Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)
John the Baptist implores helplessly from prison whether Jesus could possibly be THE ONE, “Surely there be some mistake! THE ONE I have been preparing for must surely be LIKE ME: Someone who follows the example of the previous Hebrew prophets, lives austerely, challenges sinful rulers, calls for repentance, promises God's justice … that is THE ONE who is to come. Not this person who hangs with a sleazy bunch, receives foot rubs, and preaches love. So I ask you, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’”
Perhaps, our God really is the God of love, of peace, of forgiveness. Could it be?
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
What do you think?
Namaste! Amen!
The Readings
Isaiah 45:5-8,18,21-25
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
besides me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know me,
so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.
Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
I the Lord have created it.
For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(who is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(who established it;
and did not create it a chaos,
and formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Saviour;
there is no one besides me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.’
Psalm 85:9-14
Surely God’s salvation is at hand for those who fear God,
that all glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before God,
and will make a path for God’s steps.
Luke 7:18-23
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” ’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
The readings are from the website below, with tiny adjustments to make the text more inclusive.
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