In today’s Gospel John the Baptist continues bearing witness to Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” These words are familiar since they are the words the priests says right before we receive communion as he holds up the host and chalice:
“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”
As we behold the Lamb of God, we are told that all of us are blest because we have been invited, called by God, to the Eucharist, the “supper of the Lamb.” We respond with words taken from Matthew’s Gospel:
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” (Matthew 8:8.)
Of course, none of us are worthy but God desires to come to each of us if we will let him. God wants to heal each of us with his love and forgiveness. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins and the sins of the world.
Not only does God want to come to each of us but he wants to come to us as a kind and loving Father as we hear in the first reading: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are.” John tells us that not only does God the Father want to come to us but that he already has since we hear that we are God’s children now.
John in both his Gospel and Epistle proclaims the overwhelming experience of God’s love for us. You and I are asked to accept this gift of God’s love and allow ourselves not only to be touched but to be overwhelmed by the gift of God’s love. We are asked to accept this gift of God’s love and to share this gift with all those we meet:
“Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)
Image: “‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!’” by Vicki’s Nature is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.