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2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 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. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." 7 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? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 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.' 11 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. (Matthew 11:2-11 NRSV)
Dear Friend, welcome to Monday! I pray this be a time of uplift and strength. We have received some requests, and being believers in Christ Jesus, we pray! We pray in faith expecting God to respond according to His will. Please pray for a young man, Eldon Segar, who sprained his ankle a few weeks ago and sadly, it hasn't gotten better. He is in a boot and on crutches. He returns to the doctor this week and we pray that God's touch, time, and the antibiotics are healing him. This prayer request was shared by Ms. Barbara Segar, who also asks prayers for her church, Skidmore UMC, who is facing survival issues. They had three in worship and after lunch had a joyous fellowship time in Hanging of the Greens. Pray for pastors and members of all churchces especially those who also face uncertain futures. Pray for one another. Pray for those who think they don't have a prayer.
In my first year of college, I met and befriended a young man who was, in my opinion, precisely the guy Charles Schultz had in mind when he drew Snoopy as Joe Cool. This friend was soft-spoken, thoughtful, reflective and even philosophical, yes, even as a freshman. He and I discovered that one of the windows in our dorm would open out to what was for all intents and purposes, a balcony viewing the front street of our college. And as the day was winding down he and I would reflect on the day's activities and classes. He also knew how to dress in a way that said, "I am Joe Cool." One day as we were in our bull session, a young lady was making her way down the sidewalk and Joe said, of course not loud enough for her to hear, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall I wait for another?" I think my laughter scared that young lady, for it was unexpected; using a biblical passage in an unexpected manner. It became an accepted greeting among male friends from that point on.
Okay, Joe Cool is over. We get to the heart of this passage, an intense one in which the human condition meets the struggles of faith. John the Baptist was arrested for speaking out truth to a diabolical leader, who had maneuvered his way into marrying the wife of his brother, while his brother was still alive, and John spoke out with truth. King Herod did not like hearing himself called an adulterous man and had him arrested. Some scholars believe it may have also been because the crowds following John grew bigger and bigger, thus posing a political threat to Herod. John, while in prison, came to know that his life was not long for this earth, and that death would be visiting him soon enough. It's during this time that he sends word to Jesus and asks the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" He needed to know, "Are you the Messiah?" After centuries of waiting, John asks if the waiting was over or was the wait to continue? John the Baptist—the one who leaped in his mother's womb at Mary's greeting, who baptized Jesus and saw the Spirit descend like a dove, who declared "Behold, the Lamb of God"—is now sitting in Herod's prison sending messengers to ask, "Are you really the one?" This is stunning. John, who was so certain at the Jordan River, is now questioning everything from a dark cell. His doubt doesn't come from lack of evidence but from unmet expectations. John had proclaimed a Messiah who would wield a winnowing fork, burn chaff with unquenchable fire, and bring decisive judgment. Instead, Jesus is healing the sick, eating with sinners, and teaching about mercy. Where's the fire? Where's the judgment? Where's the revolution? And perhaps most painfully—if Jesus is really the Messiah, why is John still in prison? During Advent, we often struggle with the same tension: we wait for God to act, yet His timeline and methods don't match our expectations. We believe Jesus is the answer, yet circumstances suggest otherwise. John's honest question gives us permission to bring our doubts to Jesus rather than pretending they don't exist.
Jesus' response is remarkable—He doesn't rebuke John for doubting or offer philosophical arguments. Instead, He points to evidence: "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." Jesus is quoting Isaiah's prophecies about the Messianic age—these are the signs that God's kingdom has arrived. But notice what's missing from the list: no mention of judgment, no fire consuming the wicked, no liberation of political prisoners like John. Jesus is saying, "I am doing exactly what the Messiah was prophesied to do, but the judgment you're expecting comes later. First comes mercy, healing, restoration, and good news for the poor." Then Jesus adds, "And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." This is both gentle and challenging. John is offended—scandalized—that Jesus isn't meeting his expectations. Jesus essentially says, "Blessed are those who don't stumble over the gap between who they expected me to be and who I actually am." During Advent, we celebrate that Jesus came not as we expected—not as a conquering warrior but as a vulnerable baby, not to the palace but to a stable, not with vengeance but with mercy. The call is to trust Him even when He doesn't match our script.
After John's messengers leave, Jesus turns to the crowd and speaks powerfully about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?" John was no reed bending with popular opinion or political pressure. He stood firm even when it cost him everything. "What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces." John wasn't a comfortable court prophet telling kings what they wanted to hear. He wore camel hair, ate locusts, and spoke truth to power—which is why he was in prison. "What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet." John wasn't just predicting the Messiah's coming; he was preparing the way, baptizing the Messiah, and fulfilling ancient prophecy himself. "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.'" Jesus honors John by identifying him as the messenger prophesied in Malachi—the Elijah figure who would prepare God's people for the Lord's coming. Despite John's doubt, despite his unmet expectations, despite his imprisonment—Jesus declares his greatness.
Then Jesus makes a startling statement: "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." This isn't diminishing John—it's elevating the kingdom. John stood at the threshold, announcing the kingdom's arrival but not fully entering it. He prepared the way but didn't walk the full path. Those who come after Jesus' death and resurrection, who experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who live in the reality of the new covenant—even the "least" of these has advantages John never had. This is the stunning privilege of living on this side of the cross and empty tomb. We have what the prophets longed to see. We know the end of the story John was still questioning. We've received the Spirit John could only anticipate. During Advent, we remember that we're not just waiting for Jesus to come—He has come, He is coming, and He will come again. We live in the "already but not yet," with greater insight than even the greatest prophet of the old covenant. Yet like John, we still struggle with unmet expectations, unanswered questions, and the tension between what we hoped for and what we're experiencing. The invitation of Advent is to bring our honest questions to Jesus, to trust Him even when He doesn't meet our expectations, and to recognize that His way of establishing the kingdom—through mercy before judgment, healing before revolution, good news to the poor before vindication of the faithful—is better than our way.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, when our expectations don't match Your methods and our circumstances make us question Your promises, help us trust that You are doing exactly what the Messiah came to do—bringing mercy, healing, and good news—even when we long for immediate judgment and deliverance; give us grace to not be offended when You don't match our script, in Your strong name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Advent, bring one specific doubt or unmet expectation to Jesus honestly in prayer, asking Him to show you the evidence of His kingdom work that you might be missing because you're looking for something different than what He's actually doing.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, to me, and so many others; life wihout you would not be the same!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
