Day 10 – EVERYTHING from Jesus results in my Joy? (3 of 3)

(OR) EVERY WORD of Jesus brings me Joy?

Please read Luke 7:18-23.

Today we’ll look at Jesus’ response to John the Baptist’s question.

In Luke 7, verses 1 to 17 narrate two miracles of Jesus with joyful endings. However, verses 18 to 28 take a different turn and are essentially serious and good teaching by Jesus and do not seem to fit the theme of Joy of the two miracles.

In verse 18, we see that the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, and other miracles are reported to John the Baptist. Now, where is John? He is in prison because he made Herod the tetrarch angry by telling Herod ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’(Matthew 14:4)

John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus - “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus answers John’s question and then gives a serious talk about his own work, as set by His Father.  

To Jesus’s disciples, Joy comes from Jesus and His Words. Verses18 to 23 contain serious teachings but they point to the truth of Joy and that Joy can only come from Jesus. Let’s look at Jesus’s words “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” (Hmmm, where is joy in/from these words?)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, the truth is - you and I were spiritually blind but one day we will see God because of Jesus’ sacrifice; you and I were lame and hobbling around to find a way but one day we will be standing ( I believe even jumping and dancing- Psalm 30:11) in God’s presence; our ears are deafened by the world’s cacophony but we received faith ( Romans 10:17);  and you and I were dead in our trespasses but will live forever because Jesus emptied (Philippians 2:6-7) himself and preached to all of us -who are spiritually poor- the good news that we are saved by His grace. Jesus’ words in his answer to his John are words of pure joy to us- Jesus did and is doing everything for your joy and mine. So let’s turn to him.

Dear Jesus, in the blinding dust and deafening din of this world, sometimes your words do not make sense to this sinner. Strengthen me in your Spirit to understand the joy that your word brings whenever I read or hear your word. Amen.