Are You the One?

When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’” Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.” – Luke 7:20-22 (NRSV)

Oh, John, you’re so wild and kooky. I can usually hardly imagine, let alone relate to you. But this time, I totally get you, brother. I, too, want to send someone else.

“Go and ask for me, won’t you? Are you the One? Or can I wait and see if another, more convenient Savior comes along eventually?”

Left to my own devices, I’m both lazy and impatient. Maybe some messiah will arrive someday who agrees that lying on the couch playing solitaire on my phone all day is exactly what they meant by sabbath. Maybe there’s some messiah somewhere who, noting my eyeroll at the long grocery store line, will affirm that indeed having to wait for six extra minutes for a cart full of food I had no part in producing is a profound injustice. Obviously, I’d rather not either exert myself too much or waste too much time if I can help it.

But as I wave my hand and start to drawl, “Go and ask…” there is the One, right in front of me. Healing the sick, filling the empty, opening eyes, unstopping ears, cleaning up, and laying hands on anyone who asks. Interrupting my laziness and my impatience with one compassionate act of justice after another.

Prayer
Messiah – I don’t even have to ask the question, because the answer is already right here, right now. Yes, yes, yes. Amen.