Matthew 11:2-6

Matthew 11:2-6

When John [the Baptist] heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

This story about John the Baptist has always intrigued me, for a couple of reasons. Number one; why would John the Baptist send his disciples out to see if Jesus was the real deal? Wasn’t John the one who, in his earlier ministry, had announced that Jesus was the Lamb of God saying that had proof, declaring that he had seen the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Jesus. (John1:32)

So, why the questions? 

Maybe it was because in prison John had a lot of time to think—apparently too much time, because for the first time in his mission, he was beginning to doubt. 

After all, it says in Isaiah 42 that “[Jesus was sent] to open eyes that [were] blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who [sat] in darkness.” 

So where was John’s get-out-of-jail-free card?

Throughout his lifetime, John had faithfully followed the mission he’d been given. He’d come as the “voice of one calling in the desert, preparing the way for the Lord.” He had been a true soldier of the faith. For heaven’s sake, the guy had lived in the wilderness, worn clothes made of camel’s hair and eaten locusts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

 

Didn’t he deserve a break? 

Apparently not, because rather than being rewarded for his work, John got thrown into jail—just because he told the truth; declaring that King Herod was an adulterer for taking his brother, Philip’s, wife. 

For that he was placed in prison. 

And maybe it was this very verse in Isaiah that John kept ruminating on. Maybe it was shaking him to the core, and now he needed to know that everything he’d declared about Jesus was 100% true.

Here comes the second intriguing part of the story—a key verse in Matthew Eleven that gives a glimpse into what John was really struggling with. 

“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” (Matthew 11:6)

 Jesus gives John’s followers all kinds of examples of what he was doing; healing the blind, making the lame walk, curing leprosy, even raising the dead. But it’s that little verse tucked in at the end of the story that reveals the truth; 

“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

Have you ever been tempted to give up on God, to give up on faith and hope, to abandon the truth of God’s Word?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s easy to follow God when you’re on the mountain top. It’s in the valley that things get a little rough. So it gives me hope that John the Baptist struggled, too.  

In those valleys, God can seem far off, like He’s abandoned you. But just as Jesus had a special promise for John, it’s one for us, too. 

Even when we walk through those dark valleys, if we don’t fall away “on account of him”, we are truly blessed. Don’t fall away because you’re figuratively experiencing some “prison time.” Be blessed. Live the blessed life. Stand firm and strong in the truth and know that one day you will be released from your prison, (whatever it may be) too. Hang in there, dear ones. Hang in there.

crazy gossip

¹slan·der

transitive verb \ˈslan-dər\

: to make a false spoken statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone

So the other day I was having a conversation with a friend when she began telling me some bad stuff about an acquaintance of ours. Now, this friend is a dear one to me and she rarely speaks negatively about anyone. But this time she did. 

At the moment, I didn’t think too much of it. People say bad things about other people all the time. What’s the big deal?

Well, a few days later, I was recalling this conversation and immediately feelings of negativity began circling like a group of vultures. Because of what I’d been told I began to think less of this person. Didn’t matter if what I’d been told was true or false, the damage was already done. 

How powerful that tongue is, huh? James, a smallish book in the new testament has a lot to say about this influential little muscle. 

James 3:7-12

 

 ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
   ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

It is so easy to speak poorly about another. In fact, sometimes it can be downright fun—especially amongst a group of colleagues or friends; it’s just harmless gossip, right?

But the more God sanctifies my heart, the more I see the hypocrisy of attending church services Sunday after Sunday only to stand in the narthex afterward and slander someone’s good name, or, for that matter, someone’s bad name. 

The thing about gossip and slander is that the very people who you gossip with are probably gossiping about you when you aren’t part of the conversation. My husband and I have often talked about the irony of that.

For instance, when I visit with a group of neighbors and the conversation turns into gossip about another person in the neighborhood who no one else likes, I usually walk away wondering what they’re going to say about me?

Don’t be a gossip. Don’t be a slanderer. You might think it’s harmless fun, but it can be like a spark in the forest. Though it begins small, it spreads quickly causing a person’s life and reputation to go up in flames. 

James 3:5-6
 
⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

the big meanie

When it comes to the Bible, the verse below is one of my favorite stories. I love it because it shows the true nature of who God is and how He wants to come to us.   

1 Kings 19:11-13
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

In case you aren’t familiar with the story—a few brief details. Gist of the story goes like this; Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, wins a huge contest proving who the only true God is when his sacrifice is consumed by a raging fire from heaven while the false god, Baal’s, sacrifice sits dry as a bone untouched and sparkless.

Elijah should be happy—should be. He’s won a great victory. He should be dancing for joy and celebrating. Instead, he’s running away in fear. Turns out the evil queen, Jezebel, is a bit miffed about the outcome of the contest. Elijah’s victory means that people may stray from their devotion to her god. In other words, she’s out to get Elijah. Big time.  

So Elijah runs and hides in the desert and prays that he might die. He’s sick and tired of dealing with the Israelites who promise to follow God and never actually do. Elijah’s bent over backward trying to turn the people of the Lord back to the Lord. Now he’s had it. These people are stubborn, disobedient, dishonest and they only believe in God when it serves their purposes.

Defeated, Elijah wanders into the desert and waits for death to release him from his misery. After spending a night or two in the desert, Elijah travels to Mt. Horeb to meet with God himself. When Elijah reaches the top, he finds a cave to sleep in. Little does he know that God’s been watching. He’s been listening. And He’s coming down to have a little heart-to-heart with him.

 And the word of the LORD came to [Elijah]: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
   ¹⁰ [Elijah] replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
   ¹¹ The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

What I like best about this story is the fact that God is not in the powerful wind. He’s not in the earthquake. He’s not in the fire. No, when God comes down to speak with Elijah, He comes as a quiet whisper—a whisper that’s enough to convince Elijah that God really does care, He really is concerned about every detail of Elijah’s life. How do I know this? Because God has a solution for Elijah. 

God comes down to remind Elijah that He is for him, not against him. He gives Elijah some friends, some buddies to share the work load with—to refresh his spirit, to come alongside and rally around him. 

¹⁵ The LORD said to [Elijah], “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

It’s easy to think of God as the big meanie in the sky, the One who sends destruction and disaster upon us; a God who could care less about us frail humans who wander around the world searching for hope, grace, kindness, love.

The next time you feel like blaming God for your troubles, look to this story. God is not in the blustery wind. He’s not in the devastating earthquake. And He’s not in the blazing fire. He’s there as a gentle whisperer ready to talk to you, convince you that He cares and that He’s coming down to help you.