SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
John 1:35-42
THE TEXT BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO COMMENTARY BY FR. FERNANDO ARMELLINI
The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples. As he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
A good Sunday for everyone.
Today’s gospel passage begins with a time indicator, “The next day.” We naturally wonder what happened the day before. The Baptist was still on the stage; it seems he was alone, as no one else appeared to be present. “Seeing Jesus pass by, he says: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He was not addressing anyone in particular, as it appears only he and Jesus were present. Therefore, it is as if the Baptist were reflecting on the discovery he had made about the identity of the person approaching him. He understood who He was and declared, “He is the Lamb of God.”
The Baptist, who knew the Scriptures, had many other images to describe his discovery of the Messiah. He could have said: ‘the shepherd,’ ‘the teacher,’ ‘the king,’ ‘the rabbi,’ and ‘the strict judge.’ He had spoken of the Messiah as the one who holds the winnowing fan and comes to cleanse his people.
Now he associates Jesus’ identity with the image of the lamb. How did he attain this inner illumination? Certain insights can be gained only by those who live in recollection, reflection, silence, and prayer. The Baptist was not the type to get caught up in trivialities like fleeting fashions and designer clothes. He had more serious matters on his mind.
He had lived with the expectation, like all his people, that a change in the world would come when God sent the son of David, the Messiah. The people expected a strong warrior, a winner, someone who would defeat the Romans. But the Baptist does not find the lion that comes to crush the evil beasts in the world; he understands the Messiah’s identity as the Lamb. This is the day before.
The day after the scene is repeated, John is not alone; he has two disciples with him. John, looking at Jesus coming toward him, exclaims: “Behold the Lamb of God.” Here is a detail worth noting. When it is said that the Baptist saw Jesus, the verb ‘blepo’ is not used, but ἐμβλέψας = ’emblempas,’ which means an inner look, looking inside, the intimacy, the depth of the person.
This verb is so important that it’s used only twice, and we’ll hear it in today’s Gospel passage; after that, the evangelist John no longer uses it. That’s why this look of the Baptist, which helps him see inside, is so important. The outward appearance of Jesus has been seen by everyone; they knew him and had met him. They had realized he was an exquisite, pleasant, and kind person, but they had not seen inside.
Exactly what still happens today, with so many people listening to the Gospel? But what do they see in Jesus? That he is a wise, good, and just man, but is that all? This is also the question we must ask ourselves: What do we see in Jesus? Do we see his true identity, or do we stop at the outer appearance… the miracle worker?
Let’s recognize that understanding the identity the Baptist discovered takes time. He is the Lamb. What does it mean to follow a Lamb? It takes time. Notice that the day before, when the Baptist saw Jesus, he began to realize that Jesus was the Lamb of God. However, only the next day did he look within and share with his disciples: “It is he… The Lamb of God.” From that moment, the Baptist became a messenger of his discovery because once someone uncovers the true identity of Jesus and the answers he provides to the deepest questions of the heart, they cannot keep this to themselves. They feel an overwhelming need to share everything because they are joyful and want everyone to experience the joy of meeting the Lamb of God.
What does this comparison mean? There are two biblical references: the first is the Passover lamb, whose blood was smeared on the doorposts to protect the Israelites from the exterminator. Jesus is the Lamb in this sense because of the sacrifice of his life that he will make; therefore, his blood and his life given will protect humanity from attacks by the forces of death and evil. All of this, however, remains quite mysterious.
There is a second allusion to this image of the lamb: an enigmatic figure who appears in the book of Isaiah. He is a righteous man who, however, meets an ignominious end, and the prophet describes his death this way: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Is 53:7,9).
A disciple reflecting on this death says, ‘We were like a herd in disorder, each following his own foolish ways. With his death, this lamb has healed us. It is this Lamb who came to take away the sin of the world.’ Notice this important verb: not ‘to forgive sin’ but ‘to remove’; ‘airein’ in Greek means to throw out.
