Luke 7:18-23

Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.

Read Luke 7:18-23 noticing any questions that come to mind as you read.

John is in Herod’s prison with little hope of being released when he sends his question to Jesus. He spent his whole life preparing the way for the Messiah, but whatever expectations he had for the Messiah, they did not include this.

He may have been expecting that Jesus would free Israel from the occupation of the Roman government and restore Israel’s economic prosperity. He also may have been looking for some sort of religious reformation. But the Kingdom Jesus brought to earth was far beyond anything John could imagine.

Governments, economies, and religious structures are human attempts to organize and make sense of the world, but God’s kingdom is the all-encompassing realm where God governs and everything is set right according to God’s original shalom design. The Messiah came to restore shalom to the whole earth.

Take a moment to think about situations in your life in which Jesus didn’t do what you expected. Be as honest as you can about this and share openly with Jesus.

Read Luke 7:18-23 again noticing Jesus’ proofs that Kingdom has come to earth.

The word translated in this passage as “fall away” literally means “to fall into a trap,” and indeed it is all too easy to fall into the trap of our own expectations and desires and miss what God is