What Do You Expect?

(Anna Bigelow reads the scripture.) This is the third Sunday in advent, and in the scripture from Matthew 11 John the Baptist is in prison. This was the fiery preacher who, early in Matthew, baptized Jesus and recognized him as the Messiah. But, perhaps now seeing his ministry at an end and the long-awaited king not having taken over, John is wondering whether Jesus is the Messiah and sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus whether he is, indeed, the Messiah. The response Jesus gives may not have been exactly what John had thought it would be from a Messiah. Jesus points to the healing he’s done and the word he has spread. It is a good example for us when we feel trapped or down. God’s coming is not necessarily going to fix every one of our problems, but God is with us, Emmanuel.