Reflection - Misguided

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121416.cfm
IS 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25
LK 7:18B-23

The Jewish people who lived in the first few decades of the first century placed their hope in the ancient promises God had made to their ancestors, particularly the promises made to King David.

"'When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'" (2Samuel 7:12-13, 16)

However, just like those of us living now who await the Second Coming of the Savior, people of that day had no particular reason to think that the Promise might be fulfilled in their lifetime. There were, of course, those who always had their lamps lit, as it were. Luke refers us to three.

There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:25)

And there was a prophetess, Anna. Coming up at that very hour [that Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus to be presented in the Temple] she gave thanks to God, and spoke of Jesus to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36, 38)

Also, there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe'a. a good and righteous man, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. (Luke 23:50-51)

In the midst of these and similar hopes, John the Baptist comes, and, hearing of Jesus, he sends his disciples to ask: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” While John's motivation is not made clear --- was the inquiry to satisfy himself or his disciples? --- the question he tells his disciples to ask speaks directly to the matter of the long-awaited Messiah. "Are you the one?"

Furthermore, John's motivation is not the only issue clouded by a lack of information. Our knowledge of Simeon, Anna and Joseph, as well as our knowledge of John and the disciples he sent on this questioning mission, is insufficient for us to determine exactly what sort of Messiah any of them expected. We do know that some Jews of the time expected a great warrior, others expected a leader to conquer Rome, still others anticipated a king who would restore the nation to peace and prosperity. The Messianic criterion established by yet another group had a more negative aspect: whatever he was like, the Messiah could not be someone to disturb the current structure of power. The few clues we have from the Gospel text would suggest that the three people mentioned by Luke and cited above, as well as John himself, had a more spiritual expectation in mind.

Throughout the Gospels, and in the situation described this morning as well, Jesus carefully omits giving a direct answer to the question of his identification with the Messiah. And, in situations like Peter's confession that Jesus is "The Christ of God." (I.e., the messiah that God had promised to send) the believer is admonished to be silent. Jesus' concern, of course, is for the misguided expectations that people have formed.

In reviewing occasions when I went shopping for my wife --- birthday, Christmas, anniversary, and the like --- I recall that I could be a very picky shopper. There were times, of course, when I had no satisfactory idea for a gift; and the purpose of the mall expedition was simply to seek an inspiration. Those are not the times I'm thinking of. Rather, the ones that come to mind are the one's where I had already mentally imaged the gift I wanted. 

There were certain pre-established gift criterion which were beyond my control, the chief one being the fact that only an extra small would possibly fit. Once I got beyond the size issue --- you'd be surprised at how many stores do not carry extra small --- the pre-ordained attributes were somewhat more flexible. Among those was the general 'look.' Whatever the gift was, it was not allowed to fit the category of 'old ladies clothing.' Exactly what fell into that bracket was always a bit of a mystery.

But, other than those characteristics which predestined an item for absolute exclusion, the specifics were up to me. Still, when I went shopping for that special gift, the one that sufficiently corresponded to my mental image of the ideal, It was hardly a shopping spree. Rather, it was more like a persistent, but tedious trek across the retail terrain in an attempt to find the 'holy grail' of gifts.

•      The style was too frilly so I had to go somewhere else.
  
•      The 'blue' was too 'green' so that wouldn't do.
  
•      The fit wasn't well 'fitted,' otherwise it would have been perfect.
  
•      The fabric was too heavy, so I had to look for another.
  

Some people seek their savior in the same manner that I used to seek gift selections for my wife. There are details that matter. There are criterion to be met. There are issues which must be satisfied. And all this prompts questions: Why worry about a savior? Why do I need a savior anyway? What do I want to be saved from? 

My need for a savior is at least guided by if not determined by that which I find most evil in my life. My description of the ideal savior is, therefore, a description of what I believe will remove that evil. Those who found Roman rule or the direct consequences of that rule to be the greatest manifestation of evil looked for a savior who would remove that oppression. Those who felt their poverty to be the greatest evil looked for a savior who would distribute food to all -- preferably with everyone relaxed on a hillside in the spring. Similarly, those who find their inability to afford the latest tech-toys or to keep up with the spending of their peers may seek their savior in wealth. And those who sense that evil is incarnate in their personal lack of control look for their savior in power. 

As I recall my own wanderings in the desert I find it difficult to identify the character of the savior I desired at any given time in my life. Maybe that's why the question: "What do I want to be saved from?" is no stranger to me. With all the chaotic events of life, the ordinary day-to-day struggles --- the traffic jams, the disputes with others, the deception of supposed friends, the colds and flu and more serious illnesses, the classes I must go to, the Bible study for which I must find time to prepare, the friend who needs my assistance --- with all these to distract me it has been easy to forget that my need for a savior inhabits my very core. It's easy to ignore the fact that that unsatisfied need is the chief cause of my pain. 

Why do I need a savior? What do I want to be saved from? 

I need a savior who will give me a relationship with my God. I need a savior who will keep me from an eternity without Him. John put it in a word that focused on what I need to do: Repent! Jesus put it in words that focused on what God has done for me: Your sins are forgiven. So, when John wants his disciples to ask: "Are you the one?" I have no hesitation in returning with an affirmative answer. I need a savior who will keep me from an eternity without God. Jesus is the one.