Apr282025
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The Ancient Victory Parade

If you read the Psalms, you will understand the ancients did not like being under the waves and for good reason. People above the waves in a boat cannot hear you or see you. There are two things you cannot do underwater. You cannot call for help, and you cannot breathe. This is the place where death is victorious. But let’s say the reason you are under water is because John the Baptist is baptizing you. He will pull you out of the water. The first thing you will do, besides giving John a bear hug, is to fill your lungs with air. When you do that, it means that death did not win. You were victorious over death. This is the meaning of the sacrament of Baptism. That is a nice thought, and our Baptism is a nice gesture and ritual, but it does it really mean “death lost?” It does, and here is why. When the Father rescued Jesus from death, the first thing Jesus did was to fill his lungs with air. He then went over to his disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you,” which means may you enjoy a long life, and then he gave them the resurrected exhale.

When the victorious king or emperor returned home from a successful military campaign, the city would give him a victory parade. It was the Emperor’s opportunity to show off all of the booty, the spoils of war, and the riches which he collected from conquered cities. Not only did he display the goodies, but he would also distribute them. That is not like the modern-day Super Bowl victory parade, where the spectators get nothing. In the ancient world, you would get rich.

Following the ancient tradition, Jesus, the victorious king, returns to his subjects, shows them the evidence of the victory, and then He shares with them the spoils. That is why the first words we will hear after we die will most likely be, “Shalom–peace be with you.” “Now, enjoy your long life.” 

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