January 12, 2020
Matthew 3:13-17
My first semester at Campbell University Divinity School began in January of 2015 and as a full-time student who was also working full-time, I took full advantage of the short 2-5 day intense classes offered each semester. Those classes were offered during the weeks everyone else was on break, like fall-break or spring-break, but when you are a non-traditional student, breaks are not something you experience.
At Campbell, I used those breaks to take courses with Dr. George Braswell, the founding director of the World Religions and Global Cultures Center at Campbell University. Dr. Braswell is a great man who had spent the majority of his adult life dedicated to being a missionary, teacher and professor. In fact, he was the first Christian Missionary sent to Iran all those years ago.
Well, world religions have fascinated me for some time and Dr. Braswell’s practicum classes provided a great way to feed this fascination. Those practicums allowed me to meet Rabbi Eric Solomon – the Jewish Rabbi I so often speak of from Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, North Carolina. On one particular filed trip to Beth Meyer, Rabbi Solomon took us on a little tour of the synagogue’s physical space and during that tour we came to a room, set apart from everything else – a room that housed a Mikveh. Now up to that point in my life I had never heard of a Mikveh, much less seen one.
How many of you have heard of a Mikveh? For those who have heard of a Mikveh, how would you describe it and what is its purpose?
When Rabbi Solomon spoke about it and its purpose there was a clear passion in his voice. He spoke of the Mikveh as though it was part of him and part of being a Jew. One might say he spoke about the Mikveh as he would speak of something he loves. I was so struck by this Jewish practice and tradition that over the years I’ve wanted to know more. Last Thursday, Rabbi Solomon and I spoke on the phone, and after first talking about the passing of my Dad and the health of his own parents, our conversation turned to the Mikveh.
I again found myself captivated as he began explaining the historical significance of the Mikveh. I learned more about why the Mikveh, and the practice of entering the waters of the Mikveh, are so important to the Jewish faith and culture. You see, the Mikveh and the practice of entering the water of the Mikveh represent so many things for Jews, both historically and still today.
While the reasons to enter the Mikveh are too numerous to list, more than anything else it seems, the Mikveh is about transitions. This can be a transition from one spiritual state to another, but it can also be from one life to another. For instance, in the ancient days when someone was transitioning from being a slave to being free they would enter the Mikveh. Now, our understanding of slavery is somewhat different from slaves of antiquity, because being called a slave in antiquity was a statement about one’s social class within that particular class system. So, there were countless people within that class of slaves who at some point moved up and when they did, they would first go to the Mikveh to transition into their free life.
Now Mikveh’s were also used for those choosing to convert to Judaism. They would enter the water of the Mikveh as part of their conversion process. In addition to entering the water they would typically recites prayers, as the entire experience was deeply spiritual.
I believe it is important for us to understand that the Christian practice of water baptism came from this Jewish practice of Mikveh. There is one aspect of the Jewish practice of Mikveh, though, that Christianity failed to include, which helped me better understand why Rabbi Solomon speaks about the Mikveh with such love. In the Jewish tradition and faith, entering the water of a Mikveh is not a one-time experience. In fact, there are no limitations on how many times or how many occasions one can enter the Mikveh and it is precisely because of this, and the encouragement a Jew gets from other Jews that being able to experience the cleansing water allows for deeper connection with this spiritual practice and allows for a deeper connection with their own spiritual journey.
I mean, could you imagine what it might be like for you to feel like you had free and unlimited access to the waters of baptism? Not that you don’t already, but I have not come across any Christians who use that water like the Jews use the Mikveh. Have you?
*************************************
So why all of this talk about the Mikveh and this Jewish practice? Well because I never want us to forget the fact that Jesus himself was a Jew and because he was a Jew, he would have been well acquainted with this practice of entering the waters of the Mikveh. And as I listened to Rabbi Solomon talk about the way transitions in life form at least one significant reason for Jews to take part in this practice, I began thinking a lot about this story in Matthew’s Gospel that we call the Baptism of Jesus.
The thing is, in our world, as we’ve come to understand it, Baptism has become a one-time practice. Within the Christian tradition, baptism happens in one of two ways:
Either way, your spiritual experience with water is reduced to a single instance. This makes me wonder if we have unknowingly deprived ourselves of a deeper spiritual connection by limiting our practices and thus limited our access to the spiritual renewal of water. In other words, what if as Christians we let the ancient Jewish practice of the Mikveh guide us just like they guided Jesus? What if our own water experiences were less about a single time and more about signs of transition? Might we be transformed?
