When John sends to Jesus and asks him if he is the one who was to come (Luke 7:18), he strikes a chord with many of us. We all have experienced doubts about people, movements, groups, trends, etc. Many of us have had to back away from this, that, or the other--because we decided it was not all that it was cracked up to be. My friend, Steve Wilber, said to me that if it is real disillusionment, it is a good thing, because we were believing an illusion. By the time we reach mid-life we have shed some things, let go of some things. Those of us who are younger, often reject some of the ways and mores with which we were raised. I have known young folks in Bulgaria who rejected the communist ideology in which they were raised. I have known young people in the West who have rejected their church upbringing. I know folks in mid-life who have been bitterly disappointed by a church leader they looked up to. It happens in our national life. Many who voted for Bush were disappointed by his policies. I'm sure some will be disappointed by Obama. No man can live up to all these expectations.
Most of us have wrestled with or have been haunted by the notion, "Is the thing that I am involved with really the purpose for my life or do I look for another?" We need to re-evaluate at times.
But in all our re-evaluating, in all our re-examining of things, there is this irreducible beatitude and warning--Jesus saying to any and all, "Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me" (Luke 7:23).
We can let go of a lot of things, let go of groups, let go of ways of thinking. But we cannot--we dare not--let go of Jesus.
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If we are honest, this is a hunting scripture. John, cousin of Jesus (now face it, most of us think that connection alone would give us an "in"), preached the truth, baptized hundreds if not thousands, continually butting heads with self-righteous Jewish and political leaders of his day, wore animal skins, ate locus and honey... living a severe life of hardship and loneliness and said to be the greatest prophet ever born.. now sits in prison questioning whether or not he's "got the right man." Jesus did not seem to be setting the heather on fire quite the way John had anticipated. And yes, just as our reading pointed out today, when John questions Jesus' authenticity Jesus sends word back to him in "code" from Isaiah. It was VERY important that John not miss the point here and "lose the faith."
How many times have we encountered an extremely difficult situation, only to cry out to God and have Him respond in like manner with us. And we lift our heads and respond, "What in the world does THAT mean?" Yes, we are at that moment disillusioned. What ever illusion we had of God, how we were sure He would answer us, we had quoted all the right scriptures, prayed the right prayers and confessed the right outcome. Yet, here we sit in our own "self-made prison" disillusioned with the One we trusted. And like John...it is equally important that we not "miss" the message, the lesson, the instruction that will bring about the true revelation of just who Jesus really is and as Tom's Daily Comments stated ... KNOW THE LORD!
That I may know Him, and His power, in His suffering share a part
And be like His death on Calvary, after God's own heart.
That I may know Him, that I may know Him,
That I may know my Savior and my Lord.
Well said! May the Lord help us all to have that desire toward the Lord that Paul expressed to the Philippians, "That I may know Him..."
And so, here we are, still saying, "Know the Lord!"
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