“When
John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his
disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we
to wait for another?’” (Matthew 11:2-3) These were
the
words of John the Baptist who had previously made these announcements:
“This
is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of
one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the
lord,
make his paths straight.’’ I baptize you with water for
repentance, but one, who is more powerful than I, is coming after me; I
am not worthy to carry his sandals…” (Matthew 3:3 &
11)
“John
answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one
whom
you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to
untie the thong of his sandal.’”
(John 1:27)
John’s
confidence and excitement announcing the coming of Jesus as the Messiah
had taken a reversal. His words in today’s text reflect
hesitancy, wondering, and even doubt rings beneath the words of John
the Baptist. Even seeing what Jesus is doing:
healing and
spreading good news, he still wonders from his prison cell:
“Are
you the One? Or should we look for another?”
Scripture is
the Word of God speaking to each of us today; that is the nature of the
Bible being the Word of God. It is the task of the preacher
to
attempt to help us see where God might be speaking today. It
is
the responsibility of the listener to personalize the Word of God to
one’s own life.
Our prisons may not have bars as John’s did, but
there are times and ways in which we can identify with John.
There are prisons created by tragedies, difficulties and memories of
past painful events. Words like these can be heard:
“Why
does God let this happen?” or “Where was God?” Or
like
John, “Should we look for another, look elsewhere?”
Christmas is
a joyful time, and that expectation makes it difficult for some who
find it to be a difficult time. Some churches in the USA have
support groups in Advent for people who find Christmas to be a hard
time. There is joy in giving, but those who find giving
impossible, find no joy. There is emptiness in the gifts that
we
rush around to purchase and give, that is caught in a child’s tearing
open present after present, squealing with excitement and looking for
more. Then the child ends up playing with the wrappings and
empty
boxes.
Jesus often communicated with stories. Here is a
story that communicated the message of the text to me. It
seemed
to be appropriate in a City of fine art and architecture.
There
was a very wealthy man who had one son to whom he was
devoted.
Both shared a passion of art collecting. They traveled the
world
adding only the finest art treasures to their collection.
Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the
walls of their family estate. The elderly widowed man looked
with
satisfaction as his only child shared his passion and became an
experienced art collector himself.
Winter approached,
and the nation was engulfed in war; the son left to serve his
country. It wasn’t long before the elderly man received a
telegram: “missing in action.” His worst fears were
later
confirmed: his son died while rushing a fellow soldier to a
medic.
On Christmas morning a knock on the door awakened
the old man. As he walked to the door past the masterpieces
of
art that only reminded him of his son who was not coming home, he was
greeted at the door by a soldier with a large package. He
said,
“I am a friend of your son. I am the one your son was
rescuing
when he died.” The two began to talk, and the soldier told of
how
the man’s son told everyone of his father and his love of fine art
works. “I am an artist,” the soldier said, “and I want to
give
you this.” As the package was unwrapped, a portrait of the
man’s
son was revealed. It was not a work of a genius, but the
painting
featured the son’s face in striking detail. The old man was
overcome and promised to hang it over the fireplace. That he
did,
pushing aside thousands of dollars of master works of art.
The
old man spent his Christmas gazing at the gift he had
received.
He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever
received. As time went on, he learned his son had rescued
dozens
of wounded. Even though it didn’t bring his son back, somehow
his
life lived on in that knowledge. Pride and satisfaction began
to
ease his grief.
That spring, the old man died; the art
world was in anticipation since the son who was killed in action was
the only heir. The art would be sold at auction.
According
to the old man’s will, the auction would be on Christmas Day, the day
he had received his greatest gift, the portrait of his son.
Art
collectors from around the world gathered to bid on the fine art.
The
auction began with a painting not on any museum list: the
portrait of the son. “Who will open the bidding with
$100?”
Moments past; no one spoke. Someone said: “Who
cares about
that painting? It’s just a poor picture of the son.
Let’s
forget it and get on to the good ones.” Voices echoed the
same. “No, we have to sell this one first,” replied the
auctioneer. “Who will take the son?”
Finally a friend
of the old man spoke: “Will you take $10.00? That’s
all I
have.” “Will anyone go higher?” asked the
auctioneer.
Silence! “Going one, going twice…Gone!”
The crowd
responded: “Now we can get on with it and bid on these
treasurers.” “The auction is over,” announced the
auctioneer. “What do you mean it is over? We didn’t
come
here for a portrait of some old man’s son. What about the
millions of dollars of art?” We demand an
explanation.”
“Very simple,” the auctioneer replied. “According to the will
of
the father, whoever takes the son gets it all.”
Just as the art
collectors discovered on that day, the message today is the
same.
The love of God the Father…a Father who’s Son, Jesus, gave His life for
others, and because of that Father’s love, whoever takes the
Son
gets it all.
