Questions After Faith
John's got 'em. Maybe you do, too.
John the Baptist had already been with Jesus. He’d already declared him to be the Messiah. He’d even baptized him. But present circumstances being what they were, he had questions.
Maybe this is something you can identify with.
Things haven’t gone the way John expected, both with himself and with Jesus. He imagined the Messiah coming with fire and axe, clearing the threshing floor. But here he is, waiting for judgment and deliverance and he hears that Jesus is…healing people? Eating with sinners?
So he sends word: Are you the one, or should we wait for another?
Even the best, the boldest, the most faithful can find themselves asking such questions. Are you really the one? Especially when life doesn’t look like what we thought following Jesus would produce.
Jesus doesn’t scold John. He doesn’t rebuke the question. Instead, he says: Go back and tell John what you hear and see.
The blind see. The lame walk. The sick are healed. The poor hear good news.
In other words: Look at the fruit. Look at the signs of the kingdom coming to life in the margins.
John’s question is a part of the journey. And Jesus meets it with both evidence and a gentle blessing: Blessed are those who don’t stumble because of me.
Today is Sunday. Christ’s Church is gathering around the world. Will we see and hear Jesus’ assessment marks for the coming of the kingdom of God?
Help for the blind, the crippled, the sick, the deaf, the dead, and the poor.
Matthew 11:1-6
When Jesus finished teaching his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Now when John heard in prison about the things the Christ was doing, he sent word by his disciples to Jesus, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
Jesus responded, “Go, report to John what you hear and see. Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them. Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me.”
Psalm 13:1-6
How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I be left to my own wits, agony filling my heart? Daily? How long will my enemy keep defeating me?
Look at me! Answer me, Lord my God! Restore sight to my eyes! Otherwise, I’ll sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I won!” My foes will rejoice over my downfall.
But I have trusted in your faithful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. Yes, I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.
A Prayer from St. Anselm
Lord, if you are not here, where shall I seek you?
But if you are everywhere, why do I not see you?
Surely you dwell in light inaccessible.
And where is the light inaccessible?
Or how shall I approach the light inaccessible?
Who will lead me and bring me into it that I may see you there?
Then shall I see you and your light, and know you as you are.
I pray, Lord, that I may know you and love you, so that I may rejoice in you. And if I cannot attain to full joy in this life, let me at least advance from day to day, until that joy may come to the full. Let the knowledge of you advance in me here, and there let it be made full. Let the love of you grow in me here, and there let it be made full.