Friday - are you the one?

Prayer:   We thank You O God  with heart and hands  and voices.  You have done wonderous things and we rejoice.  You have blessed us on our way and given us the gift of Your Son.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7  20 – 23

“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else”?     How would you respond if a stranger came up to you and asked you these questions?   While the disciples of John probably were not totally unknown to Jesus,  did Jesus sit right down with the disciples of John?

Jesus chose instead  to give examples of  how he is the One.   Verse 21 is very clear that Jesus cured many who had diseases,  sickness and evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. 

Only then did Jesus reply to John’s Disciples.    Jesus tells John’s disciples to go back and report to John that the blind received 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.

And the report that Jesus gives to John’s Disciples is extremely similar to the Isaiah 35: 5 – 6.  This portion of scripture in Isaiah is a whole section that Isaiah writes on what it will be like when the people repent and return to God.       John the Baptist would have known this portion of scripture.    Perhaps it even gave John comfort to know that yes,  Jesus really is declaring himself as the One who Came from God to save us all.

Did you notice that  no where does John the Baptist nor Jesus say the word “Messiah”.  They both say, “the One”.    Using the word “Messiah”  would have opened up the flood gates of  instant jail time for either John or Jesus and their disciples  by the Romans.    Remember the Romans were ruling the people.  The Romans took the Messiah to be a political figure  who would come into Galilee with an army and try to overthrow the Roman rule.     

Jesus’ parting words to John’s Disciples is “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me”  (St Luke 7: 23  NIV  Zondervan 1981).         Keep holding the faith.  Live in accordance to the way God wants John  to live.  Continue bringing the Good News of the One into the world.      

Today Jesus gives us this same comfort….. this day how will you keep holding the faith?  How will you live in accordance to the way God wants us to live?  How will we continue bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world?

Prayer:  Great God,  may we continue to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world.    Great God,  reassure us that each thought and each deed we do is completed in Your love.    Help us to live in accordance to the way You would want us to live.  This we ask in Your Son’s name.  Amen.