Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026

 

When I was growing up, one of the things my mom drilled into us was this:
“Don’t point at people. It’s rude.”

Pointing usually meant you were calling someone out.
Embarrassing them.
Blaming them.
Making them feel small.

So most of us learned early: pointing is impolite.

And then we come to today’s Gospel… and John the Baptist does exactly that.

He sees Jesus walking toward him—and he points.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

But this isn’t rude pointing.
This isn’t finger-wagging pointing.
This isn’t blame-casting pointing.

This is holy pointing.

John isn’t saying, “Look what you did.”
He’s saying, “Look who He is.”

Most pointing in the world is about blame:
You messed up.
You’re the problem.
You’re at fault.

John’s pointing is about blessing:
Here is the answer.
Here is the healer.
Here is the One who takes away sin, not just talks about it.

And notice something important:
John doesn’t make it about himself.

He doesn’t say, “Look at me, the great prophet.”
He doesn’t say, “Follow me.”
He says, “Follow Him.”

That’s what real witness looks like.
Not spotlighting ourselves—
but pointing away from ourselves.

In our first reading, God says to Israel,
“I will make you a light to the nations.”
Light doesn’t draw attention to itself.
Light helps you see what really matters.

And the psalm gives us the posture of the disciple:
“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
Not, “Here I am, Lord—admire me.”
But, “Here I am—use me.”

Paul reminds the Corinthians—and us—that we are “called to be holy.”
Not called to be famous.
Not called to be impressive.
Called to be faithful.

John the Baptist shows us what that looks like.

He sees Jesus.
He recognizes Him.
And he points—not with pride, but with humility.

And that becomes our mission too.

Our world has plenty of finger-pointing already.
Pointing that blames.
Pointing that shames.
Pointing that divides.

But Christians are called to a different kind of pointing.

Not pointing out who’s wrong—
but pointing toward who is right.

Not pointing at sinners—
but pointing toward the Savior.

Sometimes we do that with words.
More often, we do it with our lives:

When we forgive instead of retaliate.
When we serve without needing applause.
When we love people who are hard to love.
When we keep showing up in faith even when it’s inconvenient.

Every time we live like that, we are quietly saying:

“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

Not with our finger—
but with our life.

And maybe that’s the question for us this week:

When people look at how I live…
Who am I pointing to?

Myself?
My opinions?
My anger?

Or—like John—
am I helping someone, somewhere, say:

“Look… there He is.”