A few years ago I visited with Pat Kenny, a retired golf club professional from the Chicago suburbs. Pat was in his 70’s and I had known him for many years. I asked Pat what he was doing with his life.
Pat told me that he was giving golf lessons to children with Down’s Syndrome. Wow! What a way for a golf pro to spend his retirement. “I’ve given golf lessons for over 50 years,” Pat said, “but I’ve never gotten the satisfaction I get today. The kids might swing ten or fifteen times before they hit the ball. When they do the ball goes twenty or thirty yards. But they are happier than Phil Mickelson getting an eagle and they scream and dance around. And boy do I share in their joy and happiness.”
In today’s Gospel (John 1:35-42) Jesus walks by John the Baptist and two of John’s disciples. John blurts out, “Behold the Lamb of God.” He does not see a lion, a tiger or a cheetah, but a lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God who will turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and pray for his enemies. The Lamb who will reach out to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. A Lamb who lays down his life for his friends. A Lamb who has invited Pat Kenny as well as you and me to be lambs and to follow the example of the Lamb of God.
What can you do or be today to be a Lamb like Jesus?
What kind of political and religious leaders does our country and the world need today? Lions, tigers, cheetahs, or Lambs like Jesus that turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and pray for our enemies?
WHAT GOD KNOWS ABOUT ME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT ME!
