"When you meet the One, you'll just know."
Really?
You may think the quote above comes from the Message version of the Bible (since that's what we're reading and all). It doesn't. It's common philosophy passed on to single people everywhere. And while today's passage had absolutely nothing to do with being single or being married, there were a few things in it that reminded me of the holy grail--the search for "the One"--and the expectations many people have, whether searching for a "soulmate"...or the promised Messiah.
Here's what I mean--our expectations for the One may be very different from the real person or the real God--so much so that we may not recognize the One at first sight.
In chapter 11, John the Baptist is in prison, but sends his disciples to ask Jesus an important question:
"Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?"
Jesus replies:
"Go back and tell John what's going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side."
Is this what you were expecting?
Then count yourselves most blessed!"
I love His response because it's not just a simple, "Yes" or "No." It's a "Take a look at the evidence for yourself and decide" kind of answer--similar to later in the passage when He instructs that, "The fruit tells you about the tree."
When Jesus sounds (a little) like Bill Cosby...
Okay, so I may be stretching (quite a bit probably!), but does anyone remember Bill Cosby's ads for Jell-O pudding in the 80s? I think Jesus sounded a bit like the trusted Cos here:
John came fasting and they called him crazy.
I came feasting and they called me a lush,
a friend of the riffraff.
Opinion polls don't count for much, do they?
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Well...Jesus wasn't trying to sell pudding pops I guess. :)
Instead, He was basically saying that people had built-in expectations for John and for Him--what they should do, who they should hang out with. Depending on who you talked to, you probably would have heard a different list of what "the One" should be. I love how He taught, "the proof is in the pudding."
But wait, there's more...
(Now I sound like a TV pitch woman!). Later in the passage, it looks like He contradicts the quote above when He says:
"....The only proof you're going to get
is what looks like the absence of proof..."
Confused? Don't be. It all goes back to the idea of expectations. You see, the religious leaders were asking Jesus for evidence--they were putting him on the spot to see His credentials, the signs and wonders they expected the Messiah to perform.
I think it's interesting that Jesus didn't perform a miracle. He had the credentials they wanted. We know He already healed people. But Jesus knew their motives...and was making a point.
"You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind.
All you want is something to titillate your curiosity,
satisfy your lust for miracles."
I think He's speaking to their "If you're the Messiah, then you'll fit into the mold of our expectations"-hoity-toity (did I just write that?!?) attitude.
But guess what? He defies expectations. And there's something pretty cool about that.
Tomorrow: Matthew 13-14
No comments:
Post a Comment