Today’s author is Prince of Peace member & retired ELCA Pastor, Rev. Gary Olson.
John the Baptist was in prison; put there by King Herod Antipas because John had dared to speak truth to power. John told Herod and whoever would listen that it was illegal for Herod to take his brother’s wife as his own. So, at the instigation of his new wife, Herod locked John up. He would not get out.
Reading Luke seven, I can almost hear the wheels turning in John’s mind. He had turned people to God with his preaching and baptism. He had promised that “one greater than he was coming” who would “baptize them with the Holy Spirit.” The implication of John’s preaching was that the Messiah was coming soon. It is what Israel longed for, the Messiah, sent by God, who would restore their country to its former peacefulness and glory.
But now John is in jail and there is no Messiah. I can imagine that John may have wondered if his expectations of what Messiah would be like were mistaken. Then he hears from his own followers what Jesus was doing—healing the servant of a Roman Centurion, telling people not to judge but to forgive, healing people of diseases and plagues, advocating for the poor.
John wonders, perhaps, can this be the Messiah? Can this helper of the helpless be the one God has sent? With, I think, incredulous wondering John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?” Jesus’ answer in Luke seven, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard…” is the yes to John’s question.
I had breakfast with a friend a few days ago. He asked what language I thought Jesus spoke. “Aramaic,” I said; “also Hebrew and I think he understood some Latin and Greek but I’m guessing at that.” Then I realized I had missed the most important language. “God’s love,” I said. “No matter what other daily language Jesus spoke, he spoke the language of God’s love.” That’s God’s message to John and to us. Jesus spoke and lived God’s love in the world and for us. We are called to speak that language too in our living.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for speaking God’s love language to us. May we continue to learn your language and speak it as we are able in our daily living.