Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?

Gaudete Sunday
Gospel Reading Matthew Chapter 11:2-11

Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?

For several years I have heard this reading and felt a slight shock of John asking Jesus this question.  It seems as if John is calling out his cousin, Jesus.  My imagination from John's perspective is my own self centered projection of what I would be thinking if I was in John's place.  Knowing I was about to be put to death by Herod, I would be asking myself, "I am about to die, was my life worth it? And what are you waiting on Jesus?  You can save me now if you are the Messiah."  My own world and life would be ending and that is what I would be more concerned about, more than accepting the kingdom of God being established, which is much bigger than me.

Father Sullivan posed an interesting perspective in his Advent reflection for today in the Magnificat Advent Compantion for Advent 2019: "One possibility could be rather it was his own disciples who needed their faith increased, to be fulfilled in Jesus."

Now putting myself in John's disciples shoes, I imagine I would be self centered in my thoughts and worries.  I would have asked John, while he was in prison, is Jesus the one we should follow?  Then I would have wanted to be certain and would have asked Jesus, "the prophet that we have been following is soon to be put to death.  Should we follow you now?"  My world view would be small in my own worry about what I was to do next.  And if Jesus was the Messiah, would he not save John, his own cousin from death?  Surely Jesus is self centered as well like me.

John had already proclaimed who he was and who Jesus was to these disciples.  John knew who Jesus was, even in the womb.  I believe John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Jesus the question.

Then, Jesus preaches to the crowd, many of who were John's disciples.  They all lacked faith.

What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 

What inside you drew you to go out to John, Jesus asks. Nothing? Wonder?  Awe?  Royalty?  A king and army that could establish the kingdom on earth that you want to see, immediately?  Or did you go to see a prophet? One that prophesized about what God was up to?  What drew you there?

I know that I have my own expectations and ideas of how I would have done things differently, and more immediately than what God had planned.  I know that I would have been attached to John as my teacher.  And I know that I would need to learn more about faith and the kingdom of God and especially Jesus, through a personal encounter.  I need to know that John was preparing the way for Jesus.

That's where we are in Advent.  I know John so that I may be prepared for Jesus.  John tells me to repent and make straight the way of the Lord Jesus.  So that is what I need to do instead of worry and doubt in my small self centered world view.

I need Christ's world view, the kingdom of God. A view that is not merely bound by my limited 5 human senses.

Jesus appeals to John's disciples with what their human senses have heard and seen. Those that are blind can now see, those that are deaf can now hear.  Maybe I would have only seen the obvious deaf and blind and missed those that were no longer deaf and blind in their souls.  Those that were once dead are now alive, just as the prodigal son was once dead.  The poor are hearing the good news, maybe not just the economically poor, but those poor in their souls.

Maybe I need to see beyond my fear and doubt, beyond my limited 5 senses. We are so blessed that God gives us the sacraments to "see" him present.

But I must learn to see and hear God with the eyes and ears of my heart as I prepare for the way of Jesus Christ.