What is this sin? We have an idea of sin that is not entirely correct; we imagine it as the theft of something positive that is not ours, when someone improperly takes possession of something and, of course, is then punished. But sin is a beautiful, pleasant thing. Sin is forbidden, but it is a beautiful thing. NO. Sin is a loss of humanity; the person becomes dehumanized. The murderer, the dissolute, the pervert, the corrupt, the violent are less people; they have lost the characteristics that distinguish man from primates, and therefore sin is not something that should be punished, but must be healed.
Sin must be cast out because it disfigures the person. Let us note that we are not talking about personal sins, but about cleansing the inhumane aspects of the world. The world, and we must recognize this, is governed by competition, in which everyone strives to get ahead, to dominate, and to enslave others; therefore, it is a world of beasts, an uninhabitable world. And everyone hoped, and still hopes today, that someone will change this world.
Who changes this world? Not a stronger beast, but a Lamb. The Lamb is the opposite of the beast, which competes and fights to dominate. The Lamb embodies meekness and sweetness, not subjugation or violence. It is this Lamb who came to sweep away the world’s sin. Let us consider this sin, because society is built on false, dehumanizing values such as selfishness, wealth, power, and contempt for the weakest.
This is the sin of the world that must be eliminated and is removed by the Lamb. Let us recognize this sin of the world, because he who does not stand against these structures of sin cannot be a disciple of Christ. Whoever does not feel this hunger for justice, which Jesus speaks of in the beatitudes, cannot be in harmony with this Lamb, who seeks to end the world of beasts. His disciples, hearing the Baptist speak like this, followed Jesus.
To follow a Lamb while living in a world of beasts, where success is measured by strength and rivalry, is to embark on an extremely risky adventure. Let us now listen to the first words Jesus addresses to the two who want to follow him:
Jesus turned and saw them following him, and he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.
To the two disciples of the Baptist who had begun following him, Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” Not who they are looking for, but what they are seeking. These are the first words recorded by the Evangelist John. It is a question Jesus immediately asks anyone who wants to follow him: ‘What do you seek? What do you expect from me?” It is better to clarify this right away, so you don’t enter the encounter expecting things I never promised and end up disappointed. You might even expect from him what he explicitly excludes: power, privileges, positions of honor, visibility… Those who cultivate these expectations of Jesus foster the worst misunderstandings, because Jesus promises only the last place, where, to be great, one must serve one’s brother and sister. The truly great are not the ones who dominate but the ones who love—those who serve the needy.
This is what Jesus promised. Unfortunately, we know that in the Christian community, these dreams of greatness, which Jesus did not endorse, have been cultivated. This is not surprising, because the apostles themselves had followed him primarily to achieve worldly greatness. Jesus repeatedly reminded us of what he was offering, but even then he could not change his disciples’ expectations and hopes. We might follow Jesus to receive grace, miracles, healings, and favors during life’s hardships. However, there are also the disappointments of those who do not receive them.
Sometimes people say, ‘I prayed so much for the healing of my sick relative… and I didn’t receive the grace, so what’s the point of praying? What’s the point of faith?’ People become disappointed because they have expectations that Jesus never promised. Today, we understand that these expectations in the past were directed toward Jesus and the saints to obtain these graces. Now, we know that these needs are better met by medicine, and those who once sought Jesus for this purpose have disappeared or are leaving. Therefore, it is important to clarify what we truly expect from Jesus. Why do we follow him?
Let our hearts speak, because there are expectations that only he, not science or technique, not yoga or Zen, can fulfill. These may be practices that help achieve serenity and inner peace, but they do not answer the deepest questions of the human heart. Or perhaps we look to Jesus for the answer to something undefined that we carry within us.
