Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Because we know the answer, we
wonder why John is asking this question: “Are you the one, or is there
another?”
Just like today, some people in the
time of Jesus had an end-times outlook on life. Others did not. Some people
looked for a new Messiah, a military ruler like David, who would conquer the
Romans. The Essenes seemed to believe there would be two end-times figures.
John may have been connected to the
Essenes, so he was checking to see if Jesus was really the one they should be
looking to. John is now communicating with the world not from the banks of the
Jordan, but from behind Herod’s prison bars. Where now are the crowds? Still,
his close followers are with him and he sends this message to Jesus.
Jesus’ reply is a sort of quotation
of a passage from Isaiah: What do you think? The blind see; the lame walk; the
chronically ill are healed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; and the poor
hear good news. This is just about the opposite of a military conqueror that
most people of the time, including John, expected.
Jesus also replies with a message of
encouragement for John: You are just who you have thought yourself to be. You
are the messenger who has come to announce the coming of the Messiah. You are
the most important person in the world.
So, here we are, 2,000 years later.
It seems we are still waiting. Some people are still waiting for the end-times.
They try to predict it: there will be wars and rumors of wars – there have been
wars and rumors of wars for thousands of years. There will be signs in the
heavens and the earth – there have been hurricanes and floods and earthquakes
and fires for thousands of years. There will be plagues and disease – there have
been plagues and diseases for thousands of years. These constantly recurring
events have not brought Jesus. Neither has the red heifer or plans to rebuild
the temple or the repopulation of Jerusalem by Jews.
What will bring Jesus is our caring
for those in need, every day, in little and great ways, caring for the blind,
the lame, the deaf, the poor, the oppressed, and the oppressors.
You know how to do that. So, I’ll
just share some stories that inspire me.
First: a couple of stories about the protest at Standing Rock over the building of an oil pipeline through Native American land.
Dustin Monroe is a Native American
and a US Army veteran. For months he has brought food and supplies to Standing
Rock to support the thousands of people gathered to protest the pipeline
through Native lands. And he continues to stand with them against this invasion
of sacred grounds. Serving in this way heals him from the wounds of war.
Even though the Corps of Engineers
denied a permit to cross the Missouri River, and it seemed like victory is at
hand, the energy corporations insist their plan will continue. The National
Guard has been reinforced and additional bunkers built to protect the rights of
the corporations.
Chase Iron Eyes, a spokesperson for
the tribe has declared that this is a critical time for democracy. Will big
corporations rule, will big money rule, or will the people rule?
So, does the insistence on building
the pipeline through Native sacred grounds and across sacred water seem like
oppression to you, as it does to me? If it does, then Jesus is there with the
people, resisting what they see as an invasion.
Then, a different story: In 2010, My husband Mike and I
joined about 45 other Lutherans in a tour of the Holy Lands. We spent a few
days in Egypt, then mad our way by bus from south to north in Israel. We spent
time in Jerusalem’s Old City, and some time in Palestine, in East Jerusalem.
One of the highlights for me was a
tour of Augusta Victoria Hospital, which is a Lutheran World Federation mission
site. The wall built to protect Israelis from attacks from militant
Palestinians, divides the city into a place of haves and have-nots. West of the
wall there are plenty of hospitals and medical centers. East of the wall, there
is one, Augusta Victoria.
The staff of the hospital does what
all hospitals do, but they focus on care for chronically ill Palestinians, whether
they are Christian, Jew, or Muslim. They specialize in treatment for cancers,
in dialysis, in diabetes care, as well as the usual surgeries and sub-acute
care units.
In addition to serving the people of
the West Bank, they do job training and employ those whom they train, from
office work to cooks to nursing care and physicians.
The community outreach program
sponsors soccer teams with children of all faiths playing together. They also
encourage all the things our local hospitals do, preventative screenings and
health education.
In many ways, Augusta Victoria
Hospital cares for the blind, the deaf, the chronically ill, the lame, and the
poor. And Jesus is there through the offerings we give, and the care provided
by the staff of the hospital.
So, this week, as we prepare for the
coming of Jesus as a baby once more, let’s be aware of the many ways he already
comes to us and those in need. Jesus is who we think he is, and lots more.
Let’s pray for the protestors at
Standing Rock, that they will be safe and warm. Let’s pray for those who insist
on building the pipeline, that they will hear Jesus’ words of protest and find
another way. Let’s pray for all those who live and work and serve in and near
Jerusalem, that there will be respect for each other and peace between peoples.
And let’s pray for ourselves, that we may find joy in knowing Jesus comes to us
all the time, in many ways. Amen