Entering the waters of a Mikveh could symbolize a major change in someone’s life. During Jesus’ day “A Hebrew Yisraelite would often undergo a water Mikveh when they were faced with major changes or events in their life/lifestyle. It was used as a symbolic act of ENDING one phase of life and ENTERING INTO the next… symbolizing a fresh, clean start!”[1]
Some believe this type of transition, was one of several reasons Jesus of Nazareth committed Mikveh at the Jordan River under John’s supervision. For Jesus, this “Jordan River Mikveh was a Hebrew traditional Mikveh indicating a MAJOR change or event was taking place in His life at that time.”[2] You see, Jesus’ Jordan River Mikveh marked the end of Jesus the carpenter and the beginning of Jesus the Rabbi for this was the starting point of Jesus’ public ministry. The change of vocation was no doubt a major milestone, and as such there can be no doubt it was an event worthy of Mikveh. In fact, it was the Mikveh that served to symbolize change.
By placing the event of today’s Gospel, an event we have named Jesus’ Baptism, within the historical context of Jewish Mikveh, I believe this event takes on even greater significance. I believe by understanding Jesus’ baptism as one of Jesus’ Mikveh’s we are being offered a chance to more fully embrace the spiritual power this ancient Jewish practice has for us. Simply put, baptism doesn’t have to be a one-time thing. And sadly, when it is reduced to a single event there is a significant chance of losing its meaning.
The Mikveh of new beginnings can be priceless, but only when available for every new beginning.
*******************************
I recently read this story about a young man who sporadically attended youth group at the church his family had joined, but never really attended. One day at youth group the topic of baptism came up and during that conversation, or maybe because of that conversation many of the 9th grade members of that youth group decided to get baptized. Now at this church, making that decision was followed by multiple classes on baptism and its meaning and one on one time with adult church members who had agreed to serve as mentors and sponsors of their baptism candidate. Well, completing all of those requirements took a while, and this young man participated in all of it. Then came the day of his, and the other youths, baptism, and it was a wonderful day. Family was present to experience it. Gifts were given afterward, and pictures were taken. It was a wonderful day.
Then came the next Sunday and this young man was nowhere to be seen. Then the same thing happened the Sunday after that and the Sunday after that. In reaching out to make sure everything was OK and trying to figure out why the young man had stopped coming to church, the Pastor received this response, “Oh he is doing fine, but is there something else he needs to complete at church? We thought he had done everything and met all the requirements. Didn’t he have to do that before he could be baptized?”
You see, when we forget about, or have never been offered the chance to learn about historical context, or the ways in which modern day practices come from ancient practices, transformative power is so easily lost. Our Christian baptism comes from the ancient Jewish practice of Mikveh, a practice that both Jesus and John the Baptist would have been well acquainted with. A practice that didn’t just happen one time, but a practice that was always available and quite possible happened countless times. When we make others believe that Baptism is the end of one’s faith journey we have a problem and it seems far too many people today think that baptism is just that, then they are “done”. Matthew’s description of Jesus’ baptism tells us the opposite because this represents the start of Jesus’ public ministry.
I am so grateful to Rabbi Solomon for showing us the Mikveh that day. I am also eternally grateful for his willingness to teach me about its history and its significance within the Jewish faith for I believe it helps me to better understand Jesus and his actions. Maybe more than that, though, learning about Mikveh allows me to wonder about my own spiritual practices and how those practices might expand. The Jewish Mikveh is an ongoing limitless offering. We Christians would do well to take note so that we might allow the cleansing power of water to take part in our own spiritual development. Not once, but again and again and again.
[END BY OFFERING EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND PLACE HANDS IN THE WATER AND PRAY AS A SYMBOLIC CLEANSING, OR MAYBE AS A WAY TO MARK A TRANSITION, OR REMEMBER ONE’S OWN BAPTISM WHILE MARK SINGS GOD IS A RIVER]
AMEN!
