The readings for Second Sunday in Ordinary Time may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011523.cfm
I think we are all familiar with the word, scapegoat.
The Oxford dictionary defines a scapegoat as “a person who is blamed for something bad that someone else has done or for some failure.”
Scapegoat.
The Bible, in Leviticus 16 tells us that a Scapegoat is a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it.
A scapegoat does not have a positive connotation to it at all - especially if you are it.
In today’s gospel, St. John announces that Jesus is the “Lamb of God”, what we might call a scapegoat today,
since Jesus became the one victim replacing all others - taking on our sins, taking the blame for our wrongdoings, mistakes and sins.
Ultimately, being murdered for the sin of the world.
In a way, today’s gospel could serve as a summary of the entire gospel.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
That’s, in essence, what the entire gospel is about.
John the Baptist calling Jesus the Lamb of God was a way to announce to everyone why Jesus had come.
To take away the sins of the world.
None of us is perfect.
I’m not going to speak for anyone else here, but I can tell you that if instead of this homily, I spoke to you about all the ways I have and continue to fall short, this homily might last longer than the Moby Dick reading marathon - that lasts for about 23 hours by the way.
Let’s face it, in this world, daily life is a struggle. It’s not easy and we’re only human and we fall short.
We are not perfect as Jesus is perfect.
But the bottom line is, we all want our sins taken away.
And only Jesus can do it.
Sometimes we can see an opportunity to sin from a mile away, and we mean well and we try and we struggle and we know we must resist the temptation, but it’s so hard and we give in and sin.
None of us wants to fall into the same sinful patterns again.
We want to fight! We want to resist!
But temptation is hard.
Before Jesus came to John the Baptist in today’s gospel, He had just spent 40 days in the desert where he had been tempted by the devil.
Jesus knew what temptation was. But, he didn't give into it.
Jesus didn’t sin.
Jesus was human, like us. But Jesus is also God - and we are not.
Several years ago, lots of people, especially young Christians were wearing colorful bracelets with the letters “WWJD” printed on them.
Do you remember that?
WWJD, an acronym standing for “What Would Jesus Do”.
Talk about setting the bar high.
Reflecting on today’s gospel, maybe it would make more sense to have colorful bracelets with the letters WWJBD printed on them.
What would John the Baptist do?
As he did in today’s gospel, he would humble himself, it wasn’t about him - he would call attention to Jesus Christ and then say to all within hearing distance,
“Hey, look! See! God is alive. God is here.
The Holy Spirit is at work in us and through and for us and even in spite of us!
Behold! The Lamb of God!”
We don’t have all the answers. We try, but fall short.
Let go of the guilt. Let go of the self flagellation. Be gentle with yourself.
As I have said to you before, we have the answers to the test.
We know how this all ends. Jesus has won and tells us what to do.
We must humble ourselves as John the Baptist did.
Let go of our foolish pride.
Make it a regular practice to make a good sacramental confession.
We have a scapegoat. We have someone who has taken the punishment for us.
Let the guilt and denial and shame and weight of it all go.
Make a good sacramental confession.
Jesus is waiting there for you.
Do it and don’t delay. Tell all your friends. Tell strangers, even.
You have a scapegoat.
Behold.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
