Gospel – Luke 7:19-23
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'”
Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.
And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Mick Hubbard RIP
Reflection:
In our gospel from Saint Luke we see two disciples of John the Baptist had seen, many of the wonderful things that Jesus was doing and came back to tell John about them. John then told two of his disciples to go and ask Jesus if he was the one who was to come or whether they should continue to look for someone else.
Did John really want to know the answer to this question or whether it was primarily for their benefit?
It is reasonable to suppose that some of John’s disciples may not have felt too happy to see their leader being eclipsed by an unknown newcomer. And we know from John’s Gospel that some of the Baptist’s disciples actually transferred their allegiance from him to Jesus.
The question they are told to ask Jesus is: “Are you he who is to come or shall we look for another?”
Our unmet expectations are normally the result of us expecting the wrong things, or at the wrong time. Jesus doesn’t conform to our agendas – we must be conformed to his.
Are you the one who is to come? Yes, as the signs of the kingdom confirm!
- Do we read the signs of the living presence of God even in our own times?
- Do we actively trust in the Gospel, as true disciples?
