Flashback Episode — Stumbling In Our Faith: Luke 7:18-35


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For many Christians, Jesus is the primary reason, if not the only reason, we have chosen and held onto our faith. For many non-Christians, often it is reasons other than Jesus that have turned them away.

For some non-Christians, it is simply looking at those who self-identify as Christians that turn them off. For others, it is looking at the God described in the Bible and choosing to focus on only the cruel or destructive acts that He is described as doing.

However, what if Jesus subtly spoke into this debate with a phrase and blessing of His own?

Most Christians believe Jesus to be God’s Son and a blending of divinity and humanity. We believe and understand Jesus to be the relatable and visible member of the Godhead, and we also can attribute Jesus’ speaking about Himself as God revealing a part of Himself or sharing a specific message He wants us to learn.

This leads us into our passage for this episode, which is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 7, and we will read it from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 18, Luke tells us that:

18 John’s followers [and we are talking about John the Baptist who was in prison at this time. John’s followers] told him about all these things [that Jesus was doing]. He called for two of his followers 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?’”

21 At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and he gave sight to many blind people. 22 Then Jesus answered John’s followers, “Go tell John what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the crippled can walk, and people with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 23 Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed!”

We’ll stop reading at this point to draw attention onto the message Jesus sends back to John, because in this message is a profound statement about God.

John the Baptist was in prison and we learn that he had a number of followers who were keeping Him up-to-date on what Jesus was doing. However, perhaps at a point when John was feeling extra down or impatient about His situation, he began to have doubts. Of all people, John was among the first to know Jesus was the Messiah, and he directs his followers to Jesus when Jesus shows up on the scene. Our passage for this episode suggests that many of John’s followers may have moved over to Jesus, but not all of them did.

In John’s doubt, we learn something interesting about God. Perhaps hidden in John’s question is a request asking something along the lines of “How long are you going to leave your cousin and biggest fan in prison? When are you going to begin setting up your kingdom and free us from the Romans?”

The popular religious culture at the time said that the Messiah would come, rally the Jews together, and overthrow the Roman occupation of their country. I don’t recall anything included in the Bible that suggests that John did not have at least some of this belief present regarding the Messiah’s ministry.

While John may have been asking a subtle self-serving question about how much longer he must wait in prison, what Jesus does and doesn’t do is important for us when we are wanting to better understand God’s character.

Firstly, Jesus compliments John, but it is only after John’s followers leave. Picking back up in verse 24, we read:

24 When John’s followers left, Jesus began talking to the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed blown by the wind? 25 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, people who have fine clothes and much wealth live in kings’ palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. 27 This was written about him:

‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare the way for you.’

28 I tell you, John is greater than any other person ever born, but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John.”

This description Jesus shares is important because it shows that Jesus had a high opinion of John. However, it is also worth pointing out that Jesus (aka God) did not plan to break John out of prison. If God had wanted to, He could have broken the bars, sent angels to trap or subdue the guards, and allow John to simply leave, or He could have put pressure on Herod through Herod’s superiors to let John go free.

But freeing John was not in God’s plan. John had said it himself in an earlier part of his ministry that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. If John was miraculously freed, then the attention of the people would have been drawn away from Jesus and what God was doing through Him. John’s ministry was a success, and he finishes out his life in prison.

This leads us to pay attention to a key phrase Jesus said in his reply to John: “Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed!” (v. 23)

When Jesus says “because of me”, part of me wonders if He is talking about His immediate actions during His time on earth, or if this is a much broader statement that includes His divinity. Is this a statement simply to tell John to “Keep up your faith, even if I don’t come and rescue you.”? Or is this a much broader statement for all believers throughout history from a divine perspective, as though God is saying to everyone, “You are blessed for having a strong faith in Me even though there have been events that have happened that you don’t understand or events that on the surface appear to contradict My love.”?

In my mind, I think Jesus is actually saying both.

When something I read or am challenged with doesn’t display a loving picture of God, I will always tell myself that I have less than half a perspective. There’s God’s perspective, which I believe sees the situation with eternity in mind, and there is the perspective of the one I am learning about. There are always more sides to any event than we can fully uncover, and with that understanding, I know that just because something doesn’t look loving from my vantage point, it does not make it unloving from God’s perspective.

As I have grown closer to God, I have begun to see that God’s way and His perspective, which is the way and perspective of One who can freely give life, only makes sense when we begin to see a present and future life. If the Life-Giver can give life freely, He will also have a different picture of life than we do. The present life becomes the testbed for life in the future. Not only does this truth amplify the importance of our life and decisions in the present, it helps us trust in God with a hope of a great future with Him.

As we are at the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life. Even if you don’t understand everything that has happened in your life, your past, or the world around us, choose to keep your focus on God. While we are here on earth, we won’t have all the answers, but don’t let a challenge or misunderstanding shake your faith in the One who has blessed us with life.

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn the love, the pain, and the mission God has during this phase of His-Story. Through the Bible, discover just how much God loves you, and what He wants to bless you with when He returns to put an end to this sin-filled world.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year 2 – Episode 13: When John the Baptist sent some of his followers to Jesus with some questions, discover in Jesus’ response a powerful truth about God and a powerful truth about where we should place our faith.

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