[1] https://rymcovenant.net/understanding-the-hebrew-Mikveh-vs-baptism/
[2] Id
Matthew 3:13-17
My first semester at Campbell University Divinity School began in January of 2015 and as a full-time student who was also working full-time, I took full advantage of the short 2-5 day intense classes offered each semester. Those classes were offered during the weeks everyone else was on break, like fall-break or spring-break, but when you are a non-traditional student, breaks are not something you experience.
At Campbell, I used those breaks to take courses with Dr. George Braswell, the founding director of the World Religions and Global Cultures Center at Campbell University. Dr. Braswell is a great man who had spent the majority of his adult life dedicated to being a missionary, teacher and professor. In fact, he was the first Christian Missionary sent to Iran all those years ago.
Well, world religions have fascinated me for some time and Dr. Braswell’s practicum classes provided a great way to feed this fascination. Those practicums allowed me to meet Rabbi Eric Solomon – the Jewish Rabbi I so often speak of from Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, North Carolina. On one particular filed trip to Beth Meyer, Rabbi Solomon took us on a little tour of the synagogue’s physical space and during that tour we came to a room, set apart from everything else – a room that housed a Mikveh. Now up to that point in my life I had never heard of a Mikveh, much less seen one.
How many of you have heard of a Mikveh? For those who have heard of a Mikveh, how would you describe it and what is its purpose?
When Rabbi Solomon spoke about it and its purpose there was a clear passion in his voice. He spoke of the Mikveh as though it was part of him and part of being a Jew. One might say he spoke about the Mikveh as he would speak of something he loves. I was so struck by this Jewish practice and tradition that over the years I’ve wanted to know more. Last Thursday, Rabbi Solomon and I spoke on the phone, and after first talking about the passing of my Dad and the health of his own parents, our conversation turned to the Mikveh.
I again found myself captivated as he began explaining the historical significance of the Mikveh. I learned more about why the Mikveh, and the practice of entering the waters of the Mikveh, are so important to the Jewish faith and culture. You see, the Mikveh and the practice of entering the water of the Mikveh represent so many things for Jews, both historically and still today.
While the reasons to enter the Mikveh are too numerous to list, more than anything else it seems, the Mikveh is about transitions. This can be a transition from one spiritual state to another, but it can also be from one life to another. For instance, in the ancient days when someone was transitioning from being a slave to being free they would enter the Mikveh. Now, our understanding of slavery is somewhat different from slaves of antiquity, because being called a slave in antiquity was a statement about one’s social class within that particular class system. So, there were countless people within that class of slaves who at some point moved up and when they did, they would first go to the Mikveh to transition into their free life.
Now Mikveh’s were also used for those choosing to convert to Judaism. They would enter the water of the Mikveh as part of their conversion process. In addition to entering the water they would typically recites prayers, as the entire experience was deeply spiritual.
I believe it is important for us to understand that the Christian practice of water baptism came from this Jewish practice of Mikveh. There is one aspect of the Jewish practice of Mikveh, though, that Christianity failed to include, which helped me better understand why Rabbi Solomon speaks about the Mikveh with such love. In the Jewish tradition and faith, entering the water of a Mikveh is not a one-time experience. In fact, there are no limitations on how many times or how many occasions one can enter the Mikveh and it is precisely because of this, and the encouragement a Jew gets from other Jews that being able to experience the cleansing water allows for deeper connection with this spiritual practice and allows for a deeper connection with their own spiritual journey.
I mean, could you imagine what it might be like for you to feel like you had free and unlimited access to the waters of baptism? Not that you don’t already, but I have not come across any Christians who use that water like the Jews use the Mikveh. Have you?
*************************************
So why all of this talk about the Mikveh and this Jewish practice? Well because I never want us to forget the fact that Jesus himself was a Jew and because he was a Jew, he would have been well acquainted with this practice of entering the waters of the Mikveh. And as I listened to Rabbi Solomon talk about the way transitions in life form at least one significant reason for Jews to take part in this practice, I began thinking a lot about this story in Matthew’s Gospel that we call the Baptism of Jesus.
The thing is, in our world, as we’ve come to understand it, Baptism has become a one-time practice. Within the Christian tradition, baptism happens in one of two ways:
- When you are born your parents choose to have you baptized; or
- If that didn’t happen, then at some later point in time, you make a decision to be baptized.
