Matthew 11:2-3 - "Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"
The debate doesn't matter. People argue over whether John the Baptist was doubting if Jesus was the Christ or getting excited that Jesus was the Christ. The faith, or lack thereof, behind John's question doesn't matter.
What matters is Jesus's answer.
When Jesus tells John's disciples to tell John what anyone-who-looks can see (the lame leap, the deaf hear, lepers are cured, etc.), Jesus is telling John and his disciples and all the rest of us something real simple. Jesus is saying, "Look again. Look closer. And look with the eyes of the heart."
All too often, I hear people say, "I tried prayer, and nothing happened." Or "I tried tithing, and nothing happened." Or "I tried church, and nothing happened." Or "I tried believing that God works through all things together for good, and nothing happened." And therefore people ask, "Jesus! Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"
Jesus has a reply, "Look again. Look closer. And look with the eyes of the heart."
I went into a hospital today. I approached the desk where I saw from a distance that the receptionist's head was down, so I approached loudly. "Tromping" would be a good word. Her head was still down, not even beginning to tend to my needs of helping me to do the good Lord's work for the good Lord's people. So I arrive at the desk, and I see (gaaaaasp!) she's texting. Her head is down because she's texting and very slowly at that. "Lord!" I thought reverently, "Can't this woman do her job and help me to do mine for you?!?!"
Fortunately, by God's grace, mind you, I kept my mouth shut as I cast judgment on the receptionist, not to mention on the Living God who permitted her to remain in the post. Though it was probably God shutting the mouth of a bratty lion-wanna-be, i.e. me, keeping my mouth shut made it possible for me to hear Jesus say, "Look again. Look closer. And look with the eyes of the heart."
So for two minutes solid, I did. I looked again and closer again and with the eyes of the heart again at a painfully-slow-texting receptionist with her head buried in her endeavor until...(drum roll)...she looked up. With tears. Elephant-sized tears. Hand-to-face-wipe-away-the-elephant-sized-tears. And she looked at me, well, to be honest, like I was Jesus. Ya know, because I had waited so "patiently" on her? And she helped me. And I helped her. And we grabbed hands. And we squeezed hands, looking in each other's eyes to say, "God's on it!" And I went on to the hospital room. And the receptionist (named K, by the way) wasn't there when I left.
But clearly Jesus was. Jesus had to have been there. By the power of the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus alone is able to work through a huffy, impatient man and minister to a wounded, painfully-slow-because-she's-texting-about-something-painful texter.
Is he the one? Is Jesus the one who shows up mightily even when we don't or can't or won't? You bet he is.
So don't "look for another" (Matthew 11:3); instead "Look again. Look closer. And look with the eyes of the heart."
Because if you do, He himself promises that you will see that Jesus and Jesus alone is indeed the Christ!
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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