Sometimes when we you look at our lives, do you see Jesus moving in amazing ways? Jesus wants us to notice what He is doing instead of asking Him for the bigger and “better” blessings. We all have expectations Sometimes God brings us face to face with our own expectations and the ways in which we have stopped seeing what God has actually been doing in us. As we see today people were filled with expectations about who the long awaited for messiah would be. Some people were expecting a kind of Caesar who would rally a revolt, or throw off Roman rule and save God’s people; other’s expected a Messiah who would proclaim God’s judgment on every evil person like the Romans, Greeks, barbarians and all of the unrighteous Jews like Matthew the tax collector.[1] Even John the Baptist was starting to have his doubts. As we read in Matthew 11:2-3 (The Message)
John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
John had been thrown in prison by Herod. He will soon be killed. As John is in jail John starts wondering if the same Jesus he’d baptised and who he’d seen the dove land on and the voice of God ring out saying “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17b). John was expecting a Messiah to be swinging an axe of judgment against all of God’s enemies. All the wrongs Israel experienced put right God’s justice finally come. John instead hears reports of Jesus eating and drinking with tax collectors, with those considered to be the bullies and traitors of God’s people, and not only them but also with political; and moral traitors, people fully open about their sinfulness; and so filled with his now increasing doubts John sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus what was going on. As Jesus gives his reply vs 4-6
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 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. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
Jesus answers pointing John back to Isaiah. As Isaiah looked to God’s chosen son to bring restoration back to His people, to bring judgment upon God’s enemies. It is first things first, as Jesus outlines for John the priority of God
It is to seek and save the lost. Judgement is coming. Look at Isaiah 35:4-6
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
As John languishes in prison not sure what will happen to him next and possibly aware he may not have many more days left on earth. He starts doubting what Jesus is doing, as his concerns were natural. What John was hearing Jesus do didn’t seem that big he wasn’t seeing God’s judgment sweeping aside the abuse and mistreatment God’s people were living under. Jesus comes back with the answer that the poor, the lost, those who understand they are sick and in need of a doctor, those whose souls long to be made clean, and feel their need before God. Jesus brings the good news to the poor to those who know they need to be forgiven and made new. Jesus runs at the things that worry us. To worry is to deny, in practical ways, God’s power, wisdom, and love for us whatever we are facing; to worry is to forget the full implications of our identity as one of God’s chosen, adopted, and deeply loved children. Jesus comes at dealing with the real issues that tangle our souls. As Jesus turns the attention of the crowds who were listening in to how Jesus answered John the Baptist’s questions about who he was and what he was doing. Jesus turns the mirror to face them, vs 7-10
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
Our struggle is that sometimes we want all the rewards of being spiritually renewed without any of the discipline and hard work of seeking to live our lives in obedience to God. As Jesus confronts the crowds behaviour, to him they are acting like spoilt children, and accepting nothing God puts before them, of John they thought of him as a madman who looked rough, lived rough and had the temerity to tell people it was judgment time and they needed to repent, confess their wrong before God and turn back to him. And so when Jesus comes forgiving sins, healing the sick, lame and despised, restoring the broken and outcast vs 16-19.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
We are often so guilty of judging people by the outside of who they are, God runs right for the heart “God calls us to practice biblically guided imagination, a God’ s-eye look at the present and the future, to reckon that His promises are stronger than our sinful intentions and actions. Obeying this call may confront us with our need to repent of our secret commitment to our own power to break the covenant relationship by sinning, or of our love of our own judicial authority in judging our sin instead of honoring His judgment.”[2] Here’s the thing God isn’t prepared to leave us as we are, we find hope in the brightest possible way that comes with understanding how thanksgiving plays out in God’s way at doing life. It is done by knowing Jesus at work on the inside shaping us in our struggles to hope and in our failures to repent, and in our natures to change us to become more like him. Jesus drives at our expectations as he sees us rush at life, or worry about our futures; or become unclear on what we are doing next. It is funny how misunderstanding and rejection aren’t usually the way we turn towards God with thankfulness, as willing indifference to God is the worst thing Jesus takes aim at 3 small villages at walking distance from each other to the reality of what God is doing through Jesus. Vs 21-24
21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Jesus had been ministering in these regions, had performed his miracles they would have seen and for all that Jesus was someone they just ignored. As Jesus sees it “a steely refusal to repent, to stubbornly persist in a complacent, self-satisfied life, is a doomed life. God is present among you and you are saying with your lives that you aren’t interested.”[3] It’s right in the midst of this confrontation Jesus shines the spot light in on us as he brings grace to the fore, as misunderstanding and indifference are always around us. So Jesus says verse 25-26
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Jesus tells us plainly if we think we have already arrived at all we need or know at life then we have no room for God, Jesus doesn’t minimise our condition, as he exposes our pretention, and weeps over our hardened hearts; still in all of that Jesus doesn’t despair He takes us to where we need to go. For us becoming spiritually alive in God starts with: faith and obedience, praise and intercession, forgiveness and deliverance, holiness and grace.[4] Jesus brings us closer still
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)
Jesus’ thanksgiving surprises us, by challenging our expectations!
Let’s pray…
David Hassan @Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 11/2/18
[1] Talk introduction idea taken from O’Donnell, Douglas Sean Matthew:Preaching the word series.Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2013p.291.
[2] David Covington “Psalm 51: Repenters Guide” p.21.-39.The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Fall 2001. Quote taken from p.31-32
[3] Peterson, Eugene. Tell it slant. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2008. p.200.
[4] Op cit. p202