Look and See Rightly
2Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples 3and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, 6and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”
7As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.
Matthew 11:2–10 [CSB]
We all make the same mistake…as John the Baptist did…as did the people…as the did most of the Old Testament church.
Many in the churches across the world still make this mistake.
But at least John asked…and did not do what so many do—he did not invent a different Jesus to fit his ideas.
Well and no, Jesus did not fit his ideas…at least those he had in his final days. He doesn’t fit ours much either.
Why? Why would John miss…John…the forerunner…the one who prepared the way…the last Prophet of the Old Testament…
The one that Jesus says was greater than any man born in the regular way? Why?
And it is not as if all the data — the information was not there in the Bible…already…from the beginning…
And Jesus points this out…reminds John, His and John’s disciples…and all of us…what it was that He was to be and do…
4Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news…
What did you expect? What has God been saying all along?
But they did not expect Jesus. They actually ignored what the Bible says…and insisted that their Messiah would not be like that…to the point that even when they saw Him and all of what He did, they rejected it…they rejected Him.
Because Jesus is not our idea of a Messiah…His way of salvation is not how we would have done it or wanted it.
Jesus says, though 6 “…blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.“
So those who are offended and don’t get over it…they will not be blessed at all…but condemned with the world…
And that is what Jesus said…that those who are not offended…the tax collectors…the prostitutes…the low life’s and losers in this world…
…for very good reasons don’t get offended…no…they want His kind of salvation…
The GOOD NEWS…the GOSPEL…that ALL THEIR SINS…in which they are all too familiar with…along with their consequences…yes…because the fall-out has been great…for them….
That their sins are forgiven! Finally, someone who can pay for all that they did and were…because they knew they could not.
Not so with far too many people. But…you see those who cannot…ARE the ones Jesus saves…has come for…
Not those who think they have done alright….already. Who have done what was expected of them. Who think God should save them because…just because…well…because they think they are good enough…have done enough….
They are offended by Him…with His Message and work.
That is the reason the big shots didn’t get it…
But what about the crowds? What about them?
What about any crowd—why do they crowd together around Jesus?
Some just want a show. Some want free bread and fish. Some a better health plan.
Still all wrong. Still missing the reason for that season. Not because Jesus was not doing this—He has if you have not noticed…all along. We have our being in God the creator…all things come from Him…our life and its sustenance.
But they….as we…forget this all too often…and grumble about who we are…what we are…and what we have.
So, we are offended by Him too, in another way. Why? Because we don’t think we deserve our lot in life…we think we ought to have more and better.
And so…
We don’t think we need what He is selling either. Forgiveness? Not when so many things have happened to us by so many people….
Not when our neighbor has it better…has more…and after all, don’t we deserve better? It’s not fair…we’re not so bad….
So, we are offended by Him.
So, Jesus points this out to both groups…to all of us:
7As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see?
What did you expect of God’s chosen man? What do you expect of your pastors?
Jesus answers us: 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; he will prepare your way before you.
So…
God has had this, today’s’ text, written down so that we stop and think about what we are doing, what we are asking for, what we are demanding of Him…and His pastors as well as the church.
What is it for, what is it to be doing?
Not fulfilling what Jesus did. No, He already did that. Rather the church is to do what Jesus told it to do.
Make disciples wherever we are put in the world. This is done by baptizing and teaching— yes, teaching everything that Jesus told us to teach. This is done by preaching the LAW in all it’s severity and the Good News of the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus has Luke record the parallel to the above Matthew text. In Luke 24:47, Jesus says: ” …that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
This is the preaching of the Law and the Gospel.
That is the main thing—and if nothing else… ALWAYS THIS!
Sure, the church can be involved in feeding people…starting hospitals…
We help as many and as much as we can…but never at the expense of proclaiming God’s Word.
You see, everyone misses the message because they cannot…don’t want to…and often refuse to look beyond this short life.
Free food and cheap health care we will have—but not until retirement—that is—heaven is here.
Jesus came to show that these are what is to come, not what we are to have now, here. It is a YES, BUT NOT YET.
What He did… pointed to who He was. The creator of all things. The sustainer of all things. And most importantly the fixer of all things broken!
And that was His only mission on earth. It was to fix the cause and reason why we didn’t have health, wealth and wisdom. Sin.
Sin was the cause. Sin had to be dealt with. Then…when that was taken care of…when all was made ready…then we will have those things—and them in abundance… when we are able to handle them… in the life to come.
I mean, as Jesus pointed out to the woman at the well…what good is regular water when He had living water to give?
Now she was a bit offended at Him…but got over it. We need to as well. We need His living water more than regular water. She discovered this and went and told her whole town…
Not about the water at their well, but about a living water that washes away sin. The washing of the water of the Word as St. Paul calls it.
And also, just like Jesus told the devil—man does not live on bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
But with us…
…we usually have a full belly… and are starving to death eternally.
So, what good is a free meal when in a couple of hours we will be hungry again?
What good is being healed of leprosy when cancer will kill you in a couple of years? Lazarus died again, didn’t he?
The rest matters very little when you are knocking on heaven’s door…as death is staring you in the face…
Instead, we need eternal life and health. We need His life put on us and in us. We need the food of forever…His medicine of immortality. These must be first and foremost.
…and that is what the Messiah came to do…and the neat thing is… the rest will follow. He promises this.
In the meantime, we are to be about the business He sent us to do. Preach and teach. Baptized and disciple…and help where and when we can. This until that last day. Amen.
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