The crowd parted, and he approached the water’s edge.
John beheld him with sudden and certain recognition. You’ve come!
Yes. I am here to be immersed by you.
John hesitated, his fevered eyes boring deep into the eyes of this man. But it is for you that I have been waiting.
Yeshua closed his eyes for a moment, softly taking in a breath of air. This brought clarity to the moment, to this meeting. When he opened his eyes, he smiled. I am here for your gift. I am here to be immersed, to sanctified by your service.
Surely, said John, feet firmly planted in the river, the roles should be reversed. I crave your blessing, cousin!
You are blessed and you are blessing. I come to be immersed by you, to be renewed and sanctified toward the fulfillment of my own calling.
While they were speaking, soft white clouds had gathered overhead, offering the people a coolness and shade from the warmth of the midday sun.
He didn’t know why, but tears gathered in John’s eyes. He felt a profound sense of being at a time and place before time and places, within a presence greater than any standing here at the riverbank. This was meant to be, and he knew it, and he was humbled.
He reached out his hand.
Come to the water.
Yeshua dropped his cloak and bag on the embankment, stepped down into the water and waded to where John stood.
Tell us what you want to turn away from. Then, fall backward into my arms. I will dunk you under the water, and you shall rise up, clean in body, mind and spirit, in thought, word and deed. This is how you let the holy one know you are awake to your calling.
Yeshua spoke only one word. Pachad, he said, as he let himself go into John’s arms.
And John whispered in his ear, as he gently lowered him into the river, Be not afraid.
And then a gentle sprinkling of rain fell from the puffy clouds on all who were gathered there.
And then the clouds opened to reveal the fullness of the sun.
And then all were suddenly bathed in rainbow colors.
And then John lifted him up into the marvelous light.
© 2020 by Elisabeth T. Eliassen and songsofasouljourney.blogspot.com
A brief note about my literary exploration of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth: I have undertaken this exercise having read, sung (in several languages), meditated and prayed on the contents of the Synoptic Gospels (as well as the Non-Synoptic Gospels) for at least 45 years. In that time, I’ve accumulated a bit of a library (which comes as no surprise to those who know me), and I try to follow modern scholarship. Here is a partial list of the authors and books that come to mind as I write these episodes:
Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015
Erdman, Bart, various titles
Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991
Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991
Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019
Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html
Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011
Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011
Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings
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