Looking for the Good

Matthew 11:1-11

Are you the one who is to come? or are we to wait for another? These are the words of John the Baptist sent from a prison cell to Jesus by way of a messenger. These words are recorded in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke 7:19. It appears that John is looking to affirm Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Or maybe it was John questioning Jesus because he is incarcerated for preaching repentance, preparing the way for Jesus and for reminding and admonishing King Herod that it is not lawful for him to be messing with his brother’s wife.

(Mark 6:17 “For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.” )

Some of you might be able to relate to this, you have poured out your heart and soul for the sake of Christ and the result is persecution if not incarceration.

John the Baptist asking Jesus are you the one or shall we “look” for another. Huh? This is the same John who was known as the “beloved disciple”, the disciple who laid on Jesus’ chest, and the one who baptised Jesus. This John - questioning the authenticity of Jesus? his message and his mission? This is the same John we met in the first chapter of John, the man sent by God verse 6, the man who became a witness to bear witness of the light verse 7, the same John who proclaimed “This was He of whom I said, He comes after me and is preferred before me, for He was before me and His fulness we have all received and grace for grace. verse 15.

This was the same John who Peter heard speak of Jesus and who readily accepted Jesus’ invitation to “come and see”. verse 39.

Perhaps John’s question as recorded in Matthew 11:3 “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” was just a rhetorical question.

You know those questions we ask when we are searching for something but are not quite sure what it is. You know those questions we ask when we are in a bad situation and don’t know how we got there.

John was in prison when he uttered these words and he sent , these words to Jesus, for he was looking for an advocate, a counselor, a mighty God. John was in prison he was looking for some light to come in that dark, dank place, John was looking for a savior.

But I want you to check out Jesus’ response to John’s message. Jesus’ response to John’s message was to tell John the things which you hear and “see”. “ the blind see and the lame walk, the deaf hear and the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.” But Jesus had some rhetorical speech as well, he turned to the people and asked them what were you looking for when you all went into the wilderness. Were you looking for a reed shaken by the wind? A man clothed in soft clothing in the white house(sorry I meant to say king’s house)? What were you looking for a prophet? A prophet ? Jesus said I say to you yes and more than a prophet. For it was written “Behold I send my messenger before Your face who will prepare Your way before You. There is no one born of a woman greater than John the Baptist , but he who is least in the kingdom is greater than he.”

A prophet is an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God and most times a prophet brings a good word. Perhaps the people were looking for something good. Perhaps the people who followed John into the wilderness was looking for God. For the people were living under the rule and reign of King Trump (oops I meant King Herod) and they committing all kinds of sins. Remember it was Herod who incarcerated John for speaking out against him messing with his brother’s wife. The people who followed John were looking for God.

Now my dear sisters, you know we are living is some tumultuous times. We have President Trump in the White House, we have people committing all kinds of sins, murder, embezzlement, child abuse and sexual immorality. And if we speak out against them we might find ourselves in prison. And it may not be a physical prison but a prison of ostracism or isolation. But that’s another sermon for another occasion. But if we tell the truth today, many of us are in our own prisons and wondering how we got there. Financial prisons in debt up to our eyeballs, marital prison in a marriage that is just not working out, relational prison, hooked up with the wrong person, family prison loved ones are burdening us with all kinds of situations, health prisons our physical health is declining rapidly and spiritual prison where our relationship with Christ and God is lacking and waning.

And like John we are asking rhetorical questions, where are you God? When are you going to help me? How are you going to help me? Can you help me? And not only are we believers and followers of Christ looking for good but the world is looking for good also. Their rhetorical questions are Is there really a God? where is God in this? Who can help us get out of this mess?

And my dear sisters that is where we come into this story. The intersection of biblical and modern times. We the chosen ones called by and sent by God to bear witness must have something good to say to ourselves and to the people we encounter daily. When someone or our loved ones are ill , we/they are looking for good, a good report from the doctor and a good prognosis. When we encounter someone who has just lost there job for no reason they are looking for the good, a referral or another source of a good income, when that parent tells you that their child is wayward and in trouble they are looking for the good. A good place to go to protect them and direct them, they are looking for good and they are looking for God.

Tell them something good. Tell them about God and his only begotten son. Tell them that Jesus is a healer. Tell them that God will supply all their needs according to His riches in glory, tell them about the prodigal son, tell them how God protected him and directed him back to his home. Tell them about God.

As Jesus asked the followers of John, I ask you What are looking for ?

Look for the good! Look for God! For when you look for the good you will find God.