It is the case of Zacchaeus, who had everything—riches and pleasures—yet felt a deep inner restlessness that kept resurfacing, even when he tried to suppress his anxieties with parties. These questions kept arising. He was searching for something undefined. It is the need to let our hearts speak, to allow concerns to surface, and to find answers to existential questions: What am I doing? Where am I headed? What is my destination? Where do I come from? Why life… why death… and after death? Only Jesus can provide answers to these questions. Thus, true seekers of Jesus are seekers of beauty, people thirsty for love and life, who have sensed that only He can answer these questions.
The two disciples respond: “Rabbi, where do you live?” It doesn’t mean ‘what is your home address’… You don’t enter a brick house. After all, we know that it’s not the walls that make up the house; the true home is where love connections are built. Here, both of them want to say, “We want to be with you, we want to know you, we want to bond with you,’ just as lovers do when they discover how beautiful the other person is and how nice it is to live together…
Then the question is asked: Where do you live? The two of them want to tell Jesus: ‘We want to live with you, we want to live like you, we want to share your life.’ This is what it means: where do you live? Jesus’ response: “Come and see.” Come… move; if you stay stuck where you are, you will never experience my life. Come and see: ‘see.’ Knowing Jesus isn’t just about listening to what he said. It means contemplating his person, because everything in him points to God and speaks of the beautiful man, the successful man, the Lamb. It’s necessary to go see him.
The two “went, saw where he lived.” They decide; they don’t seek more information, and then continue on as they always have. This is what happens to many Christians who want to know Jesus but still stay in the same house, never moving or taking a step forward. They leave, make a decisive choice in their lives, and want to know Jesus by living with him. “And they stayed with him that day.” They changed houses. They used to have their lives, their traditions, their convictions, including religious convictions, but now they have discovered a new way of living. Before, they lived according to the criteria of the world, that world that Jesus now came to cleanse, to sweep away all evil; and now they have discovered a new man.
The time: “It was four o’clock in the afternoon.” Lovers always remember their first meeting. For these two disciples, the end of the old world arrives; four o’clock in the afternoon marks the end of the day because at 5, the new day begins. With this reference to the timetable, these two disciples are telling us that the new day has dawned for them, the new light that will guide their lives forever. It is a new birth; it is as if they were born at this moment.
Once you’ve truly experienced being with Jesus, you will never forget it, just as authentic love encounters are never forgotten. When you have genuinely known Jesus and spent time with Him, you can step back and make mistakes in life. Yet there will always be a sense of nostalgia for those moments when you felt genuine joy, harmony, and inner peace—especially when you were in Jesus’ presence and realized that this was the only real life.
You can also have a painful experience with the Church; you may be disappointed and wounded, which is why so many have left and grown aggressive toward the Church and the faith. As with all loves, when they end, they leave a scar inside that is remembered for life. But those who have had this experience, like both of these disciples who stayed in Jesus’ house, will never forget it.
Let’s be careful not to return to our old ways. After a deep, genuine encounter with Christ and the choice to live with Him, returning is a failure, like someone who gets married and then goes back to his mother. It’s a failure in life and in love. The person who truly understands what it means to follow the Lamb, who has recognized the Lamb, if he is sane, cannot keep this discovery to himself; it gives him joy and gives his life purpose.
Let’s listen to what happened to the two disciples who heard the Baptist invite them to follow the Lamb.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Anointed”). Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
He who has found Christ and is in love with Him cannot keep the joy he has experienced to himself; he must share it with everyone. Anyone who doesn’t feel this need probably hasn’t truly known Christ, discovered this treasure, or fallen in love with Him. Andrew, who was in the house with Jesus, immediately runs to his brother Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah.”
Messiah is the one who fulfills the prophets’ promises, the one expected for centuries, and the one who will create a completely new world. This new world will no longer be dominated by beasts driven by sin and the desire to overpower others and be served. Instead, it will be the world of lambs.
And Andrew says to Simon, ‘We too will be involved in this world, completely new.’ This is God’s dream, the new humanity, and it must be awakened today in the hearts of Christians, who have put it aside and forgotten it. Many have been crushed by a tiring religious practice that no longer brings joy to anyone—a form of devotion, but one devoid of this great ideal, and it needs to be awakened, especially among young people.
