Readings

“Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John the Baptist’s proclamation continues to echo in our worship. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.” And often immediately afterwards we say “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.” Today’s Gospel together with the other lessons give us an opportunity to wonder about what we’re saying at every Eucharist.

“Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” How does the Lamb do that? Not, obviously, like the soaps in the TV ads: one swipe and it’s gone! How does the Lamb do that? A full answer would mean a very long sermon; let’s simply notice some elements in our readings and liturgy.

In our Gospel two disciples hear John and follow Jesus. “They remained with him that day.” We might wonder: does taking away the sin of the world start with friendship? We might recall: the “greatest and first commandment” (Mt 22:38) is not “You shall obey the Lord your God” but “You shall love the Lord your God.” Hard to imagine love without friendship! In our context that’s encouragement in our times of prayer/reading/reflection to hang out with Jesus, to waste time with Jesus.

We need that friendship also because we’re vulnerable, with many reasons to fear. Recall our first reading: “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.” The speaker is described as “one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers.” And while today’s psalm (Psalm 40) celebrates God’s faithfulness in the past, it’s equally concerned that that faithfulness continue. Had we read more of the psalm:

For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see;
they are more in number than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Earlier in the psalm: “Happy are they who trust in the Lord!” True. Equally true: without that trust, this “takes away the sin of the world” project grinds to a halt. That’s one of the reasons Paul talks repeatedly in our second reading about strengthening: “He will also strengthen you to the end…”

In other words, this “takes away the sin of the world” project turns out to be deeply participative. Recall those words at the Fraction: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.” They’re from later in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he’s dealing with an issue in congregational life. Since Passover is immediately followed by a period in which yeast is verboten, Paul plays off the image:

“Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1Co 5:6-8).

Malice and evil: in a world without the Lamb, completely rational responses, for there the Golden Rule is “Do unto others as they do unto you—and do it first!” But the Lamb has arrived, and Paul wants us to remember which world we’re living in. In the Lamb’s world we can risk sincerity and truth.

And, continuing to speak of the Eucharist, recall these words of institution: “This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Forgiveness of our sins, yes. But recall the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” So, equally, Jesus Blood shed to create a people who forgive. Taking away the sin of the world: breaking the endless cycles of retaliation and payback with forgiveness.

“Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” It’s not magic. It’s an invitation to friendship, and in the context of that friendship to learn—as often as necessary—that our fears need not set the agenda, that Jesus’ way is “none other than the way of life and peace” (BCP 99).