December 3, 2006
HEALING A BLIND MAN
Mark 8:22

   "Are You the one that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matt. 11:3). Was this the question of a skeptic? Indeed not, it was the question of John the Baptist sent by special messenger. Why, of all people, should John be asking a thing like this? Had he not baptized the Lord? Had he not pointed others to Him, and of his own disciples, had he not said that Christ would increase and he would decrease? Of course all this was true of John. Then why does he ask so heartbreaking a question?
   Being Christ's forerunner was one thing. John was more than willing to "make straight His paths," but being imprisoned was something else! "If I have pointed others to the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is Israel's true Messiah, what am I doing wasting away in prison," was his perplexity.
   The Lord's answer was strong and clear, but did not tell John anything he did not already know. "He answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Mt. 11:4-5). This was nothing new and only increased John's consternation. What was John doing in jail? His message and all signs point to Christ!
   The Lord's answer had a personal message for John, "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended because of Me." (Mt. 11:6). John was to hold his peace and not take offence. He was to trust all he knew for sure about the Lord and leave the rest with Him. John must believe the Lord, especially when he does not seem to understand the events of his life.
   John's imprisonment led to his death and it was the same for the Lord. After His death the disciples were even more dismayed. His words telling of His death and resurrection the third day seemed to fall on deaf ears.  Those on the Emmaus Road were equally troubled, "we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel." His answer was a rebuke, for they did not understand the scriptures. "Then He said..., 'O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?' ...then He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself ...Did not our heart burn within us, while He opened to us the scriptures?" (Lk. 24:25-32). Suffering, and then the glory, for the Lord and all His own!

Ivan L. Burgener