Day 9 leading to Easter

My chapter for Day 9 is Matthew 11.

Because of his own depressing, distressing, discouraging circumstances John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus was the One who was to come - or whether they should expect someone else. John's followers had just made their report to John regarding all of the amazing miracles that were happening - a good report - and John's response was, "Go ask him if he is the one who was to come, or if we should expect another?" I can barely believe that John had doubts. He was 'the voice of one calling in the wilderness,' preparing the way for the Lord. He is the one who said "One comes after me whose sandals I am not even worthy to untie." John said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." John, in obedience, baptized Jesus in the river Jordan, and heard the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." John's whole life and whole purpose in life was linked to Jesus - and John doubted.

Permit me a bunny trail here. I am sooooooooo grateful that Matthew and Luke record this accurately. My husband is not a believer - and one of his beliefs is that 'a bunch of people got together and wrote the Bible - made up a lot of stories - and that's all it is - stories.' I cannot be his Holy Spirit - but I certainly can contest that statement. If the Bible was just a bunch of stories written to deceive people into believing in something that is not true, the writers of such fiction certainly wouldn't have had one of the heroes doubting. What purpose would that have served their narrative?

The bunny trail continues: Jesus calls John the Baptizer 'the Elijah who was to come.' Elijah is one of my favorite people, because his humanity is evident. He had some amazing successes - including the most salient one on Mt Carmel, when Jehovah G-D of the Tetragrammaton YHWH (which was absolutely an unspeakable word because it was held in such holy reverence), came with promised fire and burned up not only the sacrificial bulls, but the multiple buckets of water, the rocks, and even the very soil beneath the altar. As part of that event, Elijah sat back coolly, watching his foes, watching them cut themselves, watching them grow louder and louder calling on false gods, taunting them and needling them to further 'devotion.' Their gods didn't show up, but his did - with a dramatic display of power! Justice was served. God won! Which meant Elijah won - - and you know what he did right after the carnage on that hill was completed? He ran and hid in a cave, fearing for his life - - and wanted to die.... But that wasn't the end of Elijah's story. Elijah got past that period with God's help - and ultimately was caught up into heaven without dying.... His life story is amazing.

In a recent time of deep discouragement - not questioning my faith, but questioning God's current purpose in my life and questioning where I belong, including literally feeling I don't 'belong' anywhere - God 'gave me' Elijah for encouragement. It's O K to be human. We can't help it. But our answer is secure. And the end of Matthew 11 provides our solace: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. "

I have an antique yoke. And I know how they were used. A stronger, older, wiser animal was often yoked with a younger animal who needed the elder for training. The younger animal learned to keep pace with the older stronger one, but the older one also shouldered more than its share of the burden. It makes 'yoked together with Christ' a beautiful graphic. I am never in the yoke alone. I am never the one carrying the greater portion of the burden. He is always there right beside me - pulling the greater part of the load. If I falter, He waits a moment for me to get back in step, and together we go forward.

Ahhhh. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!

Back to John.... Jesus' response to John was not the litany enumerating proofs we might have expected, but a directive pointing John again to the very miracles being performed. "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Their message to John was a repetition of what they had already reported to him, except for one final addition that Jesus added for John's encouragement, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

John was discouraged enough to 'fall away.' John.... Elijah, too. But we have their stories and the model of their lives as encouragement. John had unmet expectations of how Jesus was to 'be' as the Savior of the world, and Jesus clearly was not performing according to the script John had in mind. I find myself in that spot more often than I like. I create expectations of how I think Jesus/ God should act - and I am disappointed. Often following a wonderful God-directed mountain top 'success' the proverbial rug is pulled out from beneath me and I plummet into the valley at the speed of the luge. (Yes - I watched many hours of the winter Olympics). But - and this is huge - I KNOW that my Redeemer lives. And that He has a plan. And that like John, I am too immersed in being in the process to see the whole picture. Knowing that mighty men of God got discouraged gives them a human face - and gives me added hope.

As a reality check, I have had legitimate reasons for the discouragements - but God's word to me last fall was 'PERSEVERE' and today is a day of HOPE. I'm excited to see what God is going to do - and I want to partner with Him in that, yet, at the same time, not get in his way by pre-supposing what that will be or how He will accomplish His will. I just want to be faithful - and I want to finish strong. The Winter Olympics were a real reminder for hanging in there, staying strong, finishing the course...but that would lead to another bunny trail....

Lord, lead me. Show me clearly. Help me stay in step with You in the yoke.

(P S - - I LOVE this chapter!)

Humor for the day:

A teacher was teaching her students about whales. She said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because, even though a whale is a very large mammal, its throat is too small.

A little girl in the class proclaimed, "Jonah was swallowed by a whale."

The teacher reiterated, "That's impossible."

The little girl responded, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."

The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"

"Then you can ask him," the little girl replied.

(O K - - feedback, please: I love jokes -obviously - but want to know if you think this one 'steps over the line.' I'm finding the little girl's reply bothers me today - - so this can be a teachable moment. Is it offensive? I can easily delete it and replace it with a different bit of humor - but I want the feedback.) Thanks for the responses! The joke stays....