Sunday Gospel Reflection
"Behold the Lamb of God!"

Introduction:

Come and See
When was the last time you received an invitation? What expectations did you have?
Have you ever been surprised by what you saw?

Invitations come in many shapes and sizes. Some come in the mail or in e-mail. Others come on the street corner. Others come in ways unexpected. Some are personal, almost intimate. Others are general and impersonal. No matter their shape or size or means, invitations ask us the same question: why don't you come and see?

Why do we come? What do we seek? The early disciples of Jesus must have asked themselves those questions. Despite a culture that distrusted novelty, they would come and see something new. The public appearance of the Messiah.

First Reading
1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19

...
3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"
5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears." ...
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

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

13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
...
17 But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Gospel Reading
John 1:35-42

35 The next day, (there) had stood John along with two of his disciples.
36 And, having seen JESUS walking around, he said, "Look! The LAMB of God!"
37 And the two of his disciples heard him saying (that) and they followed Jesus.
38 Having turned, however, and having seen them following, JESUS said, "What do you seek?" They, however, said to him "RABBI (which, being called, is translated 'teacher'), where do you stay?"
39 HE said to them, "Come and see." They went, then, and saw where HE stayed, and with HIM they stayed that day. It was four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two having heard (this) from John and having followed HIM.
41 This one first found (his) own brother Simon and said "We have found the MESSIAH (which is translated 'the Christ')."
42 He brought him to JESUS. Having seen him, JESUS said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas (which means 'Rock')."

Bible Study

In quick succession, John the Gospel writer laid out the evangelization of the first disciples. Unlike Matthew, Mark, or Luke, John clearly connected the Baptist's followers to those of Jesus. In other words, John saw the ministry of the Baptist flow into the ministry of the Galilean.

In John 1:19-51, the evangelist presented six stories of witness and testimony over seven days. This gospel represent the activity of days three through four in a seven day week. Scripture scholars see this "week" as the new creation. God created a new people, starting with the testimony of the Baptist, and ending with the miracle at the Cana wedding feast. The first day was studied in John 1:19-28 (the Third Sunday in Advent: Cycle B) where the Baptist defined his ministry as " . . . a voice crying out in the desert; 'Make straight the way of the Lord!'" (see 1:23) This gospel presented the next two stories. Unlike 1:19-28 where the Baptist testified to the Jewish leadership, he evangelized his own followers, who, in turn, evangelized others.

When the Baptist saw Jesus, he proclaimed "Look! The Lamb of God!" While this title might strike us as enigmatic, the proclaimed title caused two followers to follow Jesus. Why? As gentle, docile animals, lambs were prized for their tender meat and fine coat; in other words, they gave all they had for their masters. The "Lamb of God" referred to the sacrificial animal, slaughtered at the Temple for the Passover meal. (See John 19:14, 31, 42) In John, this was the same day Jesus was crucified. Jesus was the One the Baptist foretold, because he gave himself totally for his followers, even to death. This theme resonated with Isaiah's Suffering Servant ("He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7, RSV)

(Note how John wove discipleship, sacrifice, and meal together in one title. Don't we see the same themes in Eucharist, a meal of sacrifice and discipleship?) [1:36]

Two disciples left John and followed Jesus. Since any legal testimony required more than one witness, the gospel writer presented two disciples to assure the veracity of the Baptist's claim. [1:37] Even though they sought the Lord, notice the initiative of Jesus. He first asked the followers intent and invited them to join him. The gospel writer used the invitation "come and see" in other contexts of evangelization. Philip invited Nathaniel to meet Jesus with the phrase "come and see" in 1:45. The Samaritan woman at the well invited others in her town to "come and see the man who told me everything I have done" in 4:29. The invitation begun by Jesus was continued with followers bringing others into the community. [1:38-39]

John used one of the two followers as the transition point between the Baptist and the new Rabbi. Andrew invited his brother, Simon, to meet his new Teacher. Again note the language of Andrew's invitation. "We (dual witnesses indicating the veracity of the claim) have found the Messiah (the title definitively claiming what the Baptist inferred)." The invitation sealed the transition. Jesus was the Christ, the focal point of revelation. [1:40-41]

When Jesus met Simon, he gave the follower a new identity. He called Simon by his  formal name to clearly identify him. Then Jesus gave him his new name: "Cephas" (Aramaic for "Rock;" the Greek translated the word as "Petros," from which we get the name "Peter"). When Jesus gave Simon his new name, he defined the new disciple's role in the community. Simon was like solid rock, not a pebble or a stone that could be moved. Peter was a rock layer strong enough to securely build the foundation of a house. In light of the other gospels, Jesus gave Simon a leadership role with the new name. Remember that, in the time of Jesus, one's name revealed one's strength of character and abilities. In other words, a name defined one's power. [1:42]

Meditation/Reflections:

· Please re-read the phrase(s)/sentence(s) that move(s)/touche(s) you and what inner message of the heart is the Spirit whispering to you ?

. The Baptist's declaration ("The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world") revealed both the character and the mission of Jesus. Through his love, he accepted the role of the Suffering Servant. He gave himself to his Father for our sake in spite of suffering and death.
  -----Why is self-giving so unusual? Have you ever been impressed by others who give their time and talent to others? Have they ever asked you to join them? What happened? Did their invitation change you?

. A simple invitation can be life-changing. Come and see . . . That invitation can come in different ways, from a letter or a look to a simple act of unselfish love. Come and see
  . . . When we invite others to faith, we ask them to encounter the One after whom we pattern our lives. Come and see . . . the Lord. He will show us the loving way to live and he will give us a new identity as a Christian. He will show us the way to the Father.
 Come and see . . .
  ----How have you influenced others to become Christ-like? Have you extended them acts of love? Have you ever asked them to join you at Church? Try to help someone this week and invite him or her closer to the Lord.

.  Having turned, however, and having seen them following, JESUS said, "What do you seek?" (John 1:38)
    ----If Jesus were to ask you, "What do you seek?" what would you answer?

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit and let me grow in the knowledge of your love and truth. Let your Spirit be aflame in my heart that I may know and love you more fervently and strive to do your will in all things.