John the Baptist

My pastor from my teens and into adulthood fell. He fell hard and everyone saw it. I realize it is a complicated issue with many pieces I do not understand. I do think I understand one part. He believed his own press. He believed the accolades about him were true and failed to have anyone hold him accountable to ALL his behavior.

When someone compliments me, I get all glowee (yess it’s a word) and happy. Nagging at the back of my little brain is this. Romans 7:18 “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. “ HCSB

It continues through Romans 7, lovingly nicknamed the “do do” passage. There is a war for my soul, your soul. All the time. A war I fight every day. May God be glorified. May God receive the praise, for if there is any good in me, it is most certainly Jesus. I don’t want to be king in my life. I need to daily humble myself and see the war, and ask the Spirit to “groan on my behalf.”

I’ve been thinking about the times Jesus is wowed by the faith around him. There’s the centurion.(Matthew 8:5-13) There’s the gentile woman begging for her daughter. (Matthew 15:21-28) I’m sure there is more (Peter..upon this rock I will build my church), yet I am struck by this passage in Matthew 11. Jesus is speaking of John the Baptist.

“When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else? ” Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.” As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. This is the one it is written about: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; he will prepare Your way before You. “I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

This dialogue Jesus has with John’s disciples begins with a question, their question. If you think of how Jesus replies to most, he asks a question himself. Jesus sets out to reassure John the Baptist. He recaps the last two chapters of Matthew. Go and report. Give assurance. I am the Messiah. You will know me by my miracles, in the form of statements, declarations.

And then Jesus turns his eye to John. Before Jesus enters the scene, people flocked to see John. They ventured out into the wilderness to listen and be challenged. We all know his appearance, it was not soft. He ate locusts and honey, wore animal skins tied together by a belt. He had no dependency on the culture around him. He lived in the wilderness, humble.

Jesus declares John a prophet. A messenger, quoting Malachi 3:1. Here is what I want to remember, Jesus tells this audience there is no one greater of those born of a woman, he may have been least in our eyes, but in heaven’s economy he was the greatest. He gave his whole life to furthering the kingdom of heaven. May our eyes be on the same goal. May we run the race set before us, may we let go of the trappings of this world.

And yes, I am not going to touch Matthew 11:12. Best wishes on that verse. Haha.

Let’s not ever believe our own press. May we allow Jesus to speak truth to our hearts, for the good you see in me, this is Jesus. May we fall at the feet of Jesus, humble ourselves, pick up the cross and follow him.