Sermon 11th Jan 26: “If you want to catch someone’s attention, Whisper”

42:1-9 Ps 29 Acts 10:34-43 Mt 3:13-17

“If you want to catch someone’s attention, Whisper”

Our readings today have the twin themes of proclamation and justice. Isaiah prophecies the servant who fulfils God’s previously proclaimed promise and who brings justice by proclamation without raising his voice, in word and action.

The voice of God, which causes strong responses in creation, is praised in Psalm 29.

In Acts, Peter’s proclamation of the Gospel is the focus, and he points people to Jesus’ own message, proclaimed and demonstrated in words and acts of compassion and justice.

In the encounter with John, Jesus proclaims that what they do is in fulfilment of righteousness (what God requires) and then God proclaims Christ to be God’s well-beloved son, in whom God delights.

Our theme for today is “If you want to catch someone’s attention, Whisper.” When we think of significant moments, we often expect noise.

We expect fanfare, spectacle, raised voices, even fireworks. We expect celebration. Surely the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry – the moment when God reveals who Jesus really is – would be dramatic and unmistakable.

Yet, what strikes us in today’s readings, and especially in the story of Jesus’ baptism, is just how quiet it all is.

There is no fanfare, no glitz, and no loud, forceful declarations. No crowds are summoned, no announcement is made to the authorities, no display designed to impress or overwhelm. God’s affirmation of Christ, and the ministry of Jesus, are all rather quiet and subdued. This does not mean that proclamation does not happen, but that the proclamation of the Gospel happens less through loud, dramatic displays and more through gentle, quiet, ordinary encounters.

Jesus steps quietly into the Jordan River. John hesitates, reluctantly agrees, and baptises him. The Spirit descends like a dove. A voice speaks – not to the world at large, but seemingly only to Jesus.

This is not the loud proclamation we might expect. And yet, it is a proclamation nonetheless – deep, powerful, and world-changing.

1. Jesus Steps into the Water

Matthew tells us that John is uncomfortable. He has been baptising people as a sign of repentance, calling them to turn their lives around. And now Jesus appears.

John knows the irony: “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus’ response is gentle and firm:

“Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.”

Jesus does not argue his status. He does not insist on being recognised. He does not separate himself from the people.

Instead, he steps into the water with them.

This is Jesus’ first act of proclamation: solidarity.

Before Jesus teaches, before he heals, before he challenges injustice, he identifies fully with human life — with its messiness, vulnerability, and longing for change.

God’s reign does not begin with distance, but with presence.

2. The Servant Who Does Not Raise His Voice

This quiet beginning echoes Isaiah’s vision of God’s servant:

“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street.”

This servant brings justice — but not by crushing the weak or shouting above others. Justice comes gently, faithfully, persistently.

That is exactly what we see at Jesus’ baptism.

There is proclamation here — but not through raised voices or dramatic display. It is proclamation through obedience, humility, and trust in God.

In a world that equates power with noise and influence with volume, this is deeply countercultural.

3. The Voice of the Lord

And yet, this does not mean that God is silent.

Psalm 29 reminds us:

“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”

God’s voice shakes the wilderness, breaks the cedars, and brings creation to attention.

But at the Jordan, that powerful voice speaks quietly and personally:

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

It is not broadcast. It is not weaponised. It is not used to dominate.

It is affirmation — spoken into relationship.

And immediately after this moment, Jesus is led not into acclaim, but into the wilderness. The pattern is clear: affirmation, then quiet faithfulness.

4. Witnesses, Not Shouters

In Acts, Peter reflects on Jesus’ life and ministry and says:

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power… he went about doing good.”

Peter doesn’t describe Jesus as someone who shouted loudly about God’s reign. Instead, Jesus embodied it — in acts of compassion, healing, inclusion, and justice.

Peter also reminds his listeners that they are witnesses. Not spectators. Not commentators. Witnesses — people who have seen something and now live in response to it.

The proclamation of the Gospel is entrusted to people — not just in words, but in lives shaped by what they have seen and experienced.

5. Quiet Proclamation Still Changes the World

There was once an advertisement on South African television that began with the words: “If you want to catch someone’s attention, whisper.”

That line captures something essential about today’s readings.

I remember when I was a young 20 year old doing a three week teaching prac in a primary school in East London in South Africa, the teacher I was being supervised by called in sick that day. I arrived at school to find out that I was to have the class on my own. This was the first time I had ever taught a class unsupervised. That, in itself, was daunting except that I had woken up with Laryngitis. My principal and lecturer thought I should be able to manage that, teaching a class without a voice. Thirty-six children who weren’t exactly little angels. As the children started arriving and the class started to fill up the noise levels rose and I wondered how I was going to get them under control. In a quiet voice with an odd squeak of a sound I started talking and lo and behold the class started quietening down. To my surprise, it was the most well-behaved class I had ever taught. In order for them to hear anything they had to all be quiet. We had a wonderful day and the lesson for me was that you don’t need to make much noise to be heard. In fact, “If you want to catch someone’s attention, Whisper.”

Although the baptism of Jesus may sound dramatic, Matthew suggests it was actually a quiet moment. There is no evidence that the crowd saw the dove or heard the voice. And immediately after this, Jesus disappears into the wilderness — into seclusion and prayer.

And yet, this quiet beginning changes everything.

The same is true for us.

In a world saturated with noise — loud opinions, public displays of religion, political posturing, and endless commentary — people often become deaf. Perhaps what our world needs is not louder Christian voices, but truer Christian lives.

When justice is lived quietly. When compassion is practiced consistently. When dignity is given without expectation of return. When love is enacted day after day.

Then something changes.

When my neighbours experience fairness and kindness through me; when my values, ethics, and generosity reflect God’s reign; when grace is lived more than spoken —

the world becomes a little more whole.

And when many people live this way, the impact grows.

6. Putting Our Baptism into Practice

The baptism of Jesus invites us first to listen — to hear God’s proclamation of who Jesus is and what God delights in.

But then it sends us out as proclaimers.

Not necessarily with raised voices. Not with slogans or billboards. But with lives shaped by quiet faithfulness.

What might it mean for us, as a community of faith, to practise this kind of proclamation in our neighbourhood?

To offer grace without strings attached. To stand for justice without self-righteousness. To love persistently, gently, and publicly — without spectacle.

Perhaps this is what it means to take our baptism seriously.

As St Francis famously said:

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

Conclusion: Standing Where Jesus Stands

At the Jordan River, God reveals a profound truth.

God’s reign comes quietly. God’s justice is gentle but unstoppable. God’s beloved Son stands in the water with the people.

May we be inspired to live lives of quiet proclamation — listening deeply, acting justly, loving faithfully — and trusting that God is at work, even when there is no applause.

Amen.

Let us spend a moment in quiet reflection listening to what God has to say to us through the message today.

Closing Prayer

Loving and gracious God, we thank you for the gift of your Son, who did not shout for attention, but stepped quietly into the waters with your people.

Thank you for the voice that named Jesus as beloved, and for the Spirit who descended not in force, but in gentleness and peace.

Help us to listen for your voice amid the noise of our world. Help us to trust that your kingdom comes not only through bold words, but through faithful lives.

As those who are baptised into Christ, shape us to be people of quiet proclamation — seeking justice without cruelty, offering compassion without condition, loving without expectation of reward.

Send us into our neighbourhoods and daily lives as witnesses to what we have seen and experienced:

your grace at work, your love made real, your Spirit moving still.

May our words be few, our actions be faithful, and our lives reflect the One in whom you delight, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.