Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
Year A
The Lamb of
God, the Light to All Nations!
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v
Isaiah 49:3, 5-6;
v
Ps 40:2, 4,7-9,10
v
1 Cor 1:1-3
v John 1:29-34
The focus of
today’s Bible lessons is on universal salvation and on recognizing the agents
or instruments of this salvation, called and sent by God, as the Lamb of God,
the Son of God. When we look back at the history of our salvation we cannot but
appreciate all that God has done for us from creation, through the experiences
of wilderness and exiles. God not only constantly save humanity but does it
through his agents: the angels, the prophets and eventually through his Son
Jesus Christ, the one recognized by John in today’s Gospel as the Lamb of God,
the source of freedom, the light of the world, the bearer of our sufferings,
and the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
When the Israelite were in
Egypt and in the wilderness we saw how God used Moses, Aaron, Miriam and Joshua
to bring them salvation. The first reading of today (Isa 49:3, 5-6)
paints the sorrowful and hopeful picture of Israel in Exile in Babylon. It is
the 2nd Song of the Suffering Servant of Yhwh. It is a song of hope
for salvation.
In this reading, although
the servant is named “Israel” he has been called from the womb, and sent by God
to preach, love, hope, forgiveness, justice, liberation and salvation to
the suffering and exiled Israel. Surely the servant would come to represents
God’s divine agent of successive prophetic mission fulfilled in Christ
Jesus. In this reading, the servant is speaking. He says, “The Lord said to
me…..” indicating that the Lord is the one who calls us. He is the one that
initiates the call of each and every single of Israel’ prophets. None of them
called themselves. It also indicates the willingness of the one called to
listen, to respond and be able to say like Samuel or like the Psalmist in
today’s responsorial Psalm: “Here I am Lord I come to do your will…”
(Ps 40).
Even though this servant
was originally sent by God to “to raise up the tribes of Jacob,” and “restore
the survivors of Israel,” (Isaiah 49:6), the servant is now sent
as “a light to the nations,” the lamb of God, so that God’s salvation might
reach people of all walks of life.
We know of images of
a Lamb in the book of Leviticus or in our various cultures. Lambs are
humble creatures. They are willing to say yes. They are willing to go there or
come here. They are used as sacrificial animals. Lamb was use in the Passover narratives in
the book of Exodus. It makes sense that John sees Jesus as the Lamb of God, the
victor on the cross, the source of freedom, hope, salvation and remission
of our sins, above all the light of the world.
John the Baptist also witnessed
the dove descend upon this lamb during his baptism which we celebrated last
week. This is the spirit of Love to everyone including the poor and the rich,
the homeless, the aged, the sick the needy and those in prisons. This is the
spirit of hope and faith. This is the spirit of trust and the spirit to reach
out to everyone with Christ’s love and message of universal salvation,
especially in this New Year.
Saint Paul understood this
so much as exemplified in all his missionary journeys. Although Jewish, he
received baptism. Like other Israel’s prophets he said to God, “Here I am
Lord I come to do your will,” I come to bear the light to all nations, Jews
and Gentiles. Paul carried the mission and the Good News not only to the
Corinthian Church, but to the Gentiles, to all of us. Paul said, to everyone
who called upon the name of Jesus, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 1:1-3). We should be able to say
this to everyone we meet on the way, Jews and Gentiles, males and females.
As part of the nations who
receive this loving call and peace of Christ, may we in our own individual and
collective ways continue to responsively recognize Christ, the Lamb of
God, in our lives, serve as God’s agents and conduits
of Christ's joy, peace, prosperity, faith, love and light to people of all
walks of life, of every nation and of every culture.
Reflection questions
1. What does the
image of Christ as the Lamb of God or the Light of the world say to us?
2. Are we willing
agent of salvation in our neighborhoods and to everyone, male and females, Jews
and gentiles?
3. Under what circumstances can I truly say that I am the suffering
servant of God (Isa 49)
