Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 32:1-20; Revelation 4:1-11
This Week's Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 11:2-11
“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)
Poor John. He was, after all, the great forerunner of the Christ. What was he doing in prison? What did that say about Jesus? I mean, if God blesses us so much because of Jesus, why don't things always work out the way we'd like them to? If Jesus is such good news to all people, why don't they all like us because we confess Jesus? It's not fair!
Thank God it's not! Imagine if it was? Jesus never would have taken on all our sin and born our guilt and burden in Himself on the cross. Talk about unfair! God treats Jesus as one of us, a poor, miserable sinner, and because of that, He now treats us like Jesus — holy and pure, righteous in His sight. That's the blessed exchange promised you in Holy Baptism: Jesus for you, you for Jesus. It's sort of the same at the Lord's Supper: Jesus takes from you all your sin, and gives to you His own holy Body and Blood. Fair to Him? Not really. But that is your salvation, and mine.
Only the blind, who cannot see God and His love apart from that, can appreciate that. Only the lepers, covered head to toe in sores, can love that. Only the deaf, who cannot hear God's mercy and goodness apart from that, can call that blessed. And only those who are poor in spirit are not offended because of that. No, they are saved by that! They are saved by Jesus alone.
The world does not admire the blind, the lepers, the deaf, the dead, or the poor. What good are they? What can they do? Well, they are us, if we would listen to the law. Quite a cast of characters! Yet, as John heard, as the Scriptures prophesied — we're the ones Jesus came for; the ones He revives with His Word, Washing and Supper. So what if the world is not impressed? So what if that puts you at odds with the world, always looking for something else from Jesus. That's what you need. So we pray:
“Lord, we implore You, give ear to our prayers and lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You now live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for Third Sunday in Advent)