Matthew 11 (NRSVue)
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, those with a skin disease 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.”
Salvation begins at the margins and works its way inward.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. John asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” What expectations might John have had about the Messiah that didn’t match what Jesus was doing? How do cultural or personal expectations shape the way people today view Jesus? Where might our own assumptions get in the way?
2. We often wait in (or even out of) fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, or fear of the unknown can all paralyze us. Can you think of ways you have turned to or leaned on your faith in those moments in order to overcome being immobilized?
3. It’s surprising to think of Jesus as someone we might stumble over, yet He warns us about that very possibility. In what ways might Jesus and the unfolding plan of His kingdom sometimes become a struggle point for you, and how can you guard your heart so that you don’t turn away when you feel the tension of the “already but not yet”?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. John was asking questions directly. Sometimes we all need a place to ask the hard questions underpinning our faith as John did at that time. Where do you turn to ask those questions or be part of someone else asking difficult questions? How do you know you are in a safe place and can trust the people and their answers?
2. John is the only prophet who both encountered Jesus in person and openly expressed doubt about Him (Matthew 11:3). What does this reveal about how faith can include both moments of clarity and moments of struggle for any believer, and how might bringing our honest doubts directly to Jesus actually deepen our faith rather than weaken it?
3. When have you been caught unaware of the work that had been done while you struggled with questions that had already been answered but not revealed? How do these moments impact your faith?
4. We can all think of a time when we too “wanted our food right now” but when we extend that analogy we find ourselves settling for a burger thrown through a window as we drive thru rather than a much healthier meal prepared for us slowly. When was a time you found yourself full but still unsatisfied or your hunger unsated?
5. Waiting for regime change—or even actively engaging in the change,—can distract us from the way we have been commanded to behave. How many different instances in our lives have we witnessed the change be limited to ineffectual worldly change? What can we do differently in these moments?
For further contemplation, consider this prompt:
In Matthew 11:2–6, Jesus affirms His identity by pointing to the healing and restorative works from Isaiah 61, yet He intentionally leaves out the later reference to “the vengeance of our God.” What does His emphasis on mercy rather than judgment reveal about the order and priorities of God’s kingdom—both in its beginning and its unfolding—and what does this mean for us as believers?