John and Jesus...

Do you think John understood Jesus' mission?  John, who likely was an Essenes, was ready for Jesus to usher in an age where all would adopt the regimen of their community near Qumran.   These folks took seriously their duties as heralds of the messianic age.  They practices a higher form of righteousness that was shockingly missing amongst the religious leaders in Jerusalem.    If you did not meet the standard, you were sent packing; the winnowing fork was at hand, which meant you were kicked out into the desert where you may or may not survive.

John, later in Jesus' ministry, suffering in prison, sends his disciples to famously ask of Jesus, Are you the one, or should we wait for another?   It seems Jesus has not met John's expectations and doubt has arisen.

Jesus responds by saying The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.  (Luke 7.22,23)

As we anticipate the celebration of Christmas, the birth of a Savior, perhaps it is a good thing to reflect upon what he is saving us from.  Is he saving us from unholy living?  Is it Jesus' mission to make us more religious than were the Pharisees?  Is following Jesus, a call to a righteousness akin to that of the Essenes?

Or is Jesus saving us from a life that is too small?  A life that begins with me and only sees the neighbor as the instrument through which I save myself.  I believe Jesus' response to John was a reminder that the messianic age is not to be a reward for the righteous, but a call to those who follow to show compassion and mercy to those who are not whole or holy.  The messianic age is truly that Peaceable Kingdom where those who would normally find themselves at odds with one another, discover we have more in common than we ever imagined, and that we need each other more than we ever thought.

May we this Advent Season, find a way to live out the messianic ministry of Jesus by reaching out to those who are unwanted and uncared for, knowing that in them and through them we begin to experience the fullness of God, and may we know that only by embracing the one who is not like me am I made complete.

Peace,
Pal