The Parts of our Personality
Dear Sutton & Savannah,
There is so much joy in watching your kids (our grandkids) grow. Even at this point, where you are still counting their age by weeks, their personality begins to form in such unique ways.
There are so many parts that comprise a person’s personality. I feel like the reading for today provides an opportunity to explore various parts of ourselves by seeing the characters of the story as emblematic of aspects of our personality. For example, John preaches a message of judgement. Can you identify a part of you that has a voice of judgement? Jesus comes with a message of redemption. Do you ever hear a voice of redemption inside of you? Let’s see where the story takes us.
I sure do love you, -Dad
Year A
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Second Sunday of Advent - December 7
Isaiah 11:1-10 / Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 / Romans 15:4-13 / Matthew 3:1-12
Summary of Matthew 3:1-12
This passage introduces John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus’ ministry. John appears in the wilderness of Judea, preaching a message of repentance. Matthew identifies him as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
John lives an austere life, wearing camel’s hair clothing with a leather belt, and eating locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, Judea, and the surrounding region come to him, confessing their sins and being baptized in the Jordan River.
John harshly rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees. He warns them not to rely on their status as Abraham’s descendants, but to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. John contrasts his baptism of water for repentance to the greater baptism of Jesus which is with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Scripture as a Mirror of the Soul
This weeks reading introduces us to the ministry of John the Baptist. John is a dramatic character, whose words match the exotic nature of his lifestyle. He is provocative, even divisive. This passage, as well as this character, serve to introduce the ministry of the Christ. This passage provides a wonderful image of the nature of the prophetic voice, which is both forth-telling (the salvation message) as well as fore-telling (the anticipation of the work of Jesus). The problem with being a prophet is that they often get stoned (figuratively and literally).
The passage sets the stage for Jesus. An argument could be made that the point of these few verses is the baptism of Jesus by water and by the Holy Spirit, followed by the affirmation of the Father. But it is also worth exploring the nature of the prophetic voice as an expression of personality, and the inward nature of the work of Jesus in burning away “the chaff.”
If we begin with the premise that all of us have within us different parts of our personality, then we might be led to ask the question, “how do these parts of ourselves grow, stay healthy, and work with the other parts to enable us to flourish?” In other words, how do we increase our self awareness and uncover the richness of the soul?
These parts seem to have some consistency across humanity, but they also seem to be subjectively formed by each person’s experience, reflection and genetic makeup. For example, each of us seems to have aspects of ourselves that reflect a masculine perspective or voice and a feminine perspective or voice. We also tend to have parts that seem neither masculine nor feminine, but rather androgynous. There are parts of us which seem rather undeveloped and may come across like an infant, a child or an adolescent. We might have a part that dominates and another part that mostly stays silent until called upon. This type of framework raises questions about scripture which we may have never before asked.
John the Baptist speaks with a prophetic voice. In psychological terms it would be called the dynamic feminine voice. That voice or part of a person tends to be deeply connected to an intuitive sense. It comes to conclusions not necessarily by facts and logic, but rather by sensing something is true. John senses the truth in his cousin Jesus and courageously proclaims it.
At the same time John has a strong masculine approach. He lives in the wilderness, wears animal skins and demands a decision or choice. The way he integrates the two very different parts of himself draws a crowd from across the countryside, and sets the stage for the coming Christ.
A traditional approach to this passage might be to ask if there are sins for which I need to repent. Or to consider if being baptized would be the next appropriate step in declaring a commitment to the Kingdom of God. And if that resonates with you, great. However, how might this passage lead toward the inner journey? Here are some questions that might be derived from the text and lead to inward reflections:
What might the prophetic voice within me want to change in me so that the way of Christ could come to pass in me?
What part of me might resemble the Pharisees and Sadducees? (Appearing religious, but no evidence of love. Following the rules, but not the spirit behind the laws.)
Can I identify a judgmental voice inside of me? When is it helpful? When is it counterproductive? Can I identify a redemptive voice inside of me? Is it easy or hard to listen to that voice?