Go and report what you hear and see

Matthew 10:24-11:6 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are two sparrows not sold for an assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹ So do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

³² “Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

⁴⁰ “The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

² Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, ³ and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?” ⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.”

Have you ever been in a difficult place and even though you know that Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, you still find yourself asking, are You the One?  In today’s text it says: Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.”    Keep in mind John is the same one of whom Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11) John is the same one who confidently declared: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’ And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water. I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34)  Yet, in his darkest hour, John sent his disciples to ask: “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?”  James 1:5 says: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. It’s okay to ask. God is not offended by our questions. He will give us wisdom without reproach. James continues though saying: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. We can ask God questions, but we should not question His answers. We should believe what he says and receive what He gives. In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says:  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

When John’s disciples asked Jesus John’s question, He could have answered as he did in John 14:6 saying:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Instead, He answered: “Go and report to John what you hear and see: those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.” Jesus called on John’s disciples to testify to John about what they saw and heard. He assured John that he had been right when he said: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)   In the text and today, Jesus says: “Everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”  When God has given us wisdom, when He has revealed who He is and what He is doing, we need to tell others. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” Jesus says: “The one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it. The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, for wisdom, revelation and power. I will gladly and boldly proclaim what You have revealed to me, that Jesus is the Coming One, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Amen.