Matthew 11:2-11
Children’s homilies don’t always go as planned. One memorable example of that took place
during Advent several years ago, and it featured a special guest appearance by John the Baptist,
in the form of Sam Sheridan. Sam is our seminarian who, God willing, will graduate from
seminary and be ordained a deacon in the spring. And he has a flair for drama. For a number of
years he did skits with us as part of worship for Summer Celebration. He’s a great person. And
he really got into this role. He dressed up in a primitive outfit, and when the children were
gathered up front, he came running down the aisle, shouting, “Repent! Repent! The Messiah is
coming!” It was supposed to be fun and engaging. Well, it scared them. The kids startled and
looked at Sam in horror and a couple of them sprang up and ran back to the pews to be with
their parents. Sam tried to talk to the children but the homily never recovered. And for a couple
of years afterwards, some of those kids would back away and look askance whenever they saw
Sam coming. We really don’t try to traumatize children on Sundays, but I suppose it was at least
a reminder of how scary John the Baptist can be. And how human.
We saw the scary part last week, when John lashed out at the “brood of vipers” before him and
warned of the wrath to come. But we see the humanity this week. Just a few short chapters ago,
Matthew’s Gospel tells us that John was so convinced that Jesus was the Messiah that he said, I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? And after the baptism, John heard that
voice from heaven saying This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. And John
was a prophet, I mean the real deal: fierce, strong, and utterly committed. But in the Gospel
passage today, he is in prison and he is uncertain. Herod will soon have him killed. His time is
short. And he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask, Are you the one who is to come, or are we to
wait for another? Did John forget about the baptism? Why is he now doubting? Matthew gives
us no insight into his thinking or his emotions. All we have is that question from a man about to
die: Are you the one?
I say this is so human because we can all relate to it. We run hot and cold; we can feel utterly
convinced of something one day and give up on it the next. If we are even half awake, we have
had moments when we doubt things we most believe in, when we question beliefs we have long
held dear. We all know what it’s like to wonder what God is up to, or if God is up to anything.
And such moments are not necessarily bad. For spiritually alive people, they are sometimes
essential. It would, for example, be easy to treat Christmas as just a pretty spectacle. We enjoy
the music and the decorations, we go to our parties and buy our gifts, and we come to church
and hear about the baby Jesus. It’s all lovely and familiar. It goes down easy. But perhaps it
shouldn’t. John’s question is one we should all ask of Christ: Are you the one? Is Jesus God
enfleshed, the human face of the Creator? Does God really enter into the world in poverty and
weakness? Can this man Jesus truly save us and bring us into right relationship with God and
each other? Can Christ satisfy our deepest needs for connection and meaning? Do we actually
have the Spirit of Christ living in us? Will we share in the resurrection of Jesus after we die? Do
we believe all this? Do we live like we believe all this? Forget for a moment the candles, the
cookies, and the carols. Inhabit John’s question: Are you the one?
If we do, Jesus’ answer to John is also addressed to us. And his response is classic Christ:
indirect. He doesn’t say, “Of course I’m the one! Haven’t you read the Creed?” He doesn’t argue
theology or try to prove anything. Instead he says this to John’s disciples, Go and tell John what
you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is
anyone who takes no offense at me. Jesus is not only performing such deeds, but he is echoing
the words of Isaiah we heard in our first lesson, words that describe the end of exile and tell us
what physical and spiritual renewal looks like. How do we know that Jesus is the one? Because
whenever people let down their guard and take no offense at him but trust him, he brings
healing and new life.
One of my greatest joys is witnessing that very reality in the life of our parish. In the past two
weeks, I have had several people talk to me after Men’s Bible study, Exploring the Word Bible
study, and Contemplative Prayer and they have told me how they are coming to a new and
deeper understanding of Christ, and experiencing God in ways that are healing and renewing.
Several times in the last two weeks, I have spoken with people after Mother Kathleen or I have
prayed for them and heard how they are experiencing the love of Christ in this community and
how that is blessing them. I hear and see the energy people have as they do various ministries
for the sake of Christ. Even in this very human and flawed parish of ours, Jesus Christ is alive
and doing what only Christ can do.
And we need only be open enough and expectant enough to see it. Please don’t let Advent just be
about shopping and decorating. I would urge all of us in the coming days to think about how we
experience Christ in our lives. Christ is God meeting us in our humanity: so how is God meeting
you in your humanity? It is spiritually helpful to remember how we have experienced Christ in
the past and how we are experiencing Christ now. And then, in light of that, we can all consider
where we are not experiencing Christ but need to. And like John, we can question him from that
place. If we are trapped in the prison of doubt and despair, to reach out to Christ and ask,
“Where are you?” If we need forgiveness, to ask Christ to set us free. If we have grown cold in
faith or feel distant from God or we are just distracted by the busyness of life, to ask Christ to
renew us and refocus us on what matters most. When we lower our defenses and reach out to
Christ in prayer, we can be confident that he will find a way to touch us. The Gospel, after all, is
not a secret. Look around you, even in this parish. Hear and see what is happening in people’s
lives. For anyone and everyone who takes no offense at him, Jesus Christ finds a way to come
and show them that he is the One.
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