THE ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE

SUNDAY, SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME   

Isa 49:3,5-6; Ps 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34

Behold, the Lamb of God

The answer of our Lord to John the Baptist’s protestation when he presented himself to him for baptism gives us an idea of what the humanity of our Lord is meant to be for us. He presented himself for baptism by John so that he might lay down the requirement of righteousness for all people. The humanity of our Lord is a model for all people who wish to be reborn of the Spirit of God and become part of the new humanity recreated by the Eternal Word at his Incarnation. In this regard, he presents himself as our sole teacher or master. He bids us call no one else our master or teacher, for that role is uniquely taken up by the Son of Man. Hence, we are not to look at any other human person to know what is required of us for salvation. He is our sole teacher and master because he is the Eternal Word of God who assumed our nature in order to reveal the Father to us. God the Father has communicated everything we need for our lives on earth and for our heavenly salvation to him. Every demand God made on us, men, has been satisfied by him, so that we now owe everything to him. He ransomed us from the captivity of sin and evil forces that we may belong entirely to him. So, through him, with him and in him, we are now to offer God the acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the wonders of his love.

The descent of the Holy Spirit of God on the Son of Man as a dove after the baptism confirms that he has received the outpouring of the anointing we need to gladly cooperate with the will of God for our salvation. We heard the voice of the Father confirm the prophecy of Isaiah about the unique privilege of the Saviour. “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I shall be glorified’; I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength.” Because the Son of Man stands for all who are called to obedience of faith in him, what is prophesied about him is applicable to us, who make up his mystical body. His unique role as our teacher and master is foretold by Isaiah in these words: “It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” He is our light because the will of God concerning our salvation is completely and uniquely revealed in him. We receive this full package, not by any work of our own, but by faith in his name. We must believe that the Son of Man is the Son of God made man for our salvation. The profession of this faith gives us access to the contents of the Father’s salvific plan in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The contents of the divine plan in Christ detail how we become a holy sacrifice offered to the Father through him. It is the requirement of salvation laid out for us in Christ Jesus to follow his pattern of acceptance of the Father’s will for us. Thus, in each of our individual lives, the Son of Man continues his life of sacrifice or consecration of all things to the Father. We must let go of our lives for him to consecrate or offer them as a sacrifice in the way desired by the Father. “You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your will. My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart.” Obedience to the Gospel of our salvation is the desirable sacrifice to God. This obedience bears fruit in our individual lives through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who inspires our thoughts, words, and actions. This obedience is the wellspring of peace and harmony in our lives.  

Dedication to the will of the Father is the character of the Son. He has given us the same Holy Spirit who inspired everything he said and did, that he may order our ways and life in the pattern of Christ Jesus. John the Baptist was able to recognise this consecration and call him the Lamb of God. “Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me.” Life of obedience to the Father is what the Son of Man teaches us as the essence of true religion. To this life of total dedication to God, all nations are invited through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Paul counts himself privileged to have been called to be an apostle of the Lamb. “I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours.” This sacrifice is what we celebrate and become through the Eucharistic communion. We become what we celebrate and eat by our participation in the life of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.