The week that answers “but how will we know?”
Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11
Weeks like this are the entire reason I like to write these summaries. Last week we saw John preaching in the wilderness. Today he is IN JAIL. With no explanation! Let’s set it up.
Matthew waits until Chapter 14 to fill us in. John was a prophet, and his job while announcing the Messiah’s impending return was also to call people out on their immoral behavior. Chief among those immoral people was Herod himself, and his gross wife Herodias. Herod had fallen for his brother’s wife Herodias and they had an affair. Herodias then divorced Philip the Tetrarch (Herod’s brother) to marry Herod. Nice. So John called them out on it. Herodias hated it and nagged Herod into throwing John in prison, because surely John would shut up in there. (Spoiler, he didn’t.) While in prison, John is hearing amazing things about Jesus. While he actually baptized Jesus, John just wants to confirm what he has been hearing.
In Chapter 10, Jesus chooses his disciples, the core group of followers we know as the Twelve Apostles. He then goes on to give some pretty detailed instructions as to how they will go out and share the good news that Messiah is here.
Chapter 11 opens with Jesus out preaching. John’s disciples approach him—they are sent by John, who is possibly confused by what he is hearing of Jesus’ ministry. John’s confusion would be especially likely if he’s hearing these things from inside prison, where it would be easy to imagine a rumor mill exaggerating literally all the news that makes its way inside. Jesus tells John’s disciples to tell John exactly what they see, as fantastic as it is: blind seeing, lame walking. These are signs of Messiah that we will go back and read in Isaiah in just a minute.
Then Jesus turns to the crowd. You can understand their murmuring: “Wait! JOHN didn’t know who Jesus is? Maybe this John guy isn’t such a big deal…he couldn’t even keep himself out of prison!” And so Jesus confronts them (and of course this is a paraphrase): “What did you expect when you went to the desert? OF COURSE you saw a prophet, not some buttoned-up guy on a throne. John was exactly what you would expect out of a prophet, but even more: he was THE prophet foretold in Malachi.”
Jesus ends this statement in v. 11 with an enigmatic and confusing statement, that John was the greatest of those born of women but lesser than anyone in the kingdom of Heaven. Keep in mind that John was never baptized in the Holy Spirit. Everyone who believes in Jesus does receive the Holy Spirit through baptism.
Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-10
In Chapter 34 Isaiah has discussed the condemnation of Edom, a neighboring nation. This reading, Chapter 35, contrasts strongly, in that things are bad now but God will save Jerusalem. Chapter 35 is a description of what that saving will look like.
It’s important to know the signs. What is dry and useless will become life-giving and will flourish. People who couldn’t see will be have vision restored. People who can’t hear will have their ears “unstopped.”
Jesus points directly to these verses when he answers John’s disciples.
Psalm 146:5-10
This is a Psalm not written by David, likely written several hundred years after him during the post-Babylonian exile period.
One of the things I like about this Psalm is how it directly names actions of the Lord. He releases from bondage; He lifts up; He loves. He watches over and upholds. On the other hand, He also will condemn and bring to ruin.
New Testament: James 5:7-10
Have you ever had a garden? For several years I had a pretty big one, and I enjoyed it very much. I wasn’t good at looking at signs in the weather, though, and my garden would suffer because I would often do things when I could do them rather than when I should have been doing them. James talks about this a little.
In this short but practical letter James gives lots of guidance on how a Christian should live. And here in the waiting he has some advice. Of course he counsels patience! But he gives a framework for his audience. Even if they weren’t farmers themselves, they weren’t far from the process. They understood how to look for signs to be ready to plant, or harvest. It’s because they knew both the signs themselves and the necessity of looking.
So James points us back to the example of the Old Testament prophets, and even Job, who were steadfast. I think it’s interesting to note that in many ways, John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, even though he shows up in the New Testament. He preached in the wilderness and didn’t have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He was steadfast and faithful.
Prayer
Father, give us the gift of steadfastness. Make us ready to see wondrous signs, signs of Your Kingdom’s return, signs that Jesus is coming. Thank you for the enormous gift of the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter in times of trouble and times of waiting. We love you. Amen.
Have a great week!
