Doubting Advent I-- Matthew 11:2-11

"When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

I. Introduction

This story of John the Baptist in this morning's reading is significant because it teaches us that doubt belongs in Advent. I can go yet further. Not only does doubt belong in Advent but Jesus refuses to condemn a person for that doubt. Even more. The one who doubted in this passage is greater than any "born of women." Normally we read this passage to help us recognize, but then discard quickly, the role of John the Baptist in "preparing the way" for Jesus. I propose this morning to notice several aspects of our passage as we explore the function of doubt in John's, and implicitly our, question(s) to Jesus. One of the things we will discover is that Jesus looks at John (and us) not as a doubter but as a complete person. To unpack that statement requires us sympathetically to rehear this classic story.

Before getting to my exposition, however, I would like to tell a brief story. I often teach, as I have for about 30 years, adult Sunday School classes on the Scripture. I normally ask a lot of questions and make discussion central to how I do things. Why? Because I want to learn something from the class, and many people have lots of interesting things to share. But a few months ago, I decided I would just make some remarks without their comment. I closed my remarks with a statement that was my best-received of the class. It was on doubt. I said something to the effect: "You understand the church best today if you recognize that about 25% of people in the pews, and sometimes in the chancel, have stopped believing. They come for a number of reasons, but many just don't believe a word of what happens on Sunday mornings." People resonated with that statement for some reason. I doubt it was because I attend an Episcopal Church now and that church has all the doubters! But it made me think that doubt is much more central to faith and to church people's lives than I ever thought it was...

Let's, then, move to the text. I will divide the passage, and this exposition, into two sections: (1) Who is Jesus? (2-6); and (2) Who is John (7-11). My hope is that through these essays you may more easily be able to ask the question, "Who am I?"

II. Who Is Jesus? (vv. 2-6)--John's Doubt

Matthew tells us a story that only exists in Matt. and Luke, which is what scholars call the "Q" source ["Q" actually only stands for "Quelle," the German word for "source"]. John had been arrested after Jesus appeared on the scene and would eventually be executed. From prison he sends messengers to ask Jesus a question about Jesus' identity. While John's question is a question we have all asked at one time or another, it is also a query dripping with doubt. The dynamics of John's question in the context of the Gospel of Matthew, however are more fascinating than in Luke. Here is why.

We first met John in Matt. 3. I exposited that text for last week's Gospel reading. He was the one who showed up in the wilderness, in strange garb and demanding voice, telling the people to repent. Two things about Matthew's portrait of John are interesting, from the perspective of our passage. First, John talks about the ministry of "the coming one" (the same word he uses in 11:3 in asking the question of Jesus) as almost exclusively consisting of separating people for the judgment to come. The "coming one" will burn the chaff with the fire that doesn't go out, the "asbestos" fire. That is the picture that remains with us from Matthew (indeed, this is similar to Luke).

Second, Matthew diverges from Luke in the next few verses of ch. 3. In 3:14, John looks at Jesus and hesitates to baptize him. He says, "I neeed to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?" That is, John recognizes Jesus. Not only does he speak generally about "the coming one" (3:11), but he realizes that the one before him, Jesus, is the coming one. That is, John has in Matt 3 demonstrated not just a generic faith in one who is to come but has now directed that faith to Jesus. It is, as much as possible at the time, a faith or belief in Jesus.

Moving Back to Matthew 11

Let's now come to Matt. 11. From prison John sends messengers to Jesus. In language that is very precise and telling, John asks Jesus, "Are you the coming one or shall we await another?" (v.3). The words "the Coming One" are John's unique words for Jesus. They function almost as a sort of "title" for Jesus, much like "Mighty God," or "Prince of Peace." It has a very specific referent in John's mind. But the second half of the question is equally interesting. Greek has two words for "another." They are, as many grammarians point out, to be translated as "another of the same kind" (allos) or "another of a different kind" (heteros). The latter word gives birth to all kinds of words in English, from heterogeneity, to heterodoxy to heterosexual. The word heteros emphasizes the difference between the thing manifested and the other thing, whereas the word allos simply states that it is another thing that is expected. In Matt. 11:3, we have the word heteros/on. Thus, the full import of John's question is expressed in this expanded translation:

"Are you the Coming One, the one whom I was looking for in my preaching, or are you a different kind of One?"

John asks this question because word has gotten back to him regarding the "erga" or deeds of Jesus (11:2). Indeed, Matthew has so arranged his Gospel that after Jesus is baptized by John and retreats to the wilderness, the ministry of Jesus is neatly divided into two sections: words (chs. 5-7) and deeds (chs. 8-10), with a few other things thrown in. It is the "deeds" of Jesus that seemingly cause a problem for John, because they aren't the deeds that he had expected when he spoke so dramatically about the Holy Spirit and fire (3:11).

John's Doubt

Thus, when John asks Jesus whether he is the Coming One or whether another One of a different kind from Jesus should be anticipated (i.e., the real Coming One--the Coming One of John's initial preaching), he is doubting. Because Matthew, in contrast to Luke, has John already recognize Jesus in 3:14 (Luke has no such passage), the question in Matt. 11:3 is an indication of John's faltering faith rather than his curious spirit. John is, in plain language, doubting Jesus. Jesus doesn't fit his understanding of the "Coming One," and he asks for "clarification" from Jesus.

That Jesus interprets John's words as an indication of faltering faith is evident if you look at the verb used in v. 6--skandalizomai. I will return to this verb in one paragraph, but suffice it to say now that its English cognate is "to cause a scandal." Our translations, though correct, don't capture the true power of the word. My point will be that Jesus knows what is going on through John's question--even if we are reluctant to recognize it.

We are now making headway in understanding John. The next essay concludes my treatment.

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