Loving God of all people and nations, shower Your peace on the needs of this dear reader's life; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Matthew 11: 2 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples 3 to ask, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" 4 Jesus told them, "Go back and tell John what's going on: 5 The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side. 6 "Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!" 7 When John's disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? 8 Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. 9 What then? A prophet? That's right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you'll ever hear. 10 He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, 'I'm sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.' 11 "Let me tell you what's going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.
Fleeting doubt is what makes faith deeper. At no time can anyone say, "I've never had doubt about my faith." Truth be told, a moment or two may come when you stop and think hard, pray even harder and the doubt flees, and you walk forward with a deeper faith. In this passage, John had done all that God wanted him to do. And for doing what God asked, he found himself in prison and more than likely knew the fate that he was facing. It was natural to have doubt and this passage has John sending his disciples to Jesus to ask that nagging question."Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" (v. 3). John knew the answer at some level, but at a deeper level wanted confirmation. Jesus tells them to report back what John already knew of the unexplainable miracles of people being restored to wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. What more could John possibly want? What more do you want when you have doubt?
Our lives more than likely have had those "mountaintop experiences" of great faith; a great spiritual retreat, a wonderful worship service, an encounter with faith, an incredible encounter with Jesus, and then the weekend ends and the week begins. Monday brings a challenge that the weekend experience did not cover and so we doubt. Does that mean we give up? No. It means we look up to where our help comes. This Advent season is a time for all of us to look up and remember all that God has done, all that God is doing, and all that God will continue to do.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me in my time of disbelief. May I always remember to look up when things look down. Help me to know that the same place where Abraham, Sarah, David, Deborah, John the Baptist, and Mary Magdelene looked to, is my place too. Help me to be stronger and more faithful in my walk with You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
