Third Sunday in Advent, Year A, December 12, 2010

Saint John the Baptist in Prison (1565-70), Juan Fernandez de Navarrette, 

The Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

When John heard in prison what the Messiah^* was doing, he sent word by his^* disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and 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. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ ³⁴⁵⁶

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone^* dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet?^* Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way before you.”
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹

Jesus Praises John the Baptist

Matthew 11:2-11

       How can we know for certain that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the one who will bring in God’s new Kingdom?  Is Jesus truly the one or should we look for another?

       These are the questions Jesus addresses in our Gospel lesson this morning.   The questions come from John the Baptist, who in prison, sends his followers to ask Jesus point blank “Are you He who is to come or shall we look for another?”

       From John’s perspective, it is a fair question.  John was sent to prepare the people for the coming Kingdom of God which would be ushered in by God’s Messiah.  When Jesus had come to John to be baptized, John had done so reluctantly, because he recognized that Jesus was the one for whom they had been waiting.    Just last week in our Gospel lesson John had claimed that the one who was coming would clear the threshing floor and burn the chaff.

       But Jesus is not burning the chaff!  He is eating and drinking with the chaff of society.  Jesus does not fit the profile of a heaven sent-Messiah, reigning as a king in glory.  He’s an itinerant preacher, a healer and a helper, friend of tax collectors and sinners.  The Messiah is not what John expected.  Jesus was not what anyone expected.

       Like everyone else John was expecting a powerful Messiah who would do away with evil.  He was expecting a Messiah to avenge wrongs.  A Messiah to humble the Gentile oppressors like the Romans and free the enslaved and innocent in prison, like John maybe.  It is understandable that John might wonder, if the Kingdom of God is here and God really is in charge, then what am I doing still in prison?
       

John learns what all believers must learn.  The fulfillment of god’s promises comes about in unexpected way.  Jesus’ answer to John is not reassuring to those who are looking for certainty.  Jesus does not give a definitive answer, yes I am the Messiah  or no I’m not…you need to look elsewhere.  Jesus gives an answer that was typical of Jewish teachers of the day --he answers with a question…look around, what do you see?  What do you hear?

       Well John had been seeing and hearing.  He had been seeing the evil and suffering that was still in the world.  Jesus says, look at the blind that now can see; look at the lame that are walking, look at the poor who have heard good news.
       The words of Isaiah in our first lesson describe what God’s King will look like:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;

Isaiah 35:5-6

Look at what you see John, says Jesus, and decide for yourself if you can find another Savior.
       The miracles which transform the lives of suffering people are signs that the expected kingdom, for which Jesus has prepared the way, that the new kingdom has dawned in Jesus.

       The new kingdom has begun.   It is not finished, nor is it coming in the way people imagined it would.  Often it is that way with our prayers.  We come to God with a problem or dilemma.  And usually we already have in mind the way we think God should resolve it.  When God sends a different answer, perhaps a more difficult answer, one that requires some act of patience or courage on our part, we don’t always recognize that answer has having come from God.  We assume God has not answered our prayer because it was not answered the way we wanted.

       We want clear cut signs from God, signs that do not require any trust or risk on our part.  But Jesus says, look around!  The signs are there.  Jesus directed John’s attention past the dungeon walls that surrounded him.  We look at the evil that is still here and say “God doesn’t care, God isn’t doing anything” But Jesus invites us to see that evil is being fought, peace is being made, hungry are being fed, people blinded by self-centeredness and greed are changing their ways.  What do you see and hear?  When the blind see, the broken are healed, the poor hear good news, and God is here.

       “Blessed are those who are not offended by me”.  Blessing comes to those who are able to cast aside their preconceptions of what God will do and how God will do it.  There is no blessing for those who insist that Jesus match THEIR expectations.  They want to define god, rather than allow God to give them a new point of view. 

       Many have asked the question John asked—is Jesus really the one or should we look for someone or something else?  There have been many alternatives Messiahs presented to us.  Messiahs who promised more certainty than Jesus.  Messiahs who promised less suffering in life than Christ.  Those alternatives are still out there today.

       Jesus’ answer to John is our answer today.  Look around.  Listen to the word.  Hear the story.  We all hear and see different things.  Our faith determines what we make of what we hear and see.  Do we see Christ’s presence among us in the least of these?    Is the Christ we seek the one who calls us to go out and do his work of comforting the suffering or should we look for another savior?  One more to our expectations and liking?  Who is the Christ you are looking for?  And where are you looking for Christ?

       Christ does not give us easy answers or easy paths.  Christ gives us faith to see the kingdom.  Faith does not make life easier but it does give us trust and courage to see beyond the darkness to the light that shines and brings hope and comfort to all people.

       We don’t need to go looking for another Christ.  The only one we need is here among us.  The blind do see when they hear the Gospel.  The spiritually lame leap for joy when they are freed by the Gospel.  And when we see Christ among us and do his work, the hungry are fed, the naked clothed and the poor hear good news.

       Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.  Amen.