CAMINANDO WITH JESUS: Trust the Message
Advent 3 | December 15, 2019
By Marcia Houck Moore
CAMINANDO WITH JESUS is a series of reflections on the Sunday Gospel by clergy and laity from across the Diocese.
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When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “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.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “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.”
– Matthew 11:2-11
Life can certainly have its ups and downs – all of us have found ourselves in places and circumstances we never expected to be, places of great joy and fulfillment, as well as places of fear, discouragement or darkness. In this passage, John the Baptist finds himself in one of the worst of human circumstances: he is in prison, due to activities that Herod sees as subversive and threatening.
Matthew tells us that John directs his disciples to ask Jesus a question that has been on his mind: “Are you the one we think you are, or should we be looking for someone else?” In the early days of his ministry, John proclaimed that one was coming who was much greater than he, and when Jesus followed the crowds to the desert to be baptized himself, John declared with fervor that this Jesus was the one the Hebrew people had been waiting for, the one who would bring freedom from oppression and transformation of their lives.
Why, then, do we hear this request from John to be given an answer, seemingly once and for all, as to whether he and his disciples should “hang in there” with Jesus’ message and mission? Why the doubt, the loss of confidence? For whom is he asking the question? Is it for himself, his followers or perhaps for Jesus’ followers who may hear Jesus’ answer?
Regardless, John’s situation leads us to take a look at what may have brought about this crisis of confidence, and what it may mean for us as Jesus’ 21st century followers.
Times of darkness and difficulties come for most of us at some time during the course of our lives. We see evidence in the world all around us of loss, pain, suffering, oppression, even despair, with little in the way of improvement. Even though we’ve been taught we can lean on our faith, that God is present always, we may realize being in a dark place has led us to lose our sense of ourselves or even doubt our trust in God’s good care and love for us and for the world.
It is a very human response to question whether we’re going in the right direction, to wonder whether we’re looking for that glimmer of hope in the wrong place, or to just feel we’ve lost our grip on the anchor of our faith, the compass that shows us the way. In the same way that John’s ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus to appear, Advent calls us to prepare ourselves and others for that glimmer once again. Jesus’ words of reassurance for John’s disciples and for his own followers remind us to stay on the path we’ve been traveling, even though we know there are many events that can derail us or take us down other roads. Jesus tells his listeners once again that they – and we – can trust the messages we’ve heard and witnessed, even when we may not see what we’re hoping for right away.
What Advent tells us is that we can choose once again. Even in the midst of struggles, loss and suffering, Advent allows us to be both doubters and proclaimers. As we proclaim and participate in the message of hope, of connection, of serving, we can discover the joy of God’s presence in our every step. As we prepare for Christmas, we are preparing for the renewal and strengthening of our faith. By stepping out into the darkness, in spite of the darkness, through practices and prayer, through worship and action, the Holy Spirit will lead us into the light through the re-birth of Christ’s love in our hearts.
Marcia Houck Moore is the Education for Ministry (EfM) coordinator for the Diocese of North Carolina. She is a member of St. Andrew’s, Greensboro.
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