Fr Marco Lazzaron
n this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, John presents to us the identity of Jesus: he is the Lamb who sets free, the Son who reveals the Father; he is the Messiah who transforms the world from within. From such great beauty, let us focus in particular on two aspects linked to the Baptist’s testimony: his words and his example.
First of all, John, pointing out Jesus to his disciples (and to all of us), declares: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. This definition refers to several biblical backgrounds: the Paschal lamb (cf. Ex 12), whose blood preserved the Israelites from the passing of the angel of death; the messianic figure of the suffering servant (cf. Is 53:7) who, like a lamb led to the slaughter, bears upon himself the iniquity of all; the lambs that were sacrificed daily in the Temple of Jerusalem for expiation. Moreover, the lamb is also a symbol of purity, innocence, and meekness. Jesus, therefore, is presented as the One who sacrifices his own life for us; rejected, condemned, and crucified, he embraces the full weight of our sin in order to reconcile us with God.
In him we see shining the patience, goodness, and kindness of God, who goes so far as to allow himself to be pierced in order to convince us of his love, who goes so far as to give his life to save ours, who descends to the lowest point in order to raise us all up. In some way, we can contemplate with the eyes of our flesh such condescension during every Eucharistic celebration (the priest uses the same words as John’s). This is who our God is: the One who takes away our sins, who sets our life free and reconciles us with the Father, who even becomes our food in order to sustain us on the journey of this life.
John proclaims that Jesus is the One who “baptizes in the Holy Spirit,” that is, who immerses us in the intimate life of God. Christian life is not first and foremost a moral effort, but a new life in the Spirit. What profoundly changes the heart is God’s action within us, which renews and transforms intentions, desires, feelings, and actions. This is something we cannot produce on our own; it is a gift of grace to be welcomed.
Secondly, John does not limit himself to presenting Jesus, but does so by stepping aside: “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me”. John knows that he must decrease so that Jesus may increase; John does not lead people to himself but to Jesus. This is the freedom of one who does not live for himself but for God, of one who does not possess but lives relationships as a gift. We know well how important affections are, and how beautiful and important it is to live healthy and real relationships in the Church, our family.
Nevertheless, there is a subtle danger of binding people to ourselves, of drawing them to us and not toward the Truth, especially when that Truth requires taking a step back or offering correction. It is a matter of walking toward that freedom proper to the disciple, to the one who truly loves, to the one who does not feel like an owner but like an administrator and guardian of such beauty. All of us are called to be like fingers pointing toward heaven, who by their words and actions reveal and indicate a greater Love.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, humble and meek Lamb of God,
intercept my uncertain steps and guide them toward You.
Grant that my life, like John’s, may be only a gesture
that points to You and a heart that knows how to love You
and recognize You in the face of every brother and sister.