Called by the Lamb of God

In tomorrow's Gospel reading John the Baptist points Jesus out to some of his disciples saying, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Katerina Whitley writes of this passage saying,

We have lovely pictures in this reading of John standing on a hill near the banks of the Jordan, flanked by his disciples and telling them, “See the one who is passing by? He is the one you should be following, because he is the Lamb of God.” Two of John’s disciples don’t hesitate. They leave John and run after Jesus.

Jesus hears them and turns. “What are you looking for?” he asks. An interesting question. He already knows they are following him. But what are they looking for from him? They don’t know yet. They are attracted by what John has told them, by that redolent phrase, the Lamb of God, which reminds them of the Exodus and of Isaiah’s words of personal sacrifice. They show the desire to learn. So they ask Jesus, “Where are you staying?” And Jesus offers them the concise call to those who seek: “Come and see.” They must have spent hours asking questions, listening. “They remained with him that day,” the gospel writer tells us.

For one of them at least, Andrew the fisherman, the day resulted in a passion for sharing the good news. By four o’clock in the afternoon there was no question left in Andrew’s mind that “this is the Messiah, the Anointed of God.” He runs to his beloved brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. The called becomes the caller. He becomes the light leading his brother to the Light of the world. And Jesus immediately calls Simon by his new name, “Peter.” This is the meaning of being called: we are changed and afterward we cannot, we must not, keep the knowledge to ourselves. We must share it with others for the salvation of the world.

May the light of Epiphany lead us to the glory and the responsibility of being called by God.