John 1:29-42
Epiphany 2 - Year A
While recognizing another one of those conversations that demonstrates “communication between two human beings is nearly impossible”, another look behind the scene might focus on optical recognition.
Baptizer John saw Jesus coming toward him; he saw a spirit come and remain on Jesus; he watched Jesus go by and said, “Look.”
Those who followed an instruction to “look” and then did something about it (stealthily following), carry the story onward.
Jesus saw them and asked what they were looking for.
Their nervous response is in terms of where Jesus might be staying. To keep the visual going this might be thought of as a request for the perspective from which Jesus views the world. “Where is your point of view located?”
Jesus invites them to come and “see”.
Together they gazed in the same direction until late afternoon.
Later, Andrew goes to his brother and says, “We have seen a new heaven and a new earth and our viewpoint will no longer be the same. Come and see for yourself”. [Or, “Come and see yourself!”]
Jesus looked at Simon and saw a new person (new name). His looking and seeing revealed (made it so) what was already there.
As those who have seen a new light, we go forth to see what is not yet revealed and, by that seeing, bring it to life.
May you be seen to your depths. May you see others. Together may you see beyond a mysterious circle of behind and before and strike out together to find and live out of a new viewing place where blessing abounds.
Baptizer John saw Jesus coming toward him; he saw a spirit come and remain on Jesus; he watched Jesus go by and said, “Look.”
Those who followed an instruction to “look” and then did something about it (stealthily following), carry the story onward.
Jesus saw them and asked what they were looking for.
Their nervous response is in terms of where Jesus might be staying. To keep the visual going this might be thought of as a request for the perspective from which Jesus views the world. “Where is your point of view located?”
Jesus invites them to come and “see”.
Together they gazed in the same direction until late afternoon.
Later, Andrew goes to his brother and says, “We have seen a new heaven and a new earth and our viewpoint will no longer be the same. Come and see for yourself”. [Or, “Come and see yourself!”]
Jesus looked at Simon and saw a new person (new name). His looking and seeing revealed (made it so) what was already there.
As those who have seen a new light, we go forth to see what is not yet revealed and, by that seeing, bring it to life.
May you be seen to your depths. May you see others. Together may you see beyond a mysterious circle of behind and before and strike out together to find and live out of a new viewing place where blessing abounds.
As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience
The "Lamb of God" imagery is extensively looked at in Jack Miles' book, Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God.
Miles concludes his section on "The Lamb of God":
"At the start of his public ministry as a human being, God submitted to a rite of repentance in the waters of the Jordan and, speaking from heaven, with his Holy Spirit hovering visibly over his human brow, he declared himself well pleased with what he had done and who he had become. He had become a lamb, and he was pleased as he has not been since the last day of creation.
[long paragraph on repentance/metanoia in regard to use of the weapon of nature/creation that no creature can counter -- violence on Noahic humanity and Egyptian slaving, and threatened against exile-making Assyria and Babylon]
"He was going to all that again; but somehow, mysteriously, when the time came, he couldn't go through with it. His mind had changed. In the end, what would such a victory accomplish? After it, the deeper consequences of his own inaugural violence — a catastrophe for mankind far more devastating than any mere military defeat, more devastating even than slavery — would remain as unending punishment for them and a silent indictment of him.
"Adam and Eve did not speak of themselves as God's children, and God did not speak of himself as their father. That came later, for God had to learn how to be a father. He had to learn how to be a spouse as well: The Lord God as the bridegroom of the universe and husband of the human race. Most of all, he had to learn how to win by losing. It took a long time, and Satan has not yet been entirely vanquished, but the Lamb of God has won the only victory that really matters. The Good News of the Gospel is the news of how the Lord of All the earth won his last battle — with himself."
- - -
Had you identified pleasure with the "Lamb of God" title or simply sacrifice? How pleased are you to be a "follower of the Lamb"?
- - -
Justin (Reader)
I find the readings for this week to fit quite well with the weekend they fall on- "Martin Luther King Jr." The Gospel invites the disciples to "Come and See". Martin Luther King Jr. was inviting many to come and see as well while standing on the foundation of the promise of Jesus Christ. Today the invitation still stands for us to come and see and realize the power that the Lamb of God truly has for us and over the evils of this world. That power and that promise can strengthen all of us on our calls to make a difference in the world in the name of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/january2005.html
"Lion of Judah"! or "Lamb of GOD"!
"Might we, in Jesus Christ, perceive that the lion of justice and lamb of love are not Jekyll and Hyde opposites in God but one reality?" [modified version of a sentence from the Victory of God [MISSING URL]]
Lots of folks have tried to smash these titles together to show their connection. It is part of the ongoing tension within the church. It is almost a test of which branch of the church you are a part of. When push comes to shove are you a Lion or a Lamb? The Lions in one denomination seem to have more in common with Lions in other denominations than they do with the Lambs of their own. And vice versa.
