Advent | Waiting with Doubt | The Rev. Chad E. JarnaginMatthew 11:2-11 (NRSV)2 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.Over the years we have been reconditioned to be less and less patient. Waiting is a lost art. Today, we want to push a button and instantly get resolve... Think about how instantaneous our expectations are. We just want the end results... we don’t want the waiting. Many things can happen in the waiting. Mostly, we create false narratives in place of what may happen... we can also get distracted and forget what we are waiting for. John the Baptist even begins to doubt during his time in prison.The argument can be made that over the past few generations, we have sanitized Advent... what was created for waiting, we have removed entirely... There were 400 years of waiting after Malachi prophesied about forthcoming justice in the arrival of the Messiah. Frankly, there are no easy answers as to why God makes humanity wait for what is good or just. No wonder doubt and discontent have their way with most of us in long seasons of waiting.In our waiting... longing, we can either resist or embrace the waiting... and there can be strength found in stillness.Deep joy comes from deep living. Happiness isn’t the same as joy. Happiness tends to usually be dictated by circumstances... but joy can be embodied regardless. The idea that joys comes in the morning is because there was mourning the night before.I think it makes perfect sense that John the Baptist is doubting - it must have been natural to wonder why Jesus would leave him behind. This is actually a common issue - understanding that Jesus is doing something amazing, but not feeling it in our own life... so doubts begin to creep in.Jesus ends his response to John by saying ‘Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.’ The words ‘take no offense’ can also be translated as ‘stumble’. It seems that Jesus is encouraging John in his doubts, not rebuking him. He is acknowledging that faith is not easy and that those who never doubt are truly unique.Instead of running away from his doubts, and deciding to lose faith in Jesus, John asks the question, and seeks an answer from the source - not just accepting what he hears from someone else. He doesn’t have much of a choice, so... John is actively seeking... waiting.In our moments of doubt, rather than pretending our doubts don’t exist, we can: adjust our expectations, ask the questions... in our waiting. There is opportunity for communion in the doubt and uncertainty.You are not alone in the waiting.
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