God Speaks
When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Source: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Prayer: Thank You, LORD, for being a great and awesome God who cares for His people. Jesus, You came to Your undeserving people to instruct Your followers and to teach and preach in our cities. When John the Baptist was imprisoned, weary and discouraged, You sent him an encouraging message of what was happening: “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them.” You want me, like John, to be a voice in the wilderness preparing people for the coming of Jesus into their personal lives and into this world again as sovereign ruler. However, just as with Jesus and John then, the preaching and lives of true believers today don’t “fit the narrative” of their detractors. We need the wisdom that comes from above to discern and act on the truth. You are calling Your people to respond to Your great miracles among us with deeply felt and sincerely expressed repentance. This is what Jesus said that Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have done with much less evidence of Your grace, mercy and love. Thank You, Jesus, for choosing to allow me to know the Father. Thank You also for inviting me to work alongside You and to find rest for my soul. AMEN
Reflection: Dear Reader, please take time to reflect and interact with God about this scripture and prayer. I suggest that you write these responses in a journal leaving space to record how things worked out. Date and record the results as they occur. Then review monthly to celebrate what God is doing in your life.
Taking Action: Ask the LORD how He wants you to put the principles in this chapter into action in the next four days (c. 100 hrs.). Choose one of these or write your own.
- I will write down and praise God for at least five ways in which He cares for me.
- I will write down at three things Jesus is in the process of teaching me.
- I will look in positive news sources like TBN, CBN, or SAT7 for ways that God is fulfilling “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them” today.
- I will ask the LORD which one specific sin I need to confess and repent, then ask the Holy Spirit to assist me to truly change.
Sharing with others: I will share the principles I learned in this lesson with _____ (Initials only). [If you don’t know the person’s name, put something that will help you remember, for instance, CIS = clerk in store, NDN = next door neighbor, or PAW = person at work.]