Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A: John 1:29 Moments

Two cockroaches were munching on garbage in an alley when one engages a discussion about a new restaurant.

"I was in that new restaurant across the street," said one. "It's so clean! The kitchen is spotless, and the floors are gleaming white. There is no dirt anywhere--it's so sanitary that the whole place shines."

"Please," said the other cockroach frowning. "Not while I'm eating!"

We heard John 1:29 in our Gospel today when John Baptist said:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (It sounds cool in Latin: Ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi).

“Beholding” is different than “taking a look.” Beholding has the connotation of taking a deep, long, contemplative look at something.

The adjectival participle, "who takes away," sin expresses the idea of the pardoning or forgiveness of sin, and the removal of guilt because Jesus was destined to be sacrificed like a spotless lamb as a sin offering to God.

In fact, in both Jewish apocalyptic judgment, and in the Book of Revelation it is a conquering lamb who destroys evil in the world (The Testament of Joseph 19:8; Enoch 90:38, Rev. 14:1).

Jesus took away sin not by the violent destruction of evil, but by voluntarily laying down his life on the Cross; although the Biblical picture is that to "take away" is parallel to "destroy."

The Lamb of God will take away resentments.

Hebrews 12:15 says, “see to it that….no bitter root grows up to cause trouble.” Ask Jesus daily to take away your anger, resentment and bitterness.

Since Jesus died for the sins of the world, no other human act of individual retribution is necessary, and resentments are therefore not justified. As the saying goes “Resentments are like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die.”

Let’s look at a couple John 1:29 moments:

e.g. A man said that he met a former friend before Mass. We stepped aside to a quiet corner. He looked me straight in the eye and got right to the point: "Dean, I've come to tell you how deeply sorry I am for the sins I have committed against you. I ask you to forgive me."

Dean later wrote, “Bam—just like that! I knew by the earnestness of his words and the piercing intensity in his eyes that he spoke from the depths of his being and meant every word. This untimely but immensely powerful moment was the fruition of a long, complicated process of stocktaking. On that day, in that place, without forewarning, a John 1:29 moment arrived, “The Lamb of God” took away his resentment and mine.”

Another a John 1:29 moment that did not go as well:

A man said, “I had a very good friend called Bob. But he and his wife moved to another country. A little while later, my wife, Charlotte, had to have a very severe operation. Bob and his wife never got in touch with us. I know they knew about it. I was very hurt because they never called to see her or ever inquire about how she was. So, I dropped the relationship. Over the years I met Bob a few times and he always tried to reconcile, but I didn’t accept it. I wasn’t satisfied with his explanation. I was prideful. I shrugged him off. A few years later he died of cancer. I feel so sad. I never got to see him. I never got to forgive him. It pains me so much. My advice is: don’t wait.” Welcome the John 1:29 moments when they come.

3. Notice the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world— “takes away” sin and temptation not “Oh, God, make it go away! God won’t take away carrying our crosses or take away our daily responsibilities. And taking-away does not replace the need for discernment regarding what activities or things we might want to change according to the virtue of prudence.

And God won’t even take away temptations if we don’t want them taken away. E.g. James 1:14-15 says that “each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

All merit lies in the will and what we will can sometimes be contrary to feelings. We ought to pray for our enemies and direct our affections to the ultimate end when God will judge both them and us. Its an act of perfection to pray for our enemies.

Sic volo, sic jubeo-- thus I will, thus I command. Be strong in willing what is right, in obedience to God.

All spiritual perfection consists of the alignment of our will with the will of God. We assert our very being though our intentionally, what we will.