To hold these images as self-evidently related is difficult. We usually come out with an emphasis upon one or the other.
Imagine Lion John pointing to Lamb Jesus. Is his comment derision or adulation? It Jesus the unknown part of John or his completion? Does their common word of "repent" take on a different sense if you hear it from Lion John's lips or from those of Lamb Jesus?
As we come to our congregations are we dealing with the joy of communion between lion and lamb dwelling together or the pain of lions gorging on lambs and lambs being devoured?
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/january2005.html
Even though I was called before being birthed [Isaiah], yet I have waited patiently [Psalm] for spiritual gifts [1 Corinthians] to be identified and put to work [John].
This is an arduous journey at each stage.
Calling before birthing leads to entitlement that all ought to go well with me. When it doesn't a tantrum ensues. It is difficult to be patient.
Presuming patience is learned there is still a desire to arrive and we can patiently go down many a wrong alley. Patience is needed, though, to clarify a gift's presence.
Again with the entitlement, seems it never goes away, isn't a spiritual gift a very valuable thing to possess and to use at every occasion, even when a different gift is called for. The spiritual gift of a hammer sees every occasion as a nail, even when it isn't. It is difficult to find one's place and to humbly use one's gift.
And we are back to a call again. Jesus is called, disciples are called, all G*D's children are called to birth after birth, to use of their present gift and future gifts (but not necessarily past gifts) again and again. A call to communal birthing moves us onward even as we try to find our place in a community that will challenge our entitlements with its own and both will need to be seen in a larger light.
The initial process seemed pretty straight-forward at first and then our realities set in. Now we need to move on to see our community as but one gift part of a community of communities.
- - -
called
through time
through space
through ancestors
and descendants
called
in time
in space
in ancestors
and descendants
called
in spite of everything so far
in anticipation of something different
called
through insight
through attribution
called
through and in mercy
to birth ad infinitum
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
While recognizing another one of those conversations that demonstrates that communication between two human beings is nearly impossible, here is a potential look behind the scene by focusing on optical recognition.
John begins: he saw Jesus coming toward him, he saw a spirit come and remain on Jesus, he watched Jesus go by and said, "Look."
Those who did something about the direction to "look" and did something about it (stealthily following), carry the story onward.
Jesus saw them and asked what they were looking for.
The response is in terms of where Jesus might be staying. To keep the visual going this might be thought of as a request for the perspective from which Jesus views the world. "Where is your point of view located?"
To which Jesus responds, come and "see".
Together they gazed in the same direction until late afternoon.
Later, Andrew goes to his brother and says, "We have seen a new heaven and a new earth and our viewpoint will no longer be the same. Come and see for yourself."
Jesus looked at Simon and saw a new person (new name). His looking and seeing revealed (made it so) what was already there.
As those who have seen a new light, we go forth to see what is not yet revealed and, by that seeing, bring it to life. May you be seen to your depths and may you see others and together may you see beyond the mysterious circle of behind and before, and strike out together to live out of and find a new viewing place where blessing abounds.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html
Simply being born a child of G*D does not seem to be enough to have us care for children.
Recognition by the poorest menials, rich foreigners, or a prophet such as Anna brings no additional shift from cultural expectations.
Simply having good 12-year-old questions of authority does not seem to be enough to have our spirit nurtured.
Witness of a spirit returning to one's breathing being (instead of leaving) still leaves questions of commitment beyond belief. John can affirm Jesus for John's disciples, but seemingly not for himself.
As you look around, where do you see the Spirit descend and remain? On a person? A group? An ecosystem? That is a call to be present there, not to send money or others, but to be personally present.
As you see the light dawn, be the light.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/01/john-129-42.html
So what would you do/say if you saw Jesus coming toward you?
We hear John’s response to that scenario. What say you? Would you take the Matthew story of Jesus’ baptism where he was the primary or only viewer of a descending spirit and incorporate yourself into the story as Baptizer John did? In some other way would you claim to be part of a Jesus story?
What about another day when Jesus is not coming toward you? Would you simply point him out rather than calling out to him? Would you be surprised if such a pointing out would lead others away from you or that you would lose one power/authority or another?
It is easiest to focus on Andrew and friend. And with these two it is easiest to focus on Andrew and Simon. (Whatever do you imagine happened to the other of John’s disciples?) Did he (“he”—remember the patriarchal nature of disciples) not see what Andrew saw and return to John? Did he give up on all holy teachers? Did he become a silent and safe follower?
This story wants to push us toward Peter. Can you stop it with the John monologue and wonder about your own response if you were to see Jesus coming toward you? Again, what would be your response?