Behold the Lamb of God

01-19-2020Weekly ReflectionFather Prince Raja

Today we begin the ordinary season of the year. Today's readings tell us about the identity of Jesus, who he is and what his mission is. We need to know who Jesus is and understand his mission if we want to be his true disciples. A disciple is one who knows and understands the master and follows him closely. Every good disciple is also an apostle who proclaims the good news of the master. In the Gospel of today we have John the Baptist fulfilling his role as a witness and proclaiming to people that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

The lamb is the symbol of gentleness, sacrifice and triumph. The lamb is said to be a harmless animal and is so innocent that it will even lick the hand that is raised to slaughter it. Jesus is that gentle and humble person, who said that he is truly meek and humble of heart. Why does John call Jesus a lamb? It seems like such a soft symbol. Is John saying Jesus is cute and cuddly? Not at all. Anyone at the time of Jesus would know immediately the significance of a lamb. Lambs were associated with sacrifice. In the temple of Jerusalem lambs were killed to atone for the sins of Israel. So when John calls Jesus a lamb, he is pointing to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. A sacrifice which we believe atones for our sins and reconciles us to God. But what makes Jesus' sacrifice effective is not that it is bloody but that it is motivated by love. And so calling Jesus a lamb is pointing to Jesus' sacrificial love by which we are saved. We are called to imitate Jesus action, to live with sacrificial love.

A tourist visited a Church in Werner, Germany and was surprised to see the carved figure of a lamb carved on the bell tower of the church. He asked why it was there and was told that when the bell tower of the church was being built, a workman fell from a high scaffold. His co-workers rushed down, expecting to find him dead. But to their surprise and joy, he was alive and only slightly injured. How did he survive? A flock of sheep was passing beneath the tower at the time, and he landed on top of a lamb. The lamb broke his fall and was crushed to death, but the man was saved. To commemorate that miraculous escape, a fellow stone artist carved a lamb on the tower at the exact height from which the workman had fallen. This statue of the lamb expresses a tiny bit of what John the Baptist means when he introduces Jesus to his disciples saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world." Much deeper and more meaningful must be our gratitude to Jesus the Lamb of God for saving us from the eternally fatal fall from grace.

The first reading connected with the Gospel of today tells us of the mysterious servant of God. God himself has chosen him from all eternity and has sent him on a mission. His life sums up the great figures of the past but his mission lies in the future. In the second reading Paul explains what it means to give witness to Jesus. He reminds the Corinthians of his apostolic calling and blesses them with the grace and peace of God, grace that speaks of the goodness of God and peace which comes as the fruit of the salvific mission of Christ, giving them reconciliation, forgiveness and harmony. He reminds them of their special call to be saints.

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