Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

 

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Jn 1:29-34]

15.01.2023

Jesus is the Lamb of God

Readings: (1) Is 49:3.5-6 (2) 1 Cor 1:1-3

1.   Theme in brief

Conquering evil by sacrifice

2.   Focus Statement

We are called to continue the mission of Jesus, the Chosen Servant of God, who served humanity to the point of offering himself like a sacrificial lamb in order to conquer evil of the world.

3.   Explanation of the text

In today’s gospel text, we notice John (the Baptist) testifying to Jesus by proclaiming his identity and mission. He does this under four different titles or designations: 

(1) Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:29): This title refers to the paschal lamb slaughtered by the Jews during the feast of Passover in the temple of Jerusalem in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. But John attributes to this Passover (or Paschal) Lamb Jesus’ mission of taking away the sin of the world (1:29). Actually, as per Jewish faith, Passover lamb did not have such a power. This shows that John connects his idea of Jesus as Paschal Lamb with other texts of the OT, especially with the Suffering Servant of Yahweh who suffers “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter” in atonement for our sins (Is 53:7). Jesus “takes away the sin of the world” by taking upon himself our sins or by wiping away our sins by his sacrificial death.

(2) Jesus is the Pre-existent One, that is, the one who was before the Baptist (1:30): Though John was physically born before Jesus, Jesus existed before him as he was the Word who was with God from the beginning (1:2). Though John knew Jesus as his relative (cousin), he did not know his divine origin and mission fully. It was revealed to him by the Father at the time of his baptism.

(3) Jesus is the Bearer of the Holy Spirit who descends on him like a dove (1:32): As foretold by the prophets (Is 11:2), the Spirit of the Lord descends on Jesus and rests on him or remains with him. This perpetual abiding of the Spirit makes Jesus the source of the Holy Spirit, who is like a spring of water gushing up to eternal life (4:14). Being possessed by the Spirit, Jesus is able to baptize people with the Holy Spirit, so that they too can be possessed by the same Spirit. The descent of the Spirit like a dove implies that he is empowered by the Spirit to purify the world from sin or evil and bring renewal, peace and reconciliation among people, just as the dove in Noah’s time signified this with a green olive leaf in its beak (Gen 8:11).

(4) Jesus is the Son of God: John confesses Jesus as the Son of God, or according to other manuscripts as the Chosen One of God (1:34). Thus, John indicates that the Son of God becomes the chosen Servant of God to bring justice to the nations as foretold by prophet Isaiah (42:1). In other words, Jesus is the Servant of God (who serves humanity) to the point of sacrificing himself on the cross in order to conquer evil of the world.

4.   Application to life 

In today’s gospel, John identifies the mission of Jesus with that of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh mentioned by Isaiah (53:1-7). As per Isaiah, the Suffering Servant faces all suffering, rejection, humiliation and oppression silently like the sacrificial lamb that is led to the slaughter in Jewish Passover feast’s ritual.

This understanding of Jesus’ mission can have any of the following implications for our lives:

(1) Like Jesus we are called to take away/ overcome/ eliminate/ fight against sin and evil in the world. For example, parents, teachers and elders should contemplate how to fight and overcome tendencies of aggressiveness, hatred, violence, dishonesty and corruption unconsciously injected into children due to their exposure to the mass media. Our society needs to question seriously whether during ethnic and communal conflicts paying back violence with violence solves any of the problems. Jesus himself was a victim of violence who suffered violence against him like a sacrificial lamb to give us the example of suffering when we cannot overcome it in spite of all our human means or best efforts.

(2) Like Jesus we are called to carry the burden of our own and the world’s (others’) sins. Sometimes we have to suffer because of others’ sins. For example, today, there are some parents who suffer terribly because of their children who turn out to be alcoholics, drug-addicts, delinquents, criminals, or enter into illegal or illicit marriages. Their faith in Jesus the Lamb of God can only give meaning to their mental agony.

(3) Like Jesus we become ‘sacrificial lambs’ when we make sacrifices and undergo suffering in order to fight/ eliminate evil in the world or try to purify the world from evil. Are we not inspired by the example of those who suffer a lot when they stand for justice, human rights, honesty, etc.? They are like sacrificial lambs who are fighting to take away the sins of the world.

(4) Like Jesus we are called to continue the mission of Christ, the Lamb of God, by our solidarity with the suffering and the oppressed people of the world by becoming sacrificial lambs for their cause. Whenever we support people or groups who fight for social justice, oppressive social or political systems, oppose social evils, we may be branded as traitors, betrayers, anti-nationals or unpatriotic, etc. Jesus invites us to take upon ourselves the agony of the poor, the suffering and the oppressed.

