4 Jesus responded, “Go, report to John what you hear and see. 5 Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them.
Reflection
As I wrote yesterday, I like stories and movies about prison. I really like movies or shows about prison escapes, the more elaborate the better. Maybe the greatest movie about a prison break was “The Great Escape,” starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and a host of other stars.
I’ll be writing briefly about another escape.
At the end of World War II, American Rangers planned and completed a successful mission to rescue more than 500 American prisoners of war from the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines.
The risks were great but if the Rangers hadn’t been rescued the Japanese would have killed every one. The rescue was released in 2005 as a movie called The Great Raid.
In 2005 FOX began a series about another escape called Prison Break. In it, a brother gets arrested so can free his brother, who is imprisoned unfairly and sentenced to die.
Which of us, with the ability, wouldn’t free an imprisoned loved one? That’s why writing this column might not seem to make sense. You see, it was Jesus who could have rescued someone—but didn’t.
Jesus certainly had the means to free John the Baptist when Herod imprisoned him.
Mark briefly wrote about Jesus’ plans when John was imprisoned. With the blink of an eye, or not, or the snapping of his fingers, or not, Jesus could have freed John. After all, not only had John prepared the way for Jesus, but he was also family. John’s mother Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin.
“After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, 15 saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” wrote Mark in Mark 1:14-15.
Jesus didn’t do anything to save John the Baptist. No prison break. Not even a visit.
When John heard in prison about the things the Christ was doing, he sent word to Jesus, asking, 3 “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
Jesus responded in Matthew 11:4-5, “Go, report to John what you hear and see. Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them. Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me.”
Though Jesus didn’t tell John’s disciples what a great job John had done, if they stuck around, they would have heard hear him, starting in verse 11, “I assure you that no one who has ever been born is greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is violently attacked as violent people seize it. All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John came. If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let the person who has ears, hear.”
That was Jesus telling John he did do a great job.
What will Jesus say to me and you?
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
It doesn’t matter what the person sitting in front of you, or behind you does, what matters is what we do with the knowledge Jesus has given us. Will he say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant?”
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to remember these things. I need to remember I don’t need Jesus to tell me on this side of Heaven that I did a good job. I’ll know it when he says it when I’m on the other side. Amen.