The Gospel reading for this fourth service of Advent at my church will be chapter 11 verses 2-11 in the New Testament book of Matthew. John the Baptist wanted Jesus to answer the question, "Are you the Expected One?" Jesus told his disciples to go and report to John what they had heard and seen. What had they witnessed in the presence of Jesus? Nothing short of miracles: the blind receiving sight, the deaf who could hear again, the lame who could walk and the dead coming back to life, with the good news of the Gospel being preached to the poor.
Jesus instructed the disciples to tell John that no one like Him had come before and no other Expected One would come after Him. He proclaimed John the Baptist to be the greatest man who had yet to walk the Earth, but also this: that the least important person in the coming Kingdom of Heaven would be greater than even John the Baptist!
It was time to make way for a new reality, a new world order. It was time for the world to open its eyes and embrace an entirely new vision. All had been blind, yet all were invited to see--to see what? To see something they had never before seen, something beyond their frame of reference, beyond any reality they had ever known, imagined, hoped for or dreamed.
This Expected One, Immanuel, God with Us, this miracle worker Jesus, can He make us see? Can he achieve the miracle of letting us see with our human eyes into this Holy vision?
For a few brief moments, let us close our human eyes and rest them. Rather than straining our eyes to see, we'll allow our eyes to close. We'll embrace once more this quiet, still place of watching, waiting, turning and dreaming.
Here in the still darkness, repeat this prayer mantra silently to yourself: Maranatha, Come Lord. {Allow for silent reflection}.
As we prepare to open our eyes once more, for the next few breaths, breathing in we'll say silently, "Expand our vision," breathing out, "that we may SEE."
Come Lord, and expand our vision, that we may see your glory! Amen.
Jesus instructed the disciples to tell John that no one like Him had come before and no other Expected One would come after Him. He proclaimed John the Baptist to be the greatest man who had yet to walk the Earth, but also this: that the least important person in the coming Kingdom of Heaven would be greater than even John the Baptist!
It was time to make way for a new reality, a new world order. It was time for the world to open its eyes and embrace an entirely new vision. All had been blind, yet all were invited to see--to see what? To see something they had never before seen, something beyond their frame of reference, beyond any reality they had ever known, imagined, hoped for or dreamed.
This Expected One, Immanuel, God with Us, this miracle worker Jesus, can He make us see? Can he achieve the miracle of letting us see with our human eyes into this Holy vision?
For a few brief moments, let us close our human eyes and rest them. Rather than straining our eyes to see, we'll allow our eyes to close. We'll embrace once more this quiet, still place of watching, waiting, turning and dreaming.
Here in the still darkness, repeat this prayer mantra silently to yourself: Maranatha, Come Lord. {Allow for silent reflection}.
As we prepare to open our eyes once more, for the next few breaths, breathing in we'll say silently, "Expand our vision," breathing out, "that we may SEE."
Come Lord, and expand our vision, that we may see your glory! Amen.
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