Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

 

January 17, 2021

Feast of St. Anthony, Abbot

Readings:

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3: 3b-10, 19

Psalm 40 “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6: 13c-15a, 17-20

Gospel reading according to John 1: 35-42

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Homily:

John′s ministry (baptism and preaching of repentance) and time are about to end and to be replaced by the mission of Jesus, the Lamb of God, whom John called him.  “John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‵Behold, the Lamb of God‵.” (John 1: 35-36).  While standing and ready to relieve from his tasks, and looking at Jesus walking, along with his two disciples, Andrew and the unnamed one, he pointed and said to them the “Lamb of God.”  Why did John call Jesus the Lamb of God? What does it mean the Lamb of God? Lamb of God (in Greek: Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, romanized: Amnòs toû Theoû; in Latin: Agnus Deī [ˈaɲus ˈde. i]) “is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." It appears again in John 1:36” (https://www.google.com/search?=lamb+of+god).  The theme Lamb of God in the Christian doctrine “holds that a divine Jesus chose to suffer crucifixion at Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his divine Father, as an "agent and servant of God" in carrying away the sins of the world.  In  Christian theology the Lamb of God is viewed as both foundational and integral to the message of Christianity. A lion-like lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the Book of Revelation. It is also referred to in Pauline writings; I Corinthians 5:7 suggests that Saint Paul intends to refer to the death of Jesus, who is the Paschal Lamb, using the theme found in Johannine writings. The lamb metaphor is also in line with Psalm 23, which depicts God as a shepherd leading his flock (mankind)” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_of_God).  The first thing John does is what he’s been doing all along – drawing our attention to who Jesus is.  Once again he proclaims in a loud voice, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  John cannot deny to his two disciples the coming of the new leader who will lead the flock (humankind) to a new way of life and to God whom he served faithfully. 

When the two disciples of John also saw Jesus and heard from John that Jesus is the one they are waiting for and he is the Messiah (Christ, the Anointed One), what do these disciples of John do? They left John and followed Jesus, for Jesus is the one who will teach them about the Reign-Kingdom of God and many others. They leave John and go after Jesus.  “The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‵What are you looking for?′ They said to him, ‵Rabbi′ – which translated means Teacher – ‵where are you staying?′  He said to them, ‵Come, and you will see.′  So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him than day.  It was about four in the afternoon” (John 1: 37-39).  When Jesus sensed that he was followed, he turned and saw the two disciples of John, and he asked them why they were following him, what they are looking for?  Instead of asking: Are you the one we are waiting for? Are you the Messiah (Christ)? Are you the Son of God? Why did John call Jesus Lamb of God?  Instead they asked him where you are staying.  He said to them, “Come and see.” It is like he is saying, “Come with me and see for yourself.  Learn about who I am and what I am like by being with me.” The two disciples came with him and remained with him that day.  This is something everyone is invited to do: to remain with Jesus, to know him personally.  It was four o′clock in the afternoon when they separated.

Immediately, Andrew looked for his brother Simon to share to him what they discovered.  “Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.  He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‵We have found the Messiah′ – which is translated Christ.  Then he brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, ‵You are Simon the Son of John, you will be called Cephas′ – which is translated Peter” (John 1: 40-42).  Andrew, one o the two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus looked at once to Simon, his brother.  He told him that they found the Messiah.  Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him with tender love and afterwards he remained Simon to Peter (Cephas), which means solid Rock.  How about us, when we found Jesus, do we bring our family members, friends, and neighbors to him?  Do we introduce him to them after finding where he was staying and staying with him?   In coming and seeing Jesus, we are willing to investigate, to ask, and consider who Jesus is.  While the invitation of Jesus is something personal, but after coming and seeing we also invite others to come and see him; nevertheless it is up to us to come and see.  May we find in our lives where Jesus was staying by coming, following and seeing the truth and the reality of Jesus.