(5) We have to give witness to Christ before a world of contrary opinions that justify evil by returning good for evil and by our care for those who are not cared for.

Like John the Baptist, we are called to give witness to Christ by making sacrifices so that others may live. To take away sin or evil from society, to eradicate or to fight against evil practices and unjust structures, like Jesus we may have to undergo suffering, criticism, opposition, threats and humiliation. Whenever we make sacrifices and face opposition to liberate the world from evil, we give witness to Christ. We sometimes may feel as if we are sacrificial lambs meant for a slaughterhouse when we oppose social evils or do not compromise with it. Our silent suffering and patient humiliation like Jesus, the Suffering Servant, to take away evil is a wonderful testimony for Christ and his mission. We become counter-witness to Christ when we tolerate all the evil, corruption and injustice of the world out of fear of displeasing others or being disliked/ opposed by them. Sometimes tolerate evil to avoid sacrifices and challenges involved in tackling social evils.

We can distinguish between two types of sufferings in our lives: (1) those which come without asking (like illness, natural calamities, etc.), (2) and those which we voluntarily embrace out of love for others or for society/ the Church/ Christ’s mission. As Christ willingly and voluntarily embraced his cross, did we any time voluntarily and willingly suffer for others, out of sheer love for them? Those of us who are highly motivated and committed for the service of the poor, eradication of social evils, solidarity with the downtrodden and care of the outcasts and the rejected have to voluntarily embrace crosses of criticism, opposition, rejection, humiliation and intimidation.

Besides, we can distinguish between two types of services: (1) those which we have to render out of compulsion, like our daily work and household chores, and (2) those which we willingly and voluntarily take up for the good of those who are in need of our love. Since any service requires sacrifices, voluntary service will lead to voluntary suffering – not out of compulsion, but out of choice for a cause or for doing good for the needy. One of the reasons why we fail to get involved in any community service could be our unwillingness to make sacrifices – either of time or energies and resources.  One of the importance services parents, especially fathers, fail to render is the sacrifice of their time for guiding and directing their children in righteousness and character. In our families sometimes we expect others to serve us at our beck and call, but fail to give the best of our time, abilities and capacities for the welfare of the family. In many of us there is a tendency to escape from service to the society or the Church if there is no monitory or prestige reward.

We have to always say like John the Baptist that we really do not know God’s ways. Like him, we are called to discover who Jesus is in our life with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us to discover God’s designs as we seek answers to these questions: Is there any meaning in life? Why there is so much suffering in the world? Can this world groaning with pain of so much violence and the poison of hatred – ethnic, linguistic, religious, racial – be redeemed?

All of us are baptized not only with water but with the Holy Spirit. This implies that we are possessed by the Spirit and are led by him to continue Jesus’ service to the poor, the sick and the suffering. If we are not sensitive to the needs of these people, how can we and others claim that we are filled with the Spirit? The Spirit makes us sensitive to a continual self-purification and empowers us to fight a good fight to purify human society from evil. We need to examine whether there were occasions when we became insensitive to the presence of the Spirit in us and became deaf to his promptings.

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we willingly undergo suffering and humiliation to take away others’ sins? Do we bring up children in modern comfort culture without teaching them the values of sacrifice, which involves giving up of our personal comforts for the welfare of others? Do we give witness to Christ by making sacrifices to liberate the world from evil and corruption? Do we compromise with evil and immoral ways of the world in order to avoid inconvenience and displeasure of people? Do we cultivate a ‘culture of silence’ when we should open our mouth to speak what is right or show our disapproval of evil ways? Do we open our hearts and minds to the promptings of the Spirit so that we become sensitive to the needs of the poor and are attuned to the cries of the suffering?

6.   A prayer

Jesus, from the day of your baptism till death, you remained faithful to your mission as the Suffering Servant of God. You served humanity to the point of sacrificing yourself like a sacrificial lamb to conquer evil of the world. We feel sorry for the times we were unwilling to face criticism, opposition and humiliation to take away evil in our society. Sometimes, instead of fighting evil we compromised with it, out of fear of rejection, criticism and opposition. Sometimes we became insensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us and became deaf to his voice. We ask your forgiveness for these failures. Grant that we may discover more and more your presence in all people, especially among the poor, the sick, the suffering and the marginalized with the enlightenment of Holy Spirit. Amen.