Fr Ngo-ngo
When I was preparing my homily yesterday I suddenly remembered my old parish priest in the Philippines when I was just a young boy. Although I was around 6 years old then I could easily remember the way he talk. His name was Fr. San Juan. His voice was very low and monotonous, and his homily was long and boring.
I still remember how easy it was to fall asleep in his Mass. And I still remember how some people used to make their trip to the toilet during his homily.
I feel guilty now that I become a priest like him. It’s now my turn to see from the pulpit those who are struggling to stay awake in the Mass.
It’s amazing how there are people who were not gifted to be a good public speaking, on there other hand, there are people who are very good in delivering speeches. There are people who can talk for long hours and yet you won’t lose your concentration and interest. There have special charisma to attract people. This is quality is very common to good salesperson.
I read somewhere that a successful salesperson is one who is not only a good talker or enthusiastic about his/her product, but when he or she speaks, he or she looks directly to your eyes as if you are the only person in the world.
John the Baptist: A good salesperson
In the Gospel today we can compare John the Baptist to a good salesperson. But unlike any other salesperson, John the Baptist’s sale’s talk was always honest, humble, sincere, and direct.
John the Baptist endorses Jesus to people with an eye-catching title “Jesus – the Lamb of God.” When John saw Jesus coming toward him he proclaims loud and clear to people, “Look, the Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John’s purpose is not to put up Jesus for sale rather he is giving a powerful testimony to Jesus, a testimony that will mark forever our Christian understanding of who Jesus is.
In the Bible we find several titles given to Jesus, such as the Messiah; the Greater One; the Chosen One; the Son of God; Son of Man; the Christ; and so on. For the John the Baptist the most precious and meaningful title ascribed to Jesus is the loving and lonesome image the Lamb of God.
It is used 29 times in the book of Revelation. It’s the best advertising material to describe Jesus because its sums up his the love, sacrifice and the triumph.
It points us directly to the mission and identity of our Lord – the vulnerable Lamb of God, who suffered innocent death so that we might live.
Lamb of God
However, the title of Jesus as Lamb of God will not make any sense to us if we are unable to see the traditional Jewish sacrificial lamb since Old Testament period.
1) The Lamb of Atonement (Lev. 16: 20-22). A lamb was brought to the temple on the Day of Atonement. Placing his hands over its head, the high priest transferred all the sins of his people on it. It was then sent into the forest to be killed by some wild animal.
2) The Lamb of Daily Atonement (Ex. 29: 38-42; Numbers 28: 1-8). It was the lamb sacrificed on the “Black Altar” of the temple every morning and evening to atone for the sins of the Jews.
3) The Paschal Lamb (Ex. 12: 11ss.). The Paschal Lamb whose blood saved the first born of the Jewish families in Egypt from the ‘Angel of destruction’. It reminded them also of the Paschal Lamb which they killed every year on the Passover feast.
Jesus the Lamb of God
Jesus as the “The Lamb of God” is the Son of God. It’s the Lamb that God gives to take away the sin of the world. He is empowered to undo the world’s evil because God is giving what is so intimately his own, namely, his Son.
John the Baptist compared Jesus to a lamb led without complaint before the shearers or butcher, an image of a life giving sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
(Are you all still awake?)
In every Mass, before we receive Jesus in Holy Communion the priest invokes this title saying: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world happy are who are called to his supper. This reminds us that our Saviour surrenders his life to nourish us, in love, innocence, and at his own cost.”
Witness to the Lamb
The challenge for us now, after hearing John the Baptist’s testimony, is to sincerely believe him and to be a witness to the Lamb of God.
We may not be gifted in talking or pretend to be good in sales talk to become a witness of Jesus, but we can still advertise Jesus to others as the Lamb of God using our own examples as a disciple of Jesus.
We can be good advertisers, preachers and promoters of our Lord the Lamb of God when we when we bring to others the gift of love, peace, justice, tolerance, and mercy to others.
We can be witness to Jesus the Lamb of God, when we live like a lamb: leading a pure, innocent, humble, selfless lifestyle obeying Jesus’ commandment of love.
Most of all, we give witness to Jesus the Lamb of God when we die like a sacrificial lamb in our own ways. We do this by making sacrifices for the sake of other people without expecting anything in return. We die like a Lamb when we share our blessings of health, wealth, time and talents with others. We die like a Lamb when we bear our personal suffering, illness and pain for Christ’s sake and without complaining.
Jesus is the Lamb of God let us receive him in our hearts. Amen.
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