?”  “Christ is with us,” they assert.  AND there is movement in our suffering, our feast and icon suggest, for Jesus leads us on. Jesus takes our hand and leads us on through the storm, through the night.  When our way grows drear, our precious Lord lingers near.  He takes our hand and leads us on a journey through these waters that are death so that we may find in him the place that is life. I will leave us with some of the song’s text:

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, Precious Lord,
Lead me home.
When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone.

At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand.  
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

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