Read Luke 7:18-27
I Don’t Care What Happens To Me. I’ll Be Faithful To The End.
John the Baptist was in prison and he had two of his disciples report to Jesus and ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” These two disciples then witnessed Jesus healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses, along with those with evil spirits. Then Jesus told John’s 2 disciples to go back and report to John all the miracles he just performed. This would answer John’s questions because the Old Testament prophets said the Messiah would heal many, exactly as Jesus was doing.
Why did John doubt Jesus being the Messiah, the one to come? What was it that made him even question whether or not Jesus was the Son of God? Probably because he was in prison. Jesus says that John was the forerunner for him. He was the messenger the Old Testament prophet said would prepare the way for the Lord. But now that John is in prison, he begins to doubt and question if Jesus is truly the one! It’s as if he’s thinking that if I’m the one called by God to prepare the way for Jesus, then I shouldn’t be in prison. Only good things should be happening to me.
Don’t we do that. We know Jesus is the Son of God. We know he can do great things and all kinds of miracles. Yet, some days we feel we are in prison because things aren’t going as we feel they should, then we begin to doubt God.
Do I feel bad for John? Sure I do, but look how faithful he was to the Lord even though his life ended in a tragic way. Jesus said no one on Earth was greater than John. So when trials come our way, instead of feeling entitled and thinking, “Hey, I’m a Christian my life is in turmoil. This shouldn’t be happening to me!” I’ve expressed this attitude before but as I look back at it, it sounds selfish and egotistical. It’s as if I have this sense of entitlement. Lord, help me not go there with these attitudes.
God allows us to experience miracles and he also puts us in positions that makes us feel we are in prison. When that happens, we have two choices:
1. Complaining because God is not working the way we feel he should. Or
2. Be faithful to the end no matter what happens.
Lord, help me be faithful!