No fanaticism, but a deep conviction of this responsibility. The awareness is not of being better… NO. It is about being builders of this new world. Andrew takes his brother Simon to Jesus, and when Jesus sees him, he changes his name. First, the verb ‘to see’ is repeated; it is not mere seeing but a seeing within: ’emblepo,’ and this verb will no longer appear in the Gospel of John. Here, it is said that Jesus has penetrated Peter’s inner self, revealing his true identity. Simon does not ask, ‘Who are you?’ Instead, Peter considers his identity—what he is called to be and how he will participate in the creation of the new world with his new identity.
The Christian vocation is only one: to serve our brothers and sisters. There are many ways to fulfill God’s plan, underscoring the importance of names. Jesus changes Simon’s name, and similarly, we have many names: one is the name we all share, which, in Semitic culture, is just a sound that carries no personal meaning.
There is another name, the one we secretly give ourselves, that reflects what we think we are; however, it is not always accurate, as we often overestimate or underestimate ourselves. As a result, we fail to grasp our true identity and our purpose.
Then there is a third name, the true one, by which God knows us—the name that reveals our true identity. We must learn to recognize this name so we understand what we are meant for. Our lives will be successful when we embrace this identity by which God knows us. This is why discovering the name God calls us is so important. Why was I created? And Jesus turns to Simon and says, “You are Simon, son of John; your name will be Peter.”
Why is he called John’s son? In Matthew’s gospel, when Jesus addresses Peter, he says: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah.” Jonah was the father of both Simon and Andrew. Why does he call him John’s son? Which John? Of course, John the Baptist. Being called the son of John the Baptist means he has been living in the Baptist’s house, absorbing his mentality and spirituality, which is beautiful. Now, Simon is called to leave that behind and enter a new home.
As with Andrew: ‘You too are John’s son; now you will be God’s son, Christ’s brother, and you will enter this new family.’ And Peter says nothing; he recognizes the Lamb. In fact, Peter will invite Jesus to be a guest in his house in Capernaum, and there Jesus will stay for almost three years during His public ministry.
I would like to conclude this meditation on this Gospel passage by reflecting on what happens today in the celebration of the Eucharist, which helps us become aware of our identity as disciples of Christ. What occurs during the Eucharist celebration? At a certain moment, the celebrant repeats the words of the Baptist; holding up the consecrated bread, he tells us: ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’
What happened to the Lamb indicated by the Baptist? We know what happened to the Lamb. He found himself in a world of wolves, among beasts, in the midst of wolves, and in the midst of wolves, the fate of the lamb is sealed. This is the way chosen by the heavenly Father to start the new world, not by sending one beast stronger than the others… the old world would continue as before, driven by sin. Sending a Lamb with a clear destiny was the only way to make the beasts understand that they were beasts. Before, it was normal to be beasts; now, it’s no longer the case because they have met the Lamb.
Only the Lamb embodies the image of the true Son of God, who gives Himself entirely out of love. So, what happens at the Eucharistic banquet? Jesus, before ending His story in this world, took the bread at the Last Supper and said, ‘This is me – This is my whole story. I made myself the bread of life for those who needed my time, my energy, and my abilities. I made myself available to brothers and sisters as the bread of life.’
What happens now at the Eucharistic banquet? Jesus invites you to embrace his person, his entire life offered as a lamb. “Behold the Lamb of God” means embracing this story; you want to be a lamb with this Lamb and, therefore, be part of this new humanity. ‘Take and eat.’
It is the marital commitment. Do you want to join your life to mine? By eating that bread, you are saying yes. The Eucharist is exactly this and nothing else. Let us remember this when we are presented with that bread, which is Christ. Let us be aware that we, too, are builders of the world of the lambs.
I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.