The Gospel of Matthew 11:2-11 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 offense at me.” 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 Wriritten, ‘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.” where John the Baptist, imprisoned, sends his disciples to ask Jesus if He is truly the Messiah, and Jesus responds by pointing to His works of healing and liberation.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, When doubts cloud our hearts, remind us of Your works of mercy. Open our eyes to see Your healing in the broken, Your justice in the oppressed, Your joy in the poor who receive good news. Grant us the humility of John, and the courage to live as witnesses of Your Kingdom, where the least are lifted up and Your love reigns. Amen.
Like John, how many have had doubts about their faith? Even the surest of us doubt, especially in times where we are our lowest. We doubt what we’ve done. We doubt our gifts. We doubt our faith. Sometimes we’re not doubting Jesus; we’re disappointed that Jesus doesn’t do it our way. But look at how Jesus responds. He doesn’t defend himself. He simply says: Look. Look at what is happening. Look at who is being healed. Look at who is being lifted. Look at the life breaking open in front of you. This is what the kingdom looks like. This Gospel shows that questioning is part of the journey of faith. John had announced a Messiah who would come with an axe at the root of the trees, a winnowing fork in hand, fire licking at the edges. Judgment. Purification. A holy reckoning. That’s the Messiah John was preparing everyone for. And who shows up instead? Jesus. John the Baptist, who had proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, now faces doubt in prison. He asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus does not answer with a direct “yes” or “no.” Instead, He points to the signs of the Kingdom: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor receive good news. As we look at our own lives and the doubts we may have, do we take the time to really see the miracles all around us and the times miracles happen to you, but we miss them? They are moments of healing, forgiveness, and unexpected joy, as signs of His presence. This portrayal is not how every Gospel portrays John the Baptist, but Matthew is lifting him up in this way. We are supposed to feel the contrast here. The way we would do things and the way Christ does things.
On this third Sunday of Advent the Sunday of joy we need to stop and understand that the joy we are given is a gift of God and is a true indication of His Love. He sent His son to earth to show that love and to show that in believing there are miracles all around us every day. Let us Pray: Dear Lord, make us children of wisdom, who discern Your presence in unexpected places, who rejoice in the signs of healing and hope, and who proclaim with our lives that You are the One to come. Strengthen us to be messengers of Your Kingdom, bearing witness not with pride but with mercy, not with force but with love, so that the world may see and believe. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Reflections by Bob 