Gospel reading: Luke 7.18b-23
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So 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.’
Reflections
The passage introduces a couple of unsung characters, two of John the Baptist’s disciples. They act as faithful messengers on behalf of John in prison,* taking his question to Jesus and repeating it word for word (the repetition means that the content was important to Luke) and then being sent back by Jesus with his answer.
But Jesus’ answer is not direct. He “had just then cured many people… And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard…’ That is, first he gives John’s disciples space to make up their own minds about the significance of what they had seen and heard. Then he makes them no longer just messengers, but also witnesses to the good news.
How might the conversation have gone between John and his disciples on their return? Frustration on John’s part, that he was incarcerated and not able to go and witness for himself? Excitement on the disciples’ part, or perhaps confusion regarding what they should do next? Did they remain faithful to John and his needs in prison, at possible personal risk to themselves? Or might they have asked him… Should we then leave you and follow Jesus? You said ‘one who is more powerful than I is coming’ (Luke 3.16) and we have seen the works of power that Jesus has done. He is not just the ‘one who is to come’, but he has already come!
Such are the difficult and sometimes costly decisions of which life is made. But Jesus did not always say ‘Follow me’ in the sense of ‘join me on the road’. To the demon-possessed man he said, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ (Luke 8.39). Here he commanded the two disciples, ‘Go and tell John’. In both cases, the call is to go back to where you were, go back home. Sometimes the call to follow is the call to stay.
* Luke 3.19-20 tells of Herod putting John in prison
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Since April 2020, I have been jointly hosting a shared Lectio Divina group on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. These are my reflections only, during the prayer session and as I wrote them up. Please see my separate commentary and leaflet for more information about shared Lectio.