Uncertainty Reset
What in life is certain?
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'" Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ’see, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.) "To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon' the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children." - Luke 7:18-35
Today's Gospel reading teaches us that even that which we know for certain, we can start to doubt.
John the Baptist was a witness to God calling Jesus his son and the Holy Spirit descending upon him, and still he had questions.
Jesus takes this doubt and turns it around, using it to question the believers about John and himself.
We, all of us, fail to know what we are thinking. We are like the seeds cast on shallow ground that take hold for a time and then wither and die.
Do we act out our faith so others can see that we are holy? Or do we follow our faith even in private?
We can see that Jesus is frustrated by the lack of understanding. The people have witnessed miracles, and they come for more without realizing how amazing it is to have God among them.
Imagine if we had a software upgrade in our brains to be for us what these grammar checkers are for our writing. Every time we have a doubt, it would underline it and bring it to our attention so we could make an adjustment in our thinking.
I am sure Jesus got tired of having to keep reminding the followers of their need to commit to and believe in their faith. He would welcome an app for us to reset our own faith.
Maybe someone can invent something. In the meantime, we need to help one another reset and realign.
More to come...