When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. 2 When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him 3 with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 4 Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 6 And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Jesus concluded his detailed instructions to the Twelve about their mission and the challenges and opposition they would face (see Mt. 10:5-42). He resumed his itinerant ministry, moving through the towns of Galilee to teach and preach, demonstrating the Kingdom of God through His works.
John the Baptist’s divine mission was to be the herald of the Messiah (Jn. 1:23; Is. 40:3). He had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas because he told Herod it was unlawful for him to have the wife of one of his brothers (cf. Mt. 14:3-4; Lv. 18:16). John heard reports about the “works of the Messiah,” the anointed one expected to fulfill the Old Testament promises of God foretold by the prophets, and sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another.” Despite having previously identified Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (cf. Jn. 1:29), John's question may suggest uncertainty or a need for reassurance that Jesus was truly the expected Messiah.
Jesus instructed John’s disciples to report the signs of the Kingdom that were being manifested through his ministry. In keeping with the prophetic tradition, the deeds of the Messiah would fulfill God’s promises. Jesus then described miracles he performed that aligned with the prophetic descriptions of the Messianic age - "The blind regain their sight" (cf. Is. 35:5; 42:7); "The lame walk" (cf. Is. 35:6); "Lepers are cleansed" (cf. Is. 53:4; Lev. 13:1-46); "The deaf hear" (cf. Is. 35:5); "The dead are raised" (cf. Is. 26:19); "The poor have the good news proclaimed to them" (cf. Is. 61:1). Those signs were confirmation that Jesus was fulfilling the Messianic expectations. However, popular Jewish expectations were for a political or military leader to restore Temple worship, enforce adherence to the Mosaic Law, and free Israel from oppression. These expectations contrasted sharply with Jesus' mission of spiritual liberation and the inauguration of God's Kingdom through acts of mercy and healing. Jesus said that true blessedness comes from accepting his works with trust and faith even when they do not meet personal expectations.
Almighty God, grant us the grace to follow the teaching of your Son even in moments of doubt and uncertainty. Help us to see Your works with eyes of faith, and may we recognize Your presence in the humble and unexpected ways You reveal Your Kingdom. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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