Hey, Over Here!
In Luke 7, John the Baptist is in prison. His life
expectancy is kind of grim. He was suffering for doing the right thing (holding
his Jewish leadership to the Law). Sitting there he must have thought that the
Messiah would soon establish His Kingdom and make all things right. Instead he just
waited.
John was six months older than the son of his mother's
cousin. It was not until he was above thirty years of age that he talked about
this GREAT relative. Knowing his own miraculous origin, plus the mysterious
birth of Jesus, his whole life was geared up for what he surely believed would
be the restoration of the throne of David.
Something went wrong, very wrong. John minded all his P's
and Q's (Aleph's and Gimmel's?). John lived a life of dedication and
self-deprivation. He is recognized by Jesus Himself saying, "Among them
that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist". That is a resume' hard for any one to match. So, having done all
things the correct way, he should have risen to position near the top, but here
he is at the bottom. He must have had visitors, though apparently not from the
ONE he wanted.
The book of Matthew also records this perplexing situation.
John, in desperation, sends a message. Something like, "hey, over
here!" thinking he had escaped the Master's vision. Just checking,
"what about your faithful servant?", "did you forget or fail to
notice?". John asking if he was backing the wrong guy because the right
one surely would be getting the problem rectified. Maybe John goofed and the
real one would be along soon.
In our own lives there are times when we might be asking
along with John, are you the one or do we need to look for another? Shouldn't
the creator of the universe, the Master of the elements, the bright and morning
Star be fixing the broken and painful stuff in our lives? What's up with that?
John saw the world in context within his physical lifetime.
The Kingdom he was looking for was to rise among the nations of men. He didn't
grasp that the Kingdom was above and beyond the walk on this cursed planet.
Someday time will cease to exist and this earth will be replaced with one that
never knows sin. It will be a kinder home that produces bounty minus thorns and
sweat. A Kingdom that is without end or comparison.
For those who name Jesus as their King, like John, have to
wait. All things will be made new, be made right, but not while we journey
under the sun. Jesus warned that as He was rejected, so will we. As He was
afflicted, so will we. As He was hated, so will we. We are not forgotten. We
have not escaped His sight. We live by Faith. That Faith anticipates what is
not observable or consistent with what presently occurs to mankind. It sees
something so much greater.
In Matthew 6, certain ones did some proud boasting during
their "prayers". Jesus said, "They have their reward". I
want more than that. I want to have the mindset that there is a reward waiting
far removed from what I see. The weight of this world makes us cry out to God
that this is more than we can take. The One who hears all, sees all, knows. He
not only is aware, but might in fact be the cause of our trial. As seen in the
book of Job, He initiates testing to bring out a greater purpose.
Knowing that hard things are for our good doesn't make them
easier. They just have a glorious purpose beyond our sight, beyond our
comprehension. So we wait.
