Are you offended by Jesus?

...did it happen to me

John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about the things the Messiah was doing.  So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?"

Jesus told them, " Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen - the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.  And tell him: 'God blesses those who are not offended by me.'"  (Matthew 11:2-6)

Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?


The weight of this question John asked Jesus through his disciples slowly sank into me one morning couple of years ago as I sat in our prayer room - our children's bedroom - reading the book of Matthew.  I really couldn't comprehend how of all the people in the wide, wide, wide world, John the Baptist would be the one to ask such a question of Jesus! After all isn't this the same John who had been preordained by God to announce to the world the coming of the Messiah! Wasn't this the same John the Baptist who had heard the voice of  God proclaiming about Jesus, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am so pleased." and saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove upon Jesus.

In the gospel according to Luke, chapter 1, we read of the birth of John. The birth was announced to Zechariah, the old Levitical priest (John the Baptist's father), while he was burning incense in God's sanctuary, by God's very own angel Gabriel.  Gabriel further instructed Zechariah to name the child "John." When John was still in Elizabeth's belly, we read,  the baby "leaped within her belly" and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit at the sound of Mary who had come to visit her old pregnant relative. The angel had spoken of John's greatness, "for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.  He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God.  He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old.  He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival.  He will turn the heart of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom.  (Luke 1:15-17)

As an adult John had baptized Jesus and as Jesus came out of the water following his baptism, the Bible says, "the heavens opened and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him [Jesus]. And a  voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him." (Matthew 3:13-17). Yet it was this John, the preordained announcer of the coming of the Messiah asking Jesus, if he really was the Messiah or should he and Israel be waiting for another. Wow!

John was sitting in king Herod's prison when he asked this question. The Bible says, "John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing.  So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?"  He had been imprisoned by Herod for he had "publicly criticized Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done." (Luke 3:19).  I am sure, John must have wondered why he was in that predicament while the savior of Israel, the Messiah, was working all sorts of miracles through out Israel, but had not yet delivered him from the power of Herod. The King of the Israelites of whom the old testament prophets had prophesied, the deliverer of Israel, was not delivering him from his prison. Why? Is he really the deliverer, John must have thought to himself? John had preached boldly against the Pharisees and Sadducees denouncing them, "You brood of snakes!," warning them of the coming judgement, calling out to them to repent of their sinful ways.  He had boldly called out king Herod for his sins.

Here was a prophet of God, who had lived a life of sacrifice, tirelessly worked hard for the kingdom of God and now that the savior had arrived, John was sitting in a prison for what he had done boldly and tirelessly for the Lord. The Savior of Israel seemed uncaring of his circumstance. John's expectation was different!

About John, Jesus told his disciples, "I assure you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!" (Matthew 11:11).

Why did Jesus say that about John, "Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!"? Was Jesus criticizing John for his doubting of Jesus?

Absolutely not!!!

He was merely pointing out to the human nature of an earthly man with earth bound experiences and expectations. For in heaven, standing in front of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, in all their glory with the heavenly hosts worshiping God (Daniel 7:9-10), there will not be any doubt in even the most insignificant person who the Messiah is - the Son of the most high God! the Most High God Himself! Though John is the greatest among men, preordained by God to announce His Son's coming, filled with the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother's womb, named by God, he was bound by his earthly experiences.

John came in to this world with one divine purpose, to announce the coming of the Messiah, and prepare the way for the Lord, yet he was all human in his emotions, doubting Jesus as he sat in Herod's prison, looking at his chains.  There sat John doubting if Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Our expectations are for the here and now, formed by our experience, not fully understanding God's divine purpose for our lives. Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now."

Has your prayer gone unanswered? What you desired did not occur though you'd fasted and prayed so hard, and had done everything right by God? You had absolute faith that God was going to deliver, yet that did not occur.  Are you offended that Jesus did not answer your prayer?

God blesses those who are not offended by him, but continue in faith. Take courage, for the times that we have questioned God, we are in good company with John the Baptist.  Paul teaches us that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28). May God's grace be with you!

Here in my life by Hillsongs United

Plant your mustard seed...

Jesus says,

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.  It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants and grows into a tree where birds can come and find shelter in its branches." ...(Mathew 13:31-32)

As I have been reading the book of Matthew, the Holy Spirit has been dealing with me about FAITH. The book of Matthew has been teaching me to take my mustard seed of faith and continue to sow, so that it may become that tree where others can come freely and find shelter. Few blogs ago, I wrote of a dear friend who has been going through a tough stretch with his faith and my attempts to cheer him up and encourage him have been frustrating at best. I have been finding it hard to be with him, talk to him and pray with him as every conversation dwells on all the negative aspects in his life and it is quite disheartening to see him in the state that he is.  Though I continue to pray for him every time that I pray, I had begun to think that he had lost his faith in God. There have been times that I have questioned his faith in God, asking him like Job's friends, to look within him and speak to God on whatever the underlying issues were between him and God.