Either way, your spiritual experience with water is reduced to a single instance. This makes me wonder if we have unknowingly deprived ourselves of a deeper spiritual connection by limiting our practices and thus limited our access to the spiritual renewal of water. In other words, what if as Christians we let the ancient Jewish practice of the Mikveh guide us just like they guided Jesus? What if our own water experiences were less about a single time and more about signs of transition? Might we be transformed?
Entering the waters of a Mikveh could symbolize a major change in someone’s life. During Jesus’ day “A Hebrew Yisraelite would often undergo a water Mikveh when they were faced with major changes or events in their life/lifestyle. It was used as a symbolic act of ENDING one phase of life and ENTERING INTO the next… symbolizing a fresh, clean start!”[1]
Some believe this type of transition, was one of several reasons Jesus of Nazareth committed Mikveh at the Jordan River under John’s supervision. For Jesus, this “Jordan River Mikveh was a Hebrew traditional Mikveh indicating a MAJOR change or event was taking place in His life at that time.”[2] You see, Jesus’ Jordan River Mikveh marked the end of Jesus the carpenter and the beginning of Jesus the Rabbi for this was the starting point of Jesus’ public ministry. The change of vocation was no doubt a major milestone, and as such there can be no doubt it was an event worthy of Mikveh. In fact, it was the Mikveh that served to symbolize change.
By placing the event of today’s Gospel, an event we have named Jesus’ Baptism, within the historical context of Jewish Mikveh, I believe this event takes on even greater significance. I believe by understanding Jesus’ baptism as one of Jesus’ Mikveh’s we are being offered a chance to more fully embrace the spiritual power this ancient Jewish practice has for us. Simply put, baptism doesn’t have to be a one-time thing. And sadly, when it is reduced to a single event there is a significant chance of losing its meaning.
The Mikveh of new beginnings can be priceless, but only when available for every new beginning.
*******************************
I recently read this story about a young man who sporadically attended youth group at the church his family had joined, but never really attended. One day at youth group the topic of baptism came up and during that conversation, or maybe because of that conversation many of the 9th grade members of that youth group decided to get baptized. Now at this church, making that decision was followed by multiple classes on baptism and its meaning and one on one time with adult church members who had agreed to serve as mentors and sponsors of their baptism candidate. Well, completing all of those requirements took a while, and this young man participated in all of it. Then came the day of his, and the other youths, baptism, and it was a wonderful day. Family was present to experience it. Gifts were given afterward, and pictures were taken. It was a wonderful day.
Then came the next Sunday and this young man was nowhere to be seen. Then the same thing happened the Sunday after that and the Sunday after that. In reaching out to make sure everything was OK and trying to figure out why the young man had stopped coming to church, the Pastor received this response, “Oh he is doing fine, but is there something else he needs to complete at church? We thought he had done everything and met all the requirements. Didn’t he have to do that before he could be baptized?”
You see, when we forget about, or have never been offered the chance to learn about historical context, or the ways in which modern day practices come from ancient practices, transformative power is so easily lost. Our Christian baptism comes from the ancient Jewish practice of Mikveh, a practice that both Jesus and John the Baptist would have been well acquainted with. A practice that didn’t just happen one time, but a practice that was always available and quite possible happened countless times. When we make others believe that Baptism is the end of one’s faith journey we have a problem and it seems far too many people today think that baptism is just that, then they are “done”. Matthew’s description of Jesus’ baptism tells us the opposite because this represents the start of Jesus’ public ministry.
I am so grateful to Rabbi Solomon for showing us the Mikveh that day. I am also eternally grateful for his willingness to teach me about its history and its significance within the Jewish faith for I believe it helps me to better understand Jesus and his actions. Maybe more than that, though, learning about Mikveh allows me to wonder about my own spiritual practices and how those practices might expand. The Jewish Mikveh is an ongoing limitless offering. We Christians would do well to take note so that we might allow the cleansing power of water to take part in our own spiritual development. Not once, but again and again and again.
[END BY OFFERING EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND PLACE HANDS IN THE WATER AND PRAY AS A SYMBOLIC CLEANSING, OR MAYBE AS A WAY TO MARK A TRANSITION, OR REMEMBER ONE’S OWN BAPTISM WHILE MARK SINGS GOD IS A RIVER]
AMEN!
[1] https://rymcovenant.net/understanding-the-hebrew-Mikveh-vs-baptism/
[2] Id
