"'Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them'" - Jesus (Matthew 11:3b-4)
Dear Friends in Christ -
As John the Baptist is suffering in prison, he begins to wonder - in spite of what he himself proclaimed - whether Jesus is really "the one".
When John's disciples bear John's question to Jesus, Jesus isn't offended. And he doesn't chastize John for doubting. Jesus' response to John is simply this: look at the evidence. The prophecies are being fulfilled. Desert lives are blooming.
As I read this passage, I wondered: when John's disciples returned to John after this encounter with Jesus, was John disappointed that all they brought was this message? Did John hope that Jesus would prove his Messiah-ness by miraculously causing the locks to spring open, 'setting the prisoner free'?
There are so many things that I wish Jesus would do. So many wounds in myself and others that I wish were healed. So many war zones that I wish were lushly peaceful.
How can I know that Jesus cares about these things, that he's going to make good on his promises? This morning in church, members of our congregation listed things that Jesus has been doing . . . really amazing things. A child's first words, healing from cancer, the loving faithfulness of a spouse, the miraculous birth of a child after several miscarriages. Hearing these stories reassured me at a deep level: the Messiah is coming. Even now, his power is stirring among us. Jesus challenges us directly: look and see!
Faithfully seeing . . . and waiting for more,
Janet+
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