In Matthew chapters 8 and 9 the scripture talks about,

• a leper, an outcast from human society, who sought out Jesus, kneeling before him, worshiping him said, "if you want to, you can make me well again." Jesus touched him and said, "I want to. Be healed."
• a Roman Officer who came and pleaded with Jesus to heal his servant who was in bed paralyzed and racked with pain. When Jesus told him that he would go to his house to see the servant, the Roman Officer replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers.  I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that, they do it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, " I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel." Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go on home.  What you have believed has happened." A powerful man - the Roman Officer- showed compassion for a servant.  His humility and absolute faith in Jesus' authority and ability to heal caused the healing of his servant!.
• a group of men who brought a paralyzed man on a mat to Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven." Then Jesus said, "Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!" And the man jumped up and went home! Their faith delivered their friend!
• Jairus, the temple leader, who came to Jesus and asked that he would come home with him and lay his hand on his dead little girl, and Jesus seeing the man's faith went home to his daughter and took the girl by the hand and she stood up! A father's faith delivered his daughter!
• then there was the woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years who came up behind Jesus in a crowd and touched the fringe of his robe, 'for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." Jesus turned around and said to her, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.
• there were the two blind men who followed along behind Jesus, shouting over the crowd "Son of David, have mercy on us!" and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" To which they replied, "Yes Lord, we do." Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen." And suddenly they could see.

We read of people from all walks of life with varying levels of faith seeking out Jesus for personal deliverance from sickness and for deliverance for others.  Each person sought after Jesus, making their way through the crowd surrounding him, worshiping him, and pleading with him to just say a word of deliverance, lay his hands or seeking an opportunity to just touch the hem of his garment persuaded to whatever extent that he had the power to heal and deliver.  There was the leper who was shunned by all society, the blind beggars shouting over the din of the crowd to get Jesus' attention, the Roman Officer with authority over many, the temple leader - a man of eminence in the synagogue, a woman with an issue of blood who had spent her last penny on doctors who couldn't help (Mark 5), and the friends who brought their paralyzed friend on a mat.  All these individuals walked away with an unforgettable experience, with the deliverance they sought regardless of their position in society, affluence or lack there of and their varying levels of faith. Their faith, no matter how big or small, bore amazing results in their personal lives and lives of those they wanted to affect.

In these scriptures we see that Jesus accepted those who approached him with the faith that they had in him, big or small, and did not shun anyone for who they were in the society. He freely gave them what they sought, perceiving the faith they had in him in approaching him for their deliverance.  He didn't compare any one's faith over another's faith.  When he saw faith, big or small, he acknowledged it publicly by delivering them.  In all, the experience with Jesus matured their faith; a mustard seed that grew into that tree that would now provide shelter for others going through a similar situation.  There were those who had the faith that just an utterance from Jesus' mouth was sufficient for a deliverance, others who thought a touch of his hand was needed, yet others who thought just to touch the fringe of the clothes he was wearing was enough for a deliverance.  Christ will work with the faith we have, if only we would seek him out, and bring our needs, fears and burdens to him.  As he answered the leper, He wants to deliver us from our sickness, our fears, our burdens and take care of our needs!

Whatever be your need, plant your mustard seed (faith) in the care of Jesus and he will nurture it to fully grow and bear fruits.  As we read in the book of Mark, chapter 9, versus 14 through 29 about a father of a demon possessed child who brings his child to Jesus after the disciples were unable to heal the child, and asks Jesus to heal his child if he could. "What do you mean, 'If I can'? Jesus asked, "Anything is possible if a person believes." The father instantly replied, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief." We read that Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the child and the boy was instantly healed.  He is the God who works with our unbelief so that we may grow to believe in him.

Let us plant the mustard seeds (our requests to God in faith) for our personal needs, our families, friends, neighbors, government and our country. As for the leper, the blind men, and the woman, there will be personal deliverance. As for the temple leader there will be deliverance for our families.  And as for the Roman Officer and the friends of the paralyzed man there will be deliverance for our friends and those whom we bring to Christ in faith. If you lack faith, ask him to build your faith. You will not only read about the warriors of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, God will transform you in to one for his glory!

May God's grace shine upon you and I, and create in us the compassion of that Roman Officer and the friends of the paralyzed man! Who am I to question my friend's faith? I need to continue to pray for him and Jesus will give us the deliverance we are seeking.  Who needs friends like Job's in his time of need! I need to grow up!!!

Brandon Heath - Give me your eyes