Advent 3 A

Why would John the Baptist send his followers to Jesus to ask if he was the one? Why would anyone take offense at Jesus? Why is it important to meet the offensive Jesus?

Advent 3 A

Transcribed from a sermon given on

December 12, 2010

At St. Barnabas Episcopal church

By Rev. Valerie Ann Hart

When we read this passage from Matthew we can’t help but wonder, why would John the Baptist be asking about whether Jesus is the one to come? After all John was his cousin, John had baptized him at the river Jordan, he had sensed the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus, he had told some of his followers to follow Jesus, and yet here John is in prison and he sends some of his disciples to go question Jesus. Now what I imagine happened is that when John was in prison some of his disciples were wondering, “What do we do now? We thought that you were going to be the right hand person to the Messiah and here you are in prison. This person you said was the one is not what we were expecting.” So John, rather than telling them what he knew, like a good spiritual teacher said, “Go check it out for yourselves. If you are not sure go, ask him. Go and see what he is doing.”

So the disciples come to Jesus and they ask him, “Are you the one?” A simple yes/no question. He either is the one they have been waiting for or he is not the one they have been waiting for. Simple question. Jesus, however, never answers a simple question with a simple answer. In fact, like most spiritual teachers, he answers most questions with another question. He says, “What do you see? What is your experience? What is your experience of me? Look around. You see people who are sick who have been healed. You see the lame walking, you see people who were blind who can see, you see that people who were dead are now alive and the poor are being preached good news.” He almost quoted exactly from the passage from Isaiah that we read today. He is saying, “That’s who I am.”

Now John’s disciples came because Jesus did not fit what their expectations were. What they were looking for. And that is why Jesus goes on after they left and says, “What were you guys looking for when you went to see John the Baptist? Soft robes, easy answers? What were you looking for?” And he adds this really odd statement about himself, where he says, “Blessed are those who take no offense in me.” “Blessed are those who take no offense in me.”

If you look among the people who were gathered around Jesus, most of the people there had a good reason to take offense in him. John’s disciples could take offense because he wasn’t down at the river Jordan eating locust and baptizing people. He was in Galilee, and he was going and partying. What’s that about? And the Pharisees? We know the Pharisees didn’t like him because he broke all the rules. He worked on the Sabbath, he ate with sinners and he didn’t wash his hands. They took offense at that. What kind of man is this? Clearly he’s not a holy man. And certainly the authorities took offense at him because he was preaching that all people are equal. He was saying that the rich, and in that culture there was no question who were the ones who were rich and powerful, were not more important than the ones who were poor. Jesus was saying we are all neighbors to one another. In fact, he was even saying different ethnic groups, different religions, are all children of God. A lot of people took offense at that. And then there were the ones who were looking for a Messiah who was going to be a great warrior that was going to overcome the Romans, that was going to free them. But Jesus wasn’t putting together an army. Look around at the people who were following Jesus, and they were poor crippled and just everyday people. This was no army to overthrow Rome. In fact, he even at one point said that we should be paying taxes to Rome. Lots of people had reason to take offense at Jesus.

That question he asks about why did you go to see John the Baptist - what were you looking for? I’d ask you today, as you sit in this church, what are you looking for? What is it that you are looking for that you are here today? What is it that you are looking for at Christmas? Are you looking for the cute little baby in the manger? So sweet. What a great story. Who could take offense at that? Are you looking for Jesus meek and mild? That’s what he was called when I was Sunday School aged. Jesus meek and mild. Who could be offended by sweet Jesus meek and mild? Maybe you are looking for a great teacher. A wise man who has statements that we can use to understand our lives. But who would take offense at a great teacher? Maybe you are looking for someone who will give you all the answers, someone that you can turn to and no matter what the situation is you will know what to do. Now, what would Jesus do? Who would take offense at that? Maybe you are looking for a judge, a judge who will finally make it so those people who have mistreated you will get punished and your righteousness will finally be acknowledged. Who could take offense at that, someone who would see who you really are? Or maybe what you are looking for at Christmas time is someone that you can go to and you can tell him what you want. And if you have been good, you’ll get it. And if you have been bad, you will get coal. Who can take offense at Santa Claus? Who are you looking for? 

That is not the Jesus of scripture. That is not the Jesus that will change your life. That is not the Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas. The Jesus we celebrate at Christmas was nailed to a cross. And that is offensive. The Jesus we celebrate at Christmas was crucified, mocked and humiliated, and that is offensive. Paul writes that Christ crucified is a stumbling block to many people. And to those of an Islamic faith that is there biggest problem with Jesus because God would not die. God would not let Godself be crucified. But that is who Jesus is.

Some of us come to Jesus because we want to be told its okay you didn’t do anything, its’ all fine. But that’s not the Jesus that we know. Jesus takes sin very seriously. Jesus says, “Yes, you have all messed up. And that’s not okay. But I am willing to die so that you don’t need to suffer for that. I am willing to die on the cross so that you can know that God loves you enough to forgive you.” This is not cheap forgiveness. This is not cheap grace. This is not where you hurt your mom’s feelings and your mom says, “That’s okay, you didn’t mean it.” This is Jesus saying, “Yep, you hurt me, or you hurt God or you hurt another person, and you probably meant it. But you can be forgiven. And I’m going to show you how important that is by dying on a cross.”

That can be very offensive, and difficult. But if you are ready to meet that Jesus, if you are ready to let go of your offense, that the Jesus that is proclaimed at Christmas. It is not easy, it is not comfortable, it is not simple, but if you are willing to meet that Jesus and not be offended by it then your life will be transformed.