During the season of Advent, we always remember the birth of John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin.  He was born a few months before Jesus and had the special responsibility of preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry.  Today, in our gospel lesson, we are looking at something that happened when John the Baptist and Jesus were adults.  John the Baptist’s ministry included preaching boldly and prophetically to all people, including people in power.  As you can imagine, this got him in trouble!  He landed in prison, but he had disciples who were still free to carry on his ministry—to preach and call people to repentence.  Listen to what our Lord had to say when these disciples of John questioned Jesus about his identity.

 

Matthew 11:2-6

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

 

 

The blind receive sight.  The lame walk.  Those who have leprosy are cured.  The deaf begin to hear.  The dead are raised.  And the good news is preached to the poor.  How’s that for proof?  And why did John even need any?  John was the one to baptize Jesus.  He was there at the start of Jesus’ ministry. Perhaps being in jail had caused John to doubt.  Adversity has a way of doing that to us!  Or maybe John is just asking so his disciples will go and find Jesus for themselves.  Something in John needs to know for sure that Jesus is the real deal.  He needs to know that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, God’s very own son, sent to show the depth of God’s love for us.

And so John the Baptist’s disciples search out Jesus and tell him why they have come.  They need some proof.  They need some evidence.  Can you imagine that?  Needing some proof?  Now, I suppose proof behind a shadow of a doubt is impossible—otherwise, we wouldn’t call it faith!  But we all need a sign or two along the way, don’t you think?  We need something to help us move through our questions and doubts into confidence and security.

“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”  I wonder how John the Baptist’s disciples felt when they approached Jesus.  Did they feel the need to cover up their own doubt and wonderings?  Well, Jesus, we have this friend, and he wants to know…

Jesus interrupts them. Go tell your friend what YOU hear and see.  Apparently these men had the chance to see Jesus do a miracle or two before they got to talk with him.  Go tell your friend John what YOU hear and see.  The blind receive their sight.  The lame walk.  The deaf hear.  The dead are raised!  Jesus seems to think this is all the proof they should need to convince their friend that Jesus is indeed the One.

I chose this passage today because I am fascinated with Jesus’ strategy.  He instructs these men who have had a little taste of him, to go and tell others what they see and hear.  He did not drop everything and go himself! This surprises me, because Jesus and John were cousins.  Their mothers were very close.  But Jesus doesn’t go to John himself.  He sends John’s disciples.  He sends John’s friends.  He sends the people who are in John’s inner circle back to him to minister to him.

I’ve been thinking about that decision.  About Jesus’ strategy of having John’s disciples go back and report what they had seen.  There seems to be something about the telling of what we have seen that is important for our faith development.  It’s not enough to see Jesus, and get a taste of what he does.  That is, of course, the start of faith for most of us.  Somewhere, someone finds a way to introduce us to Jesus, and we get a taste of forgiveness, or hope, or strength, or whatever it is we need, and we begin to believe. We begin to make our faith, OUR faith.  But there’s another ingredient needed in order for faith to really be faith.  It’s like the difference between a dish of ice cream, and an ice cream sundae.  Same basic ingredients, but in order for it to be a sundae, you’ve got to have some toppings.  There has to be something more.  Our faith really becomes OUR faith when we begin to share it with someone else.

Now, there are lots of ways to share faith.  Inviting someone to worship with you, praying for others, giving of your financial resources…this is not new information.  But what I want to stress today is that by telling others what we see and hear—whether we tell that through words or actions—it’s in the telling and showing others that our faith really grows.  That’s what solidifies our experience.  Telling others what you have seen and heard of God’s love—again, whether through words or deeds—all of that is not only good for other people, it’s good for you!  Not only could it give you a good feeling right now, it could indeed foster in you a stronger faith that will serve you for all eternity!

So here’s what I am hoping we can all do.  I would like for us to become elves.  Not Santa’s elves, although I am sure they could use some help right about now!  I think it would be great if we could each become an elf for God.  I am modifying the spelling of elf slightly, adding a second L.  ELLF.  Which stands for Extravagant Love Lives Forever.  It’s been 2,000 years, and we are still talking about the extravagant love God showed the world by sending Jesus.  It’s been 2,000 years, and we are still talking about the extravagant love Jesus showed by dying on the cross, and forgiving those who put him there.  It’s been 2,000 years—and people are still telling about what they have seen and heard.  Extravagant love lives forever!

The writer of Revelation talked about how this extravagant love lives forever, and how one day the world will be nothing but love.  God will wipe every tear from our eyes, there will be no more death, no more pain, no more mourning.  There will only be peace and dancing and joy.  Can you imagine that?  The same love that will one day rule the world is already here, in us.  It’s working on us, and through us.  It’s building the Kingdom of God.  Extravagant Love Lives Forever!

So, this Advent and Christmas season, how can you be an ELLF for God?  Who can you invite to worship?  Who can you be praying for?  Who can you call or visit or encourage?  Who can you tell about what you have seen and heard?  Jesus is sending you to your inner circle to tell about what you know of God’s love.  Your words and deeds will not only be a blessing to others, but also to you.  For it is in the telling and retelling that God’s love echoes through the world, and our faith is strengthened for the ages.

The blind can see.  The deaf can hear.  The dead are raised.  The good news is preached to the poor.  How had God given you a taste of that in your own life?  Every single one of us has had at least one dish of ice cream, one experience with God to call our very own.  Now it’s time to make that dish of ice cream a sundae.  Put some whipped cream and a cherry on top!  Find a way to share your experience with someone else.  That’s how extravagant love lives forever!  Are you with me?  Will you be an ELLF?  Amen.