December 15, 2019 - Third Sunday in Advent - Comfort and Joy

Pastor Ray continued his joke about the insect-breathed, camel-skin wearing "cranky" John from last week with the John seen in this week's Matthew 11:2-11 gospel.

For me these Gospel passages reflect two sides of how we, as individuals of faith, approach God. There are times when we are inspired. Our visions of God seem manifest in our world. Then there are other times when we ask if those manifestations are true or something we only imagined or willed.ourselves to believe. 

This week's John expresses doubt and wants reassurance. The response of Jesus, when he hears of this through others, is "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. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

To the crowds he says ""What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 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.' 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."

Strong words when you need to evaluate truth for a number of reasons. First, is that this is to be a declaration of faith by a messenger who believes that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news brought to them because of Jesus. It is not enough that these things happened but that someone who has seen and heard will attest to these things. Someone with whom knows how Jesus is walking with them in life.

The soft robes question leaped out at me in the reading today. This is not a response from those who are locked a rose-colored view of life from a privileged life. It is not simply stressing how good life is or can be. It is not simply saying that, in essence, everything in the world is some sort of wonderful miracle. Jesus is not bringing any kind of kitsch into his answer that is so tempting for us to add.

We hear so much about comfort and joy during this season. We can struggle and busy ourselves to bring in the joy of the season. Easing distress is also present but does not necessarily become our primary focus, Today's Gospel lesson is all about that focus. Jesus knows the life John is living in prison. He knows John cannot physically follow Jesus or be with him. He knows the answer to John needs to his question "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" cannot simply be "Yes, I am.". God really is with us in Jesus but John must be reinforced in his vision of the "us" in that statement as much as God's presence.

We sometimes need that vision of "us" when we doubt as well.