Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11; Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10
By Revd Gordon Thomas
JESUS AND JOHN
Matthew 11:2-11
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, the lepers 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." 7 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? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 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.' 11 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. [NRSV]
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, the lepers 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." 7 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? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 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.' 11 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. [NRSV]
Isaiah 35:1-10
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [NRSV]
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [NRSV]
James 5:7-10
7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! 10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [NRSV]
7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! 10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [NRSV]
WHO IS THIS?
I imagine that this scene is incredibly hard for Jesus. It obviously is for John the Baptist: he's in prison. Matthew has already told us that much earlier and he'll give us the full story later in chapter 14. Basically John has condemned King Herod's marriage to his divorced sister in law and he'll be executed. John's condemnation was part of his message that the people must prepare for God's king (the messiah). Herod was being told he certainly wasn't that king, and perhaps wisely he has John put away! Now Jesus has to face up to the fact that John his cousin, who baptized him, who prepared the people for him, who pointed them to him seems to have doubts. That must have been tough.
Matthew doesn't explain why John doubts, or his need for reassurance of who Jesus truly is. Perhaps he had heard what Jesus was up to: healing; teaching; preaching. Perhaps that disappointed him. Perhaps he expected Jesus to be like Old Testament prophets like Elijah, putting right what was wrong with the nation and the people with fire and destruction. Perhaps he simply could not understand how Herod could be holding him at all. If Jesus is so powerful he might have been thinking why doesn't he at least get me out of here? Perhaps Jesus doesn't seem like the messiah at work, and John, the greatest of the prophets, experiences his crisis of faith.
There's a really good question here which still won't go away. If Jesus is who we believe why didn't he free John? If God is God why doesn't he heal those who suffer and cry out to Him even today? It's a question which is a hard mystery and might be why James in his letter calls on the church to a simple quality: be patient beloved. We know that evil is conquered once and for all. Jesus, we celebrate your victory we sing. Yet, in this time between Jesus' cross, resurrection and coming of his Spirit, and when he returns, we also know that not everything is finally sorted out by a long way.
THE WORK OF THE MESSIAH
To get back to Jesus and John, Jesus doesn't answer his cousin directly: Go and tell John what you hear and see he responds. And he provides a sort of check-list of what he's been doing in the towns and villages of Galilee, and which Matthew has been recording. Jesus makes the blind see; the lame walk; the lepers cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead raised; and brings good news to the poor. And Matthew in his first words today wants to be clear: this is the work of the messiah.
Jesus's reply to John is a sort of rebuke. If you compare on your sheets the gospel with Isaiah's prophecy you'll see that this work is what John should expect to see. It is a virtual re-enactment of Isaiah's wonderful vision. The people must be strong, not afraid. There will be healings and a new order on the way to the God. It's the way the people are invited to follow when it arrives. As it does in Jesus. The New Testament is clear Jesus fulfils the prophecy. It's as though Jesus says to John: what did you expect? I have come to fulfill the prophets. You came to point the people to me. Why do you doubt?
It seems to me that John sees the messiah's work very differently to Jesus: and Jesus should know! For John the messiah will cleanse the people through punishment, judgment and condemnation. Jesus goes much further. It does mean those things as many a Pharisee then and now can testify in the cold light of day! But to go back to Isaiah again it also means healing and restoration, acts of mercy rather than judgment. Thankfully for us as James writes a little earlier, mercy triumphs over judgment. And Jesus wants John to know that he hasn't waited until everything is finally cleansed and judged. His work of healing and restoration is well underway.
THEN AND NOW
Jesus wants the crowds, and us, to see that everything written from Abraham and Moses through to John the Baptist has been preparation for him. This is why he uses the hard words at the end of the passage: John the Baptist is the greatest of the prophets, But now Jesus is here: everything has changed; everything is new. And everyone, including the poor who hear the good news, is greater than John in the sense that they are born into the time of fulfillment: the time when mercy, forgiveness, wholeness and love break into a broken world in Jesus.
