7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the One about whom it is written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’” (Matt. 11:7-10, NIV)
Last week, we saw that, while in prison, John the Baptist’s disposition shifted from the confident prophet who said “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) to the uncertain one who sent his disciples asking “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Matthew 11:5) Jesus addressed his doubt by sending the disciples back with miracles that they had seen with their own eyes. In today’s passage, Jesus shows us what it means to be human, what it means to affirm the dignity of humans but not to stop with cordialities of affirmation – to also affirm the dignity of a person’s calling and value. We do not know if John’s disciples heard what Jesus said in verses 7-15. But even if it they didn’t, what Jesus said would not have been any less true about John. If they did hear it, the disciples went back to John with more than miracles and signs pointing to Jesus. They did not simply go back to John and remind him who Jesus was, they reminded John who John was also. Jesus asks the crowd a simple question, “When you went out into that wilderness, did you go looking for someone wavering and doubtful? Did you go looking for someone of nobility because of their appearance?” Jesus answers his own question, “No. You went into the uncertain wilderness to find someone certain that they were supposed to be there because they were sent by God.” Jesus calmed John’s doubts about whether Jesus is the One by using miracles. But doubts about Jesus always mean or lead to doubts about ourselves; doubts about our own identity. Jesus reminded John that he was the prophet, in language that sounded awfully similar to John’s language about Jesus: “This is the one about whom it is written” (Matthew 11:10). In one statement Jesus affirms John’s value and ironically ours also: “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.” (Matthew 11:11) Moments of doubts and uncertainty will arise in life. One only needs to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, take a couple of missteps or hard steps from previous missteps. It is conceivable that we might doubt His presence. But if John, the cousin of Jesus, called to be the forerunner of the Lamb of God, baptizer of the Son of God and present at the Trinity’s involvement can be affirmed while he is in prison, then surely Jesus can remind you who you are and your value also. You are not a reed shaken by the wind; your doubt does not make you worthless even if you are in a proverbial or literal prison. Even if you’re the least by someone’s standard, in the Kingdom’s standard, you are still great. Father, remind us of what we know is true about your Son. And help us to be disciples who look for your Son, the sovereign One, the glorified, reigning, King over all creation in all glory, Jesus the Christ. Amen. Comments are closed.
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