Matthew 11:2-19
“Notice what you notice.” John the Baptist, in prison, is wondering about (if not second-guessing) his earlier expectation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lamb of God. John had formed his Messianic expectation at Jesus’ baptism and Jesus’ early Judean ministry. Now Jesus is in Galilee and John is miles away, in prison, presumably in Jerusalem. John is wondering what’s going on! Why is there no Messianic triumph? Or is Jesus still early in what will be His eventual triumph? Who are You, Jesus??!!
Jesus’ answer is both affirmative and comforting – affirmative in His recounting of His interactions with the blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf, the dead, and the poor and comforting in pointing out to John that yes, in spite of John’s earlier denial (not being Elijah, John 1:19-21) that he is in fact Elijah. Jesus speaks firmly of John’s role: This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’ (v. 10). From his seat in prison, John must have been grateful to have had Jesus’ solid endorsement. But Jesus followed up His “Elijah” endorsement with even stronger praise, Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist (v. 11).
With it all, I can’t help but wonder if I have Jesus’ endorsement. Am I preparing a way for others to know Him? Do my actions, my words bespeak someone who is actively leading others to Jesus? As Archbishop Foley Beach so often says, “If not, why not?”
Slava Bohu!