Jesus doesn't force himself on people even John: he asks John, the crowds, and us, what we see, and then decide about Jesus.
Is this the model for us: are we a church where people ask questions of us? Are we a community of healing; of forgiveness, of mercy? Are we a community of love rather than judgement?
How are we seen by our neighbours as we prepare for Christmas? Do they see people of joy and healing, longing for them to see the transforming message of God's love for themselves in the birth, life, cross and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Do we live lives that have our neighbours asking - like John did - what this is all about? And crucially do we point them to him?
I imagine that this scene is incredibly hard for Jesus. It obviously is for John the Baptist: he's in prison. Matthew has already told us that much earlier and he'll give us the full story later in chapter 14. Basically John has condemned King Herod's marriage to his divorced sister in law and he'll be executed. John's condemnation was part of his message that the people must prepare for God's king (the messiah). Herod was being told he certainly wasn't that king, and perhaps wisely he has John put away! Now Jesus has to face up to the fact that John his cousin, who baptized him, who prepared the people for him, who pointed them to him seems to have doubts. That must have been tough.
Matthew doesn't explain why John doubts, or his need for reassurance of who Jesus truly is. Perhaps he had heard what Jesus was up to: healing; teaching; preaching. Perhaps that disappointed him. Perhaps he expected Jesus to be like Old Testament prophets like Elijah, putting right what was wrong with the nation and the people with fire and destruction. Perhaps he simply could not understand how Herod could be holding him at all. If Jesus is so powerful he might have been thinking why doesn't he at least get me out of here? Perhaps Jesus doesn't seem like the messiah at work, and John, the greatest of the prophets, experiences his crisis of faith.
There's a really good question here which still won't go away. If Jesus is who we believe why didn't he free John? If God is God why doesn't he heal those who suffer and cry out to Him even today? It's a question which is a hard mystery and might be why James in his letter calls on the church to a simple quality: be patient beloved. We know that evil is conquered once and for all. Jesus, we celebrate your victory we sing. Yet, in this time between Jesus' cross, resurrection and coming of his Spirit, and when he returns, we also know that not everything is finally sorted out by a long way.
THE WORK OF THE MESSIAH
To get back to Jesus and John, Jesus doesn't answer his cousin directly: Go and tell John what you hear and see he responds. And he provides a sort of check-
Jesus's reply to John is a sort of rebuke. If you compare on your sheets the gospel with Isaiah's prophecy you'll see that this work is what John should expect to see. It is a virtual re-
It seems to me that John sees the messiah's work very differently to Jesus: and Jesus should know! For John the messiah will cleanse the people through punishment, judgment and condemnation. Jesus goes much further. It does mean those things as many a Pharisee then and now can testify in the cold light of day! But to go back to Isaiah again it also means healing and restoration, acts of mercy rather than judgment. Thankfully for us as James writes a little earlier, mercy triumphs over judgment. And Jesus wants John to know that he hasn't waited until everything is finally cleansed and judged. His work of healing and restoration is well underway.
THEN AND NOW
Jesus wants the crowds, and us, to see that everything written from Abraham and Moses through to John the Baptist has been preparation for him. This is why he uses the hard words at the end of the passage: John the Baptist is the greatest of the prophets, But now Jesus is here: everything has changed; everything is new. And everyone, including the poor who hear the good news, is greater than John in the sense that they are born into the time of fulfillment: the time when mercy, forgiveness, wholeness and love break into a broken world in Jesus.
Jesus doesn't force himself on people even John: he asks John, the crowds, and us, what we see, and then decide about Jesus.
Is this the model for us: are we a church where people ask questions of us? Are we a community of healing; of forgiveness, of mercy? Are we a community of love rather than judgement?
How are we seen by our neighbours as we prepare for Christmas? Do they see people of joy and healing, longing for them to see the transforming message of God's love for themselves in the birth, life, cross and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Do we live lives that have our neighbours asking -
Rev Gordon Thomas © 2007