Thursday 17th November 2022. Read Rev. 5:1-10, Ps. 149:1-6,9, Luke 19:41-44
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood, you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
In Genesis 22:11-12, we encounter the story of how God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of his faith. Precisely in verse 7, Isaac asked Abraham, “we have fire and wood, but where is the lamb?” and Abraham said, “God would provide.”
Moving into the book of Exodus chapter 12, we see Moses instructing the Israelites about the Passover. Each family was to take an unblemished lamb and smear their doors with its blood. In this way, the Angel of death would pass over their houses.
When we go through Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and so on, we would discover that each time bible makes mention of the lamb, it does so from the perspective of sacrifice.
In Samuel 7:9, Samuel took a lamb without stain and offered it as a burnt offering to the Lord. In verses 10 to 12, we read: “As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; they were routed before Israel.”
Isaiah 53:7 reads: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers are silent, so he did not open his mouth.” When Jeremiah was being oppressed for saying the truth, he said in 11:19, “But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter!”
Now, coming down to the New Testament, we hear John the Baptist introducing Jesus to the crowd in these very words: “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” It is at this point that we get to understand who this lamb is.
The lamb Abraham said God would provide, the lamb that was sacrificed in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the lamb Samuel offered and the prophets spoke about is Jesus Christ. As Peter would say: “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus, the Lamb of God, weeps over the city of Jerusalem. Let us try to place ourselves in the shoes of Jesus for a moment. You realize that an earthquake or perhaps a tsunami, or devastating flooding is coming to a particular town; you run to warn them to start evacuating from the town but they ignore you, criticize you, and even make up their minds to kill you for telling them the truth. You go back to the town later and see that no one heeded your warning; people are going about their normal businesses and some are starting new building projects. How would you feel?
Unfortunately, something similar is happening in our society. We all seem to agree that our major problem is the failure of leadership, yet the ruling class; those who seem to be benefiting from the status quo, those who have no idea of the sufferings of the common man in the street, insist on supporting bad leaders. I read the news these days and I weep. As Jesus says if only we can recognize the blessing of the present time and take advantage of it to elect someone who will actually make things better.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, open our hearts to love our neighbors just as your son Jesus was willing to offer his life for our sake. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious. Bible Study: Rev. 5:1-10, Ps. 149:1-6,9, Luke 19:41-44)
© Rev. Fr. Evaristus Abu
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