May 20, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“Are You the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3)

John sent disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah or if they should wait for another. The popular belief was that the Messiah would be a strong military figure a la Joshua or David. The Israelites were extremely tired of a thousand years of oppression from five different Gentile nations and could use the help of a deliverer. John possibly had the same sentiment, being imprisoned unjustly.

Jesus’ answer was intended to bring about a paradigm shift in their thinking. He described the true Messiah as one who makes the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead live again, and the poor hear the good news because that is true deliverance. As followers, our mission is the same. It is not to overcome evil with evil but to heal and set people free from the real enemy which is not flesh and blood, but forces of wickedness; not by might but by God’s Spirit.