Matthew 11:2-6; December 14, 2025; Third Sunday of Advent
——-
2 “When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” — Matthew 11:2-6
John, taking stock of his present, not-so-great situation… at the lack of liberation from sin and tyranny… began wondering, “Are you actually the guy, Jesus, or is there another we should be waiting for?”
On the surface, it appears like John’s faith in the Good News had been shaken. Just like some of us today, maybe, who are looking around at our own not-so-great situation and asking how many more Advents do we need to wait for Jesus to return to put things right? Is there another that we should be looking for, because right now things down here don’t seem so bright, so good.
…American soldiers dead in Syria, enormous tensions around Venezuela, murder and destruction on the world’s seas and land, and on the day before the horrific Sandy Hook anniversary, students at Brown University have been injured and shot dead while just trying to take their damn exams…
Lord, in your mercy, please come quickly.
On a sub-Reddit page titled Bible (there is truly a subreddit for anything – though I personally recommend the subreddit Academic Biblical, myself), someone asked the same question we are today – “did John lose his faith?” After all, as they point out, John the Baptist was the very guy we just heard saying, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make His paths straight…” So why then, is this same guy, John, now wondering if Jesus is still the guy?
One of the top answers to this question on that page goes and I quote:
“I read it as John wanting confirmation of what he believed because things were not happening as he expected. Consider how John spoke in the beginning of the gospel:
I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And he [Jesus] will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3)
“Quite the vivid imagery…” this person continues, “but instead of raining fire down on Earth, Jesus is heard preaching peace and forgiveness instead. So, it’s not so surprising then to see John wondering just what is going on.”
Is this the same guy or not?
And so, John sends his disciples (yes, apparently he had disciples too) to find out what is going on, and upon reaching Jesus, Jesus reassures John and his disciples, saying that amidst all the ugliness, and their collective not-so-great situation, good things are still happening, amazing things in fact, for the blind see and the lame walk. And these good tidings should be told and relayed to others, if for no other reason than to counteract the never-ending cycle of fear and doom.
Just the same, Jesus reassures us that every day these sorts of positive, life-changing things are still occurring even in our own not-so-great situation. In our schools, in our communities, in our churches, in our families. And that we need to tell others about these things too, lest we become only agents of gloom.
Because even though every new morning and evening feels like a “what now!?” event… it is precisely in these sort of days, in these mental and emotional prisons, where Emmanuel, the Christ, is revealed and the Good News of His work made known.
The last line of our text this morning says, “And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at Jesus.
This has always stood out to me. I mean, why would anyone take offense at Jesus and the work he is doing, especially when he reports: the deaf hear, the lame walk, the blind see, and the poor receive good news?
Yes… why would anyone take offense to that at all? Better yet, why would Christians take offense to that at all?????
But apparently, Jesus would be offensive by some folk’s standards today, wouldn’t he?
Especially because his message seems to have a soft spot for these “undesirables” of society that he came to help and heal rather than detain and imprison.
But blessed is anyone who doesn’t get offended at this, who doesn’t get offended at Jesus and his ministry; that He came to loose the bonds of injustice and to set captives free.
And more, blessed is anyone who not only doesn’t take offense, but who themselves goes out and does as He would. As He did. Embodying good and liberating news rather than regressive and oppressive decrees.
WWJD.
Amen.
