2 posts tagged “john the baptist”
When John 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? (Matthew 11:2-3)
Sometimes I make a prison for myself. I put myself in prison to a thought or a feeling or an attitude that binds me.
I remember a time when our sons were young and I was not making much money as a pastor of two churches in the countryside. I wrongly thought to myself, I am just working to pay bills. I am on a treadmill. My income is barely sufficient to pay for our basic needs. I am living paycheck to paycheck. I felt like I was in a financial prison. So I prayed about the matter. And here is what the Lord told me.
Darryl, you have it all upside down. There you are, doing what I had called you to do, married to your sweetheart, with three young sons, everyone in good health. Count your blessings, man! So you do not have much money, but look around, fellow! You are free to give yourself to your churches, your wife, your sons, and to Me! Money comes and goes. This time, too, shall pass. Set your mind on things above, rise out of your prison of self-defeat. I will be with you!
A peace came over me from that day. And I learned a valuable lesson: When ever a wrong thought, feeling, or attitude tries to put me in a prison of my own making, I just pray about it. And God shows me how to turn it over and see it from the sunny side, the side of God's blessings, which are all around.
Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?
John the Baptist asked this question of his cousin Jesus. It was an important question to John, because he was at the moment a prisoner of King Herod. He was waiting to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and his liberty.
Go back and report to John what you see and hear: 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.
Jesus preached the same message as John, but with an important twist. Oh yes, Jesus called for repentance, just like John, but He also preached that salvation was possible for all, even sinners, tax collectors, and their loathsome Roman overlords.
Jesus surely cared about his cousin John and wanted to free him from King Herod's prison, but He did not intervene to do that. Oh sure, He could have, but Jesus did not work that way. His kingdom was not of this world. His kingdom would come by invitation and response, not by His own divine power and might.
Take for example Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler. Remember how He said the man lacked one thing? He told the man, Go, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and follow Me. Sadly, the man, who was actually a pretty good guy otherwise, could not do that. So the man walked away, unable to part with his riches and to enjoy being the 13th disciple of Jesus.
Did Jesus then run after the man and let him keep his materialistic god? No, he did not. He just let him go. He simply let him make his own decision. He respected his free will. Jesus did not really care about the man's money, but he did care about the man. He knew that the man's riches had a hold on him and he offered him a once in a life time opportunity to have true liberty!
I like the term being a non-anxious presence. To me it means what Jesus did here, addressing an issue but also showing he cared about the man. He cared enough to offer him a place in His own troupe of disciples. How sad that this man missed his opportunity for real liberation.
There are many who are weak and poor and need rescuing, but this man was not one of them. He was bound in a prison of his own making. He was possessed by his possessions.
How about you, my friend? Are you generously opening your hand to the poor at this Advent Christmas season and throughout the year? Are you still thinking that you can take it with you? Or, are you dedicating all that you are and all that you have to the Master who still invites you to follow Him today?
Jesus is waiting for you to make your choice.
Do it today.
