Nougat 7

Siblings, we know John the Baptist as a fiery eccentric, Souled out to God, and as one who died an untimely death. Jesus eulogized him as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), yet He also added a caveat. Why? My theory is, it’s connected to the Tempter’s snare. What are your thoughts? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat

“John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

[Jesus said]

John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬-‭3‬, ‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Least is Greater

WOW

It almost feels like an indictment. And to some degree, it was. Just think, John the Baptist was prophesied as the ‘Forerunner to the Messiah’, as the ‘embodiment of Elijah’, yet Jesus declared all others in the Kingdom of God greater than John. Jesus’ words seem harsh. Maybe we should take a deeper look.

Remember, John is the man who saw Jesus from afar and declared him ‘… the Lamb of God, Who’s come to take the sins of the world’ (see John 1:27-29). John even spoke about being unworthy to baptize Jesus, or carry His sandals (see Matthew 3:14,11-12). He affirmed and recognized Jesus’ Lordship over him.

But when his greatest test came, like Elijah, John suffered a crisis of faith. He’d been imprisoned for his defense of Righteousness, and may have sensed that his end was near. Just imagine John, a wilderness-living hermit being stuck in prison, and having no access to his special diet. He knew Jesus – operatively, Jesus was his disciple; but when John landed in prison, it was as though Jesus had forgotten who John was. And there was no doubt that Jesus knew what happened. News like that traveled quickly. Moreover, John’s disciples would have gotten word; some were actually Jesus’ disciples!

His question, ’do you truly care that I’m imprisoned?’, worded as, ’Are you sure you’re the Messiah?’, who’s come to save … Did I get it wrong?, echoed that of Jesus’ disciples in the boat: ‘Lord do You care that we’re drowning!’. It underscored John’s desperation for answers in a time of crisis.

It wasn’t that John didn’t know Jesus’ identity. It wasn’t that Elijah hadn’t experienced the raw force of God’s miraculous power. It wasn’t that the disciples were unaware of Jesus’ power. It isn’t that we don’t know Jesus.

But what we do in a time of crisis exposes our inner fears. When/if we yield to the temptation that Fear offers, we run the risk of missing out on what God has for us – if not on earth, then in Heaven.

For in Heaven, it’s not the titles that we bore, the fasts that we maintained, nor the miracles and manifestations that matter. No, it becomes a matter of faith. It is our faith in Jesus Christ, our ability to recognize Him as Lord in every situation that matters.

Siblings, when the going gets rough, to whom do we turn, and what do we say about Jesus? May the least become great because of our faith.

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May all we seek be found in Christ