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(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 is written,
`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."
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John was deeply disappointed. He was stuck in a cell, controlled by a megalomaniac for whom life was dirty and cheap. He
was alone and powerless. And his hopes were beginning to fade.
He used to have hope. He had pointed out his cousin as the object of his hope. Like a great prophet of old, John had declared
to the people that Jesus was the One they had been waiting for. John spoke of the ancient dreams of the Hebrew scriptures
that would be fulfilled by this One. The One-to-Come will baptize with Holy Spirit and fire. His ax will cut down every
tree that does not bear good fruit and throw it into the fire. He will winnow the wheat from the chaff and clear the threshing
floor. Then he will gather the good wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. John sounded
the warning to the pious: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
But no wrath had come. None of what John expected had happened. No ax; no fire. Instead, Jesus was eating out with the
sinners and Pharisees John had preached to. Jesus was sending his followers out as sheep into the midst of wolves, telling
them when persecuted in one town to flee to the next. He was handing out forgiveness like candy and hanging out with children.
All the while Herod still flaunted all goodness and killed at will. John knew, he could be next.
"Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
It is a deeply disappointing time now. Our world seems stuck, imprisoned in problems and conflicts that seem un-fixable.
Demoralizing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and drums of war pounding toward Iran. Palestine and Israel still at each other's
throat. Genocide in Africa. Who will have nuclear weapons? What compromises to freedom and due process are to be sacrificed
in the name of security? What is the definition of torture? What about the signs of changes in earth's climate? More Americans
than ever have no health insurance. Sub-prime mortgage foreclosures threaten homes and financial institutions alike. So
many conflicts seem to escape formulas for compromise: abortion, immigration, guns, and gays.
And even if you curl up behind your own walls, paying no attention to the wider dysfunctions, our immediate life can be so
hard and so fragile. "I'm sorry. It's malignant." "I'm leaving and that's final." "We can't pay our bills and the credit
card is maxed." "I'm so lonely. I miss him so. I miss her so." "Just one more for the road tonight; I'll stop tomorrow."
"I hate my job, and I can't afford to quit." "How am I going to pay a doctor?" "My child won't speak to me, except in anger."
"I've got everything I want and I'm not happy."
For so many, this is not turning out as we had hoped. We gaze out as though through iron bars and wonder, is this the life
to come, or are we to wait for another? Maybe like John, we are disappointed in life, or we are disappointed in God.
A quiet, modest answer comes through the thick walls and closed doors. "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."
We hear nothing of John's response. Was it enough? We know it didn't change his fate. Herod beheaded him in prison on a
whim of prideful lust. John indeed was the forerunner of Jesus. He led the way into death by execution. Jesus would follow
not too long afterward.
So from the darkness of his cell, did John accept the shift of expectation? There will be no ax and fire. This One is not
going to solve problems that way. Even if we think that ax and fire is what is deserved. This One gives us something else,
whether we deserve it our not.
Imagine John thinking about it for a while in that narrow cell. Don't we all deserve some healing and good news after all?
Deep down, isn't that what we want? We want vision, agency, clear conscience, awareness, vitality, and possibility. Deep
down, isn't that what we want to give to others? We want others to be able to dream and to achieve, to be free, open, alive
and hopeful. Jesus describes to John's messenger what he is up to; what he is doing -- he is doing the work of healing and
reconciling that is at the heart of the world's deepest need.
Not only is this the gift of Jesus, it is also the life he invites us to share in. It is a fair question to ask of a church,
are you the one or should we wait for another? It is a fair marker to ask of the ministries of this church: Through the
church... Are people able to see reality more clearly? Are they being empowered? Are they tasting forgiveness? Are they
hearing God's voice of love? Are they coming to life and healing? Are they receiving good news? And blessed is anyone who
participates in this life-giving calling.
Jesus is reaching continually through the dysfunction and bondage of our times and circumstances and doing what Jesus has
always done. Jesus is giving sight to the blind, agency to the lame, dignity to the marginalized, song to the deaf, life
to the dead, and good news to the impoverished. And Jesus invites us to share in this healing and liberating work. Open
your eyes and see; open your ears and hear. The signs are all around us.
People who had lost any hopeful vision for themselves or for their future are looking again and seeing love cascading through
the universe. People who were crippled with fear and stuck in boxes are stretching and limbering and beginning to walk forward.
People who had been damaged by stigma or failure or guilt are feeling liberated and clean again. Those who could hear nothing
but gloom and sadness are turning toward the song of the birds and the laughter of children. People who had given up into
depression and grief are beginning to awaken and to realize they are alive and life is good. And those who have not known
how to make ends meet have embraced an abundance that comes beyond their control. Blessed is anyone who is not offended by
these things.
So go to whatever part of you is dark and imprisoned and tell John what you see and hear. Go to every other human being who
lives with any fear or darkness, and tell them what you see and hear. Every one of us can see and hear that the entire universe
is bending in this new direction of love and resurrection. Strangers and kin alike are sharing the hope. And absolutely
anybody who is not offended by these possibilities can take part in them.
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