The circumstances of our lives often lead us down the paths of doubt and disappointment. God, is this really your good plan? It doesn’t look like it to me. When God’s agenda and timeline fail to match our expectations, our reflex is to assume the fault lies with God and not with us. The same can be true of our estimation of Jesus. When his purposes and his teaching don’t match our expectations or desires, it can cause doubt and disappointment or even abandoning Jesus.
In our next scene in Luke’s gospel we discover that, not only are many in Israel struggling to see how Jesus’ ministry agenda and timeline could possibly be fulfilling God’s promises concerning The One who was to come, but even John the Baptist and his disciples are having second thoughts. When we remember that John is locked away in Herod’s prison at the moment, we can sympathize with their question.
“Are you the One who to is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:21)
The doubts of many Jesus has encountered have been more suspicious and skeptical. Jesus doesn’t seem to be playing by their rules. For John and his disciples, their doubt seems to be more hopeful. To the latter, Jesus offers words of assurance and hope. To the former, he gives words of warning and a call for repentance. So, as we come this Sunday, wherever you may find yourself on the continuum of faith and doubt right now, Jesus has something he wants you to hear.
Moyer Hubbard will be preaching from Luke 7:18-35 this Sunday and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you make some time this week to read the passage and pray for each as they prepare? And let’s ask God to help us align our expectations with the reality of Jesus’ character and agenda and not expect him to conform himself to our own.
See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!
Song of the Week
Behold Him by Paul Baloche
He who dined with sinners and saints
Healed the blind the lost and the lame
Even now He is in our midst
Behold Him
He who chose a criminal’s end
Paid with blood to settle our debt
Buried death as He rose to life
Behold Him