The Little Things

Last night a few of us met at Wildflower Bread Company to continue in a journey through Luke and Acts.  We were ruminating on Luke Chapter 7, and the conversation had turned to the encounter between Jesus and John's disciples.  John was in prison, and as he had plenty of time to think, it appears he was wondering if he had fulfilled his calling…

7.18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

Jesus responds to the disciples of John by reiterating what he proclaimed to his neighbors in Nazareth when he had his coming out party.  You might remember that they handed him the scroll from Isaiah and he began to read the text.

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 

    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

While his neighbors were impressed with his proclamation, they didn't like that he went on to say that God would not be limited to working amongst the Jews.  They kicked him out and sent him on his way.

Now Jesus is reiterating his mission statement to John's disciples.

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

And here is where God began to open us up.  The question was asked, 'What does it mean to stumble on account of me?'  

Lots of things were shared, but what got my juices going is when we realized that Jesus might be saying that we are blessed (God is within us) when we can see God in the places where we might imagine God is not.  We are blessed (God is working on our hearts) when we see God in the brokenness of the world, and the shattered lives of humanity.  We are blessed (God is helping us to see how God sees) when we see God amongst the poor, wounded, and oppressed of the world.

In just that one little phrase and the discussion that followed, it seems we were blessed.  How about you?

Peace,

Pal