After Jesus sent out His twelve special messengers
throughout the land of Israel He Himself continued to teach and preach. Meanwhile, John the Baptist who had been sent
by God to prepare the way for the Messiah languished in prison. He had been waiting for the kingdom that he
had announced was within reach.
John, like everyone else had certain expectations of this Messiah. After months in Herod’s dungeon, he sent
messengers to Jesus to assure himself that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Have you ever had an experience with God that
seemed so very real and sure at the time but later when nothing seemed to be
happening, you begin to falter in your hope?
Jesus received John's messengers right in the
middle of a typically busy day of ministry with the crowds there in the
Galilee. That very day, we learn in a
parallel passage, Jesus had healed the blind, the deaf, the lame, and even raised
the dead. He had also preached the good news
to the poor about the kingdom of God being within reach (Luke 7:18-23). After witnessing these events, John’s
messengers were sent back to John with these dramatic rehearsals of His
credentials. Jesus summed them up with
these enigmatic words: “Don’t take offense at me if you wish to be one of the
blessed ones who enter the kingdom of heaven.
Why would Jesus' words offend anyone? He had been announced by John as the Lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world. He
is the Messiah. He even produces His own
credentials as prophesied. So, if He is
the king then where is the kingdom—the kingdom we all expected? The kingdom prophesied?
John was probably thinking – if you’re the king what am I –
your forerunner – doing in prison? Let’s
get the kingdom now – if the kingdom is within reach.
Although Jesus’ reply to John is meant to reassure him of
His kingly credentials, He gives him no further news about the kingdom. Instead He turns to the crowds and talks
about their expectations about John.
What did they expect to see when they went to hear him preach out in the
wilderness dressed like a wild man—just like Elijah had done—preaching
repentance and also that the kingdom was within reach. Jesus added: “He who has ears better listen.” This is an extremely important point—there is
a message here that you don’t want to miss.
Apply it or not at your own discretion but you really ought to adjust
your thinking as soon as you get it!
(Cf. Rev. 2,3)
Jesus then gave an analogy. Many people who listened to John and to Jesus were not applying the
message. They wanted to manipulate the
message instead. Jesus' compared them to street
urchins piping their own tune and expecting John and Jesus to perform for them. This is why our trust and faith must be in the promises of Jesus--not something in our own imagination.
Remember that after Jesus called Matthew the tax collector
to follow Him it so shocked the Pharisees to see Him eating and drinking with all
of Mathew’s tax collector friends. Jesus
had addressed the crowds as they murmured about it saying, “Go, tell what it
means that God demands mercy and not sacrifice.” There were internal attitudes and
expectations that the people all had concerning what God expected of them and
what they expected of God. They thought
that God demanded sacrifices and performance—external behavior—but God was
really looking for a life of mercy—internal attitudes of the heart that would
result in outward behavior.
Sacrifice was considered by many to be a payment for sin—a
fine if you will. Just pay the fine they
said. But Jesus shifted the message to
focus on internal heart issues. And John
seemed to be digging a deeper pit in his incessant call for repentance which in
their experience, the people felt, was calling for way too big a sacrifice—a
huge unpayable fine. This view was wrong
of course because it was hanging on some false understandings and expectations.
Actually, John’s preparation revealed
the enormity of their sin problem and Jesus was revealing the even larger
problem of their sinful heart while progressively revealing God’s merciful provision for
these huge needs.
John and Jesus had a different song from the Pharisees. The Kingdom was within reach but entrance
will require that the enormous fine be paid and also a radical change of the
heart. Like us, the people didn’t want
to change. They hadn’t expected that at
all. But Jesus was showing them by His
healings that just as physical change was necessary to heal the body so inner
change was necessary to heal the heart.
Most shocking of all, Jesus said that this message would
have been received by the most wicked Gentile cities! Yes, Sodom and Gomorrah of Abraham’s day and
Tyre and Sidon of their own era. (Jesus KNOWS even contingent events—what would have happened if only . . .) But Israel gets to hear first. They have a greater advantage than those
Gentile cities that had not heard. But the
cities of Galilee are not receiving the message very well in spite of the miracles and
signs prophesied in their own Scriptures.
As a result, those unbelieving Jews of Galilee will experience a greater
judgment than those Gentiles.
Change is so difficult for any of us. It requires swallowing our pride, yielding
our personal expectations and coming to Jesus. So
He says: “Come to Me. I will bear those
burdens (pay the fine for those heavy loads). Come to My rest – not for a vacation—but for
a load that you can easily handle. I
have a task for you. I will teach you
and lead you.” Now THERE is a song about
really great and godly expectations.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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