When John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus with that piercing question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”, we must not too quickly suppose that John had lost his faith. Far more often, doubt is not the absence of belief but the collision of belief with unexpected reality. Even the greatest saints may stand bewildered before the mystery of God’s methods.

Here is Jesus healing the blind and lifting the poor, hardly the thunderous overthrow of evil John may have expected. The prison cell in which John waited could not have made the contrast less stark. He had preached a roaring lion; Jesus seemed more like a quiet lamb. And so the messenger goes to the Messiah with the cry that every disciple must eventually utter: “Explain Yourself.”

Jesus answers not by argument but by evidence. The blind see; the lame walk; the dead rise. That is to say, “Look at what is happening. The Kingdom is already breaking in, though not in the way you imagined.” God’s power often arrives not as a mighty earthquake but as a seed, small enough to be ignored by the proud and yet strong enough to split the stones beneath it.

Jesus refuses to conform to our ideas of what God should do. We want a Savior who fits our expectations; He gives us a Savior who fits what we truly need, even when we do not realize it. 

In praising John, Jesus reminds us that greatness in the Kingdom is measured not by one’s spiritual résumé but by one’s nearness to the Light. John stood at dawn, pointing to the coming Sun; we stand at mid-morning, bathed in its warmth. The smallest soul who trusts Christ on this side of the Resurrection possesses a gift even John longed to see with his own eyes. What then shall we learn from the imprisoned prophet and the unconventional Messiah?

Perhaps this: God may not behave as you expect, but He will always be better than you expect. His answers may not thunder, but they heal. His Kingdom may not arrive with spectacle, but it transforms everything it touches. For such a Savior does not simply rule the world; He remakes the human heart.

 

--- Help Spread the Good News ---
Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continue recording and sharing the hope of Jesus—one homily at a time.
Give Here: https://frbriansoliven.org/give