A Complete Unknown
Sermon by Pr. Craig Mueller on the Baptism of Our Lord + Sunday, January 12, 2025
When I think of a spotlight I first think of Zoom. If there are nine people online, each with their own little Brady Bunch boxes, the host can spotlight one person when they are speaking. The whole group can then give their attention to a larger version of the person being spotlighted.
Some people like being in the spotlight. They like the attention. Some live to receive the praise and accolades of adoring fans. Others would prefer to stay out of the spotlight. It is stressful to have too much attention on them.
Each gospel spotlights Jesus’s premiere in a different way—his entrance into public life. For John it will be Jesus’ first miracle at Cana, the text for next week. Two weeks from today, we will hear Luke’s version of Jesus’ first sermon in which he reads from a synagogue scroll and proclaims that the words are being fulfilled then and there. But all four gospels spotlight Jesus’ baptism as a defining event as Jesus begins his public ministry. Jesus comes on the scene as a complete unknown. With a divine voice from heaven, Jesus is proclaimed God’s beloved son and anointed for ministry.
A Complete Unknown is the provocative name of the movie that came out on Christmas Day about Bob Dylan. How many of you have seen it? You don’t expect to hear sports references in sermons here, and certainly not Bob Dylan!
Dylan, a complete unknown, a boy from northern Minnesota, shows up in New York City at age 20. I can’t say I am a Dylan fan or have any of his albums, but the story is fascinating. Dylan is considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Early in the movie Dylan encounters people I have heard of, but couldn’t say a lot about: Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez. Soon Dylan becomes a folk music sensation. The movie spotlights Dylan as complex and compelling. His talent is astounding, one-of-a-kind, but also leads to loneliness and isolation. As time goes by, Dylon grows more entrapped by fame, by the music industry, and by the expectations of others.
When researching Dylan’s spiritual life, I learned it is as complicated as he is, and has fluctuated between his Jewish roots and a Christian faith that seems to be more about Jesus than organized religion. Many of his songs have religious themes and energies. According to one of his lifelong friends “Dylan knows what he has is a gift from God and he’s the conduit. He doesn’t feel that he should be taking the credit for it.”
Where does the spotlight belong? What is talent for? What are our gifts for? The folk music scene idolized Dylan, yet he rejected the worship and the worshipers, as one writer put it. Dylan would rather be a “complete unknown,” without the spotlight on him, true to his gift, than a celebrity who isn’t.
As Jesus enters the scene, the people are filled with expectation. Jesus enters as a complete unknown. What we may miss is that this baptismal scene in the Jordan was embarrassing for the early church. Why would Jesus, considered sinless, need to be baptized by John? John certainly puts the spotlight on Jesus: “I must decrease, he must increase.”
Consider this! This controversial baptism puts the spotlight on us in a way. Jesus aligns with us. Becomes one with us. Identifies with us. Humanity. In all its messiness. In all its chaos. In all its sinfulness.
Jesus’ ministry will not be about himself. About ego. About the number of miracles. About accolades and praise. Jesus will always put the spotlight on others. And especially in Luke, the spotlight will be on the poor, on women, on those on the margins. Jesus’ mission will be release to the captives. Recovery of sight to the blind. Freedom for the oppressed. The spotlight of his heart will be on those completely unknown, those forgotten in history, those without voice or agency. To these unknowns, Jesus will proclaim the good news.
Amid the exhausting and overwhelming news of politics, wildfires and other climate disasters, I was moved by the tributes at the funeral for Jimmy Carter. It is easy to be nostalgic for less partisan times but for a moment the mood was calm and serious. Funerals cause us to face mortality, for sure. But the spotlight on Jimmy Carter revealed someone with character, who lived his faith through in word and deed. A life of integrity and decency. A humble man who truly put the spotlight not himself but others.
As we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we reflect on our own baptismal call, our vocation, our God-given gifts and passions. May spiritual growth be more than a new year’s resolution. Let it be priority.
A spiritual writer notes that Bob Dylan’s complex and complicated life story reveals that all of us are a mystery. With layers of stories and experiences, some known, but most unknown, even unconscious. Dylan would not let others define him. His story gives us courage to not let the expectations of others set our agenda. We can’t miss the brokenness of Dylan’s life as a famous artist, but we all face inner struggles. We all long for healing. We are all seeking meaning and connection. We are all searching for something beyond ourselves
The movie may shine the spotlight on Dylan and other famous celebrities. It also invites us to navigate our own brokenness and the injustices around us. Even as we remain open to redemption and transformation.2
I suspect that you or I will not have the fame of Bob Dylan, Jimmy Carter, or other celebrities or political figures. Yet the light of Christ shines in and through you. A divine beam brings a heavenly voice that declares you God’s beloved child, with whom God is well pleased. You are given one precious life. Use wisely your gifts and talents. For the good of others and the good of the earth.
From the baptismal font the spotlight is now on you. Not to be intimidating. But as a gracious invitation. You are now the light of Christ for our dark and weary world.
https://media.benedictine.edu/bob-dylan-movie-a-complete-unknown-is-a-meditation-on-god-given-talent
