What Have You Seen and Heard? - Luke 7:18-35 - The Third Week of Advent

 

Luke 7:18-35 NIV

¹⁸ John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ²³ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, 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? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.’

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not cry.’

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ ³⁵ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

What Have You Seen and Heard?

John’s faith was tested as he rots in prison. But, Jesus’ ministry of healing and casting out evil, opened John’s eyes and ears to God’s Son the Messiah.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, Jesus’ presence causes us to question our beliefs. What did John think of Jesus? And, likewise, question yourself; What do you think of Jesus? Is Jesus a baby in a manger, meek and mild and harmless? Is Jesus the One you proclaim as Savior because you were raised with a Christian background? Do you profess Jesus because that’s what your parents told you to do? Is Jesus just popular talk among your friends and family? Dig deep into your soul and think about what you really, truly, think of Jesus. Take the mask off and stand naked before God in your thoughts.

This thinking and questioning, as well as this passage of scripture, throws me into tension with myself. As I studied this week, I was bothered by what my thinking was and also bothered as to what I wasn’t thinking about. I was thrown into tension with myself. It was a feeling like – This or That… Least or Greatest… Inside or Outside… Younger or Older… Full or Hungry… Dance or Mourn… Last or First. Thinking about what I thought of Jesus was a battle within, to be honest. Like John, I began to feel like…

“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

John was in doubt and need of proof.

I thought… Am I at the dawn of a new day and understanding? Or… Am I at the evening of my soul?

John is trying to decide if Jesus is the Messiah… OR… Is there someone else?

I seek to decide if Jesus is the Messiah… OR… Is there no one at all?

Can you honestly feel the tension?

And then, I began to ponder signs. What are the signs of a new change? And like John, I was led to think, well, look and see and listen.

In recent reflections we were told to look at the fig tree. Remember that?

Here Jesus shows signs in His own ministry of His love to cure. Jesus cast out demons, and showed signs of God’s Kingdom coming through Him. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cured, and some dead are raised. Look, see and listen. All of these are signs of God’s coming Kingdom. Look, see and listen; in Jesus, God is WITH us!

And here in this passage, I was reminded by my studies, that this humble Jesus was on His way to be crucified. Jesus was NOT the expected Messiah of power, riches, and strength, with a desire to fight. This kind of stuff is the stuff we adore and look up to in this world in which we live. It wasn’t any difference for the people of John’s day as they were waiting and looking for the Messiah.

But the Messiah Jesus is, will be spit on, ridiculed, whipped and hung on a cross.

And that’s why, I think, that the Messiah Jesus presented to the world was offensive. This type of Messiah is failure and weakness, in this world in which we live then and now. This type of Messiah is a disgusting LOSER!

Yet, as I look inward upon myself… not as Messiah… but as “Bill,” I’m a LOSER as well. I’m a sinner.

As Peter realized in the presence of Jesus after Jesus told him to put his nets down in the deep water, and Peter caught a huge catch of fish after working all day and catching nothing. Peter then knew there was something more to Jesus than what he could understand.

Luke 5:8 NIV

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Now, with some evidence, like the type of evidence John the Baptist was seeking, Peter could see Jesus, the Messiah. Look- See- Listen!

Maybe this Look-See-Listen is what makes John a prophet?

The question arose in my mind… What makes a prophet like John or any other?

It’s the Word of God that makes a prophet. Yet, I began to realize that John was more than a prophet. Why?

John came at a time when eternity came to mankind in Jesus to cleanse all of us from sin and save us.

So, John came at a time like no other, when God descended from heaven in the flesh and blood of Jesus to be near those He created. This was a new beginning in time. This makes John more than a prophet.

In fact, this coming of Jesus is a dividing line so important that we have divided history by Jesus coming to this world in flesh and blood. Which leads us to God.

Huh?

God came to us in Jesus so that we could be IN Christ. God in the flesh and blood of Jesus was now IN us as we are now IN Him. Why? So that we could once again be in correct relationship with God through Jesus. This could only be possible by Jesus’ coming to us in our place and in our time. This IS a New Creation! Talk about an Advent of revealing Jesus in our world then and in our world today!

Yes, God has spoken by and through the prophets. And NOW, God speaks to us by His Son, Jesus.

Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

So, how great we must be!

Well, it’s not about being great in and by ourselves.

It’s about God letting us and making us great through Jesus. Jesus saves us from our sin so that we can now stand in His Kingdom with Him… where… Greatness, power, riches, and all the trappings of this world, will no longer be about us, but rather based on what God has done.

So, yea, I cry out this Advent Season… Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Yet… as we see at the end of this passage of scripture for this week. Man CAN reject all of this. Man CAN reject God’s purpose for them in life. And, yet still again, man’s rejection of God does not mean God failed. NO! We failed ourselves and walked away from God’s purpose to save us and call us into eternal relationship with God. You can choose to leave, and many have and still do. See, here in this passage, how the Pharisee’s reject God’s purpose, resisting the Truth of God. It’s a sad reality.

So, let’s go back to John’s question, my question and perhaps your question as well.

“Are you (Jesus) the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

I can only speak for myself here. I’m looking for Jesus. I know Him through my baptism, and He comes to me in Word and Sacrament all the time. Each and every day when I come into God’s presence, Jesus comes to me. And Jesus comes to me in the bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus, just as He promised He would, when I take Communion.

And I also look to His coming again, to raise all the dead, to lead us into another New Creation in eternity with God. Yes! Come, Lord Jesus, come… today… tomorrow and forever. I’m looking for You and waiting for you.

Let us pray:

You are here, Lord Jesus! I sing and rejoice! You have come in steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace. As I leave my worry behind, focus me on You and You alone. --- Amen

Now I leave you with a piece of YouTube Music that reminds me of my studies of this past week…

Jesus Is Coming Soon