Deacon Tom's Homily for Sunday, January 15th

“BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD.”  THE people of Jesus’ day were looking for the Lion of God, not the Lamb of God.  They wanted a fierce Messiah who would raise a powerful army to throw the Romans out of Palestine once and for all.  They really wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and be this conquering Messiah, this conquering Lion! But a lamb?!

LET’S REFLECT FOR A FEW moments on what this image of a lamb tells us about ourselves and about God.

WE’RE RAISED TO BE STRONG, SELF-sufficient, and independent.  When we get cancer, for example, we fight back heroically. But, as Christians, deep down we acknowledge: “I am not God in my own life.”  We admit that we do need God’s help in our day-to-day struggles, especially in fighting off the temptations that try to bring us down.  We do need a Shepherd to protect us and guide us.

AND COULD THIS IMAGE OF THE lamb be revealing something to us about God Himself?  When Thomas asks Jesus to show the Apostles His Father, Jesus answers, “Thomas, whoever sees me, sees the Father.”

JESUS, THE GENTLE LAMB, SHOWS us how to love our enemies, how to turn the other cheek. He refuses to call fire down upon the Samaritans, and He forgives the woman caught in adultery. 

COULD IT BE THAT THE ALMIGHTY God, the All-Powerful Creator of heaven and earth who is truly All-loving, All-merciful, All-forgiving, could it be that God, Our Father, Himself is much more like the gentle lamb than the fierce lion?

One of the most touching scenes in scripture occurs in the Book of Revelation when St. John’s vision of the future shows God the Father seated on His throne in heaven, holding a sacred scroll with seven seals.  A mighty angel proclaims in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

ST. JOHN TELLS US THAT HE WEPT MANY tears because there was no one to read the scroll.” No one to bring about God’s final victory.  But someone does step forward: a lamb, the triumphant Lamb of God, and receives the scroll from the Father’s hand.

ALL OF HEAVEN REJOICES AND sings a new hymn: “Worthy is the Lamb to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for You were slain.  With Your Blood you purchased for God people from every race and nation.”

THE CONQUERING LAMB!!

EVERY DAY MAY WE FOLLOW THE Lamb of God and, like the two disciples, ask Him: “Lord, where do you live?” And every day Jesus will turn, look at us, and reply, “Come, and see.”