DAY 23: An Unexpected Twist
“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” – Matthew 11:2-6 ESV
My Thoughts:
Most of the Jewish groups (Pharisees and Sadducees) dismissed Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah, because He didn’t fit what they were looking for. He wasn’t a military or political leader who could free them from Roman rule. He wasn’t a priest. And He wasn’t a king. Thomas Cahill puts his finger on the truth when he says, “Jesus takes the tradition (expecting the Messiah of Judgment and Conquest) and gives it a new twist, develops it beyond what might have been thought possible, and transforms it into something new. It is a method we will see him use repeatedly throughout his short life” (Cahill, Everlasting Hills, p70). As Amy Grant’s song El Shaddai says:
Road to Emmaus by Greg Olsen
“Through the years You made it clear,
That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn’t see
What Messiah ought to be.
Though Your Word contained the plan,
They just would not understand
Your most awesome work was done
Through the frailty of Your Son.”
God fulfills his covenantal promises in a way that nobody (well, almost nobody) had expected or anticipated. And for C.S. Lewis, that is one of the reasons Christianity’s story is true—because reality is usually something you couldn’t have guessed. It always has a queer twist about it.
Music: El Shaddai by Amy Grant
Prayer:
Lord God, we have given more weight to our successes
and our happiness than to your will.
We have eaten without a thought for the hungry.
We have spoken without an effort to understand others.
We have kept silence instead of telling the truth.
We have judged others, forgetful that you alone are the Judge.
We have acted rather in accordance with our opinions
than according to your commands.
Within your church we have been slow to practice love of our neighbors,
and in the world we have not been your faithful servants.
Forgive us and help us to live as disciples of Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Savior. Amen.
