This blog focuses on passages from two chapters of Matthew. These verses share somewhat the same topic but are defined by different individuals. The first consideration in Matthew 11:2-5 centers around John the Baptist: “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” As you may recall, he orchestrated Jesus’ coming out, so to speak. Not only did John baptize Jesus, but prior to that he told the crowds that his mission in life was to prepare the way for Him. In addition, he explained to his followers that Christ was mightier than he. In fact, John amplified this by saying he was not even worthy to carry His sandals. And then he was an up close and personal witness to God’s first audible proclamation that Jesus was indeed His Son. This was accompanied by the Spirit of God descending from Heaven in the form of a dove alighting on Christ.
Matthew 11:2-5 Meaning
Sometime later, John was tragically imprisoned by Herod because he pointedly addressed Herod’s sins. While there, John sent his disciples to Jesus to inquire as to whether He was the one that was to come or should they keep on expecting someone else. Geez—kind of makes you scratch your head. John obviously had a great deal of insight into who Jesus was based on his own words. And after all he had observed he was still questioning his own visual and auditory experiences. How could this be?
The second portion of our study is from Matthew 12 and concerns two well known groups of Jewish leaders at that time—the scribes and Pharisees. In verse 38 we read: “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.” Really?
As incomprehensible as this appears, this was their request. After all the miracles of Jesus that had either been performed in their presence or related to them by other in-person observers. Where were their eyes—what were they looking at when all this was going on? Where were their ears—what were they listening to when being informed of miracles to which they had not been privy? Had they really been that distracted that it all escaped them?
These two incidents truly spoke to me. Oh, dear reader how so very easy it is for us to judge and be critical of what appears to be such a blatant imperception. But what about us? Do we ever miss God at work—do we allow signs of His favor to go unnoticed and unappreciated—do we fail to recognize Him at work when His divine maneuvers are being demonstrated right in front of us and staring us in the face?
And still, we wonder why He does not show up.
Sometimes signs of God may appear in mundane happenings. Such as the other day when my car battery just died without any warning. But it was sitting in the garage at my home. And I was able to call AAA to come right to me and replace it. And it was still under warranty so it did not cost me a cent. A spectacular incident? No—but I certainly saw God at work.
So I leave you to ponder—has God’s Presence ever eluded you when He has appeared? Perhaps you were not really expecting His miracle-working company. Maybe you were not anticipating Him to be occupying your space.
Until we sit down together for our next visit, continue living before God’s face.
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