During November, as in all of Ordinary Time (Time After Pentecost), the Liturgy signifies and expresses the regenerated life from the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is to be spent on the model of Christ\u2019s Life and under the direction of His Spirit. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world\u2019s. The culmination of the liturgical year is the Feast of Christ the King. \u201cThis feast asserts the supreme authority of Christ over human beings and their institutions\u2026. Beyond it we see Advent dawning with its perspective of the Lord\u2019s coming in glory.\u201d\u2014\u00a0The Liturgy and Time<\/em>, A.G. Martimort.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nAs we approach the end of the church liturgical year that closes this month, let\u2019s consider our life\u2019s end and reflect upon unmet expectations and how they can stand in the way of our relationship with God.<\/p>\n
Unmet expectations can really hurt relationships, perhaps especially when they are unreasonable. Here I call to mind John the Baptist, who was one of the most righteous individuals who ever lived. However, even John might have had unmet expectations concerning Jesus. As John languished in prison, no doubt aware that his life was nearing its end, he appeared to question whether he had mistakenly hoped in Jesus to deliver Israel and usher in God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n
In Luke 7, we find John receiving reports of Jesus\u2019 miracles from his disciples and then sending his disciples to Jesus to ask him whether he is indeed the Messiah in whom John himself has hoped. Before proceeding further, it is important to provide a rationale for why I think this passage suggests that John might have doubts even in the face of Jesus\u2019 astounding miracles.<\/p>\n
Consider that John earlier displays great confidence that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Luke 3 highlights Jesus\u2019 baptism, which according to Matthew\u2019s Gospel, was performed by John the Baptist. In Luke\u2019s Gospel, we find a voice from heaven declaring Jesus as God\u2019s Son as the Spirit descended on him during his baptism (Luke 3:21-22). In parallel fashion, the other canonical gospels indicate that John clearly recognizes and identifies Jesus as the Son of God and Lamb of God who takes away the world\u2019s sins as a result of God confirming to him Jesus\u2019 identity based on the Spirit\u2019s descent on Jesus during his baptism (John 1:29-34; see also Matthew 3:13-17 and Mark 1:1-11). However, by the time we get to Luke 7, it appears that John is not so sure. Perhaps he is wondering: \u201cWhy am I languishing in prison if I am the forerunner of the Messiah? Why isn\u2019t Jesus freeing Israel from the pagan reign of Rome and its proxy rulers like the corrupt Herod who has put me behind bars?\u2019<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a closer look now at Luke 7. I cherish this passage\u2019s healthy dose of realism, including John\u2019s honesty, vulnerability, and Jesus\u2019 measured though still staggering response:<\/p>\n
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John,\u00a0calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, \u201cAre you the one\u00a0who is to come, or\u00a0shall we look for another?\u201d\u00a0And when the men had come to him, they said, \u201cJohn the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, \u2018Are you the one\u00a0who is to come, or\u00a0shall we look for another?\u2019\u201d\u00a0In that hour\u00a0he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and\u00a0on many who were blind he bestowed sight.\u00a0And he answered them,\u00a0\u201cGo and tell John what you have seen and heard:\u00a0the blind receive their sight, the lame walk,\u00a0lepers\u00a0are cleansed, and\u00a0the deaf hear,\u00a0the dead are raised up,\u00a0the poor have good news preached to them.\u00a0And blessed is the one who is\u00a0not offended by me.\u201d<\/p>\n
When John\u2019s messengers had gone, Jesus\u00a0began to speak to the crowds concerning John:\u00a0\u201cWhat did you go out\u00a0into the wilderness to see?\u00a0A reed shaken by the wind?\u00a0What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings\u2019 courts.\u00a0What then did you go out to see?\u00a0A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.\u00a0This is he of whom it is written,<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
\nwho will prepare your way before you.\u2019<\/p>\n
I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.\u201d\u00a0(When all the people heard this, and\u00a0the tax collectors too, they declared God just,\u00a0having been baptized with\u00a0the baptism of John,\u00a0but the Pharisees and\u00a0the lawyers\u00a0rejected\u00a0the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him) (Luke 7:18-30; ESV).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Even the great John the Baptist may have had doubts and possibly experienced disillusionment with Jesus. If not checked, his unrealized expectations\u2014which from the New Testament perspective were not ultimately valid since Jesus first had to offer himself up as the sacrifice for cleansing from sin before returning to reign on the earth\u2014would hurt John\u2019s relationship with God. But Jesus did not scold John. Rather, Jesus provided an answer that the miraculous works he performed and the word he declared on behalf of the needy were signs that he is indeed the Messiah. John had not hoped in him in vain.<\/p>\n
Jesus went on to praise John, and yet even more so anyone who belongs to God\u2019s kingdom, which Jesus has inaugurated. Jesus hailed John as the greatest of those born of women. But given Jesus\u2019 superiority as the very one John proclaimed as the Messiah, even the least who belongs to Jesus\u2019 kingdom was and is greater than John.<\/p>\n
We have no idea how John processed Jesus\u2019 words that John\u2019s disciples relayed to him. What we do know is that some time later Herod had John beheaded (See Luke 9:7-9). We should also know that so many people had and have unrealized expectations of Jesus based on an overly-realized eschatology. Just as in the past, whether John the Baptist or Jesus\u2019 disciples and others, people expect Jesus to take all our problems away, conquer all forms of evil, and reign over all (and us with him)\u2013right now.<\/p>\n
As noted in Luke 7, Jesus does provide signs of his future reign of peace and wholeness in his miraculous interventions on behalf of the blind, deaf, lame, and poor. But there are many things left unresolved. John\u2019s head will soon come off. Jesus will die on a cross. His people will continue to suffer. The creation will keep on groaning until he makes all things new.<\/p>\n
Jesus never promises to shield us from various relational, financial, physical, mental, emotional and vocational disappointments. He does promise to be with us, to deliver us in the midst of these challenges, and someday make all things new. We must not allow unrealized expectations that are really unrealistic expectations in the here and now stand in the way of coming to terms with Jesus as he really is and what he promises to do now and in the future. As we examine our expectations, it will help us examine our own lives and discern how to prepare for the end of the liturgical year, the end of our lives, and the end of the age. Remember that as great as John the Baptist was, those who are least in the kingdom are greater than John. May we take to heart John\u2019s message, as he prepared the way for us to follow Jesus. Let\u2019s make sure that we ourselves are doing everything possible to meet the real Jesus\u2013free of unrealistic expectations\u2013face to face.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The approach of year\u2019s end leads many people to review what transpired over the preceding months, and their entire lives in some cases. Unfulfilled resolutions and unmet expectations often come to mind, including with Jesus. As we look forward, may we examine our lives and rightful from wrongful expectations and renew hope that the next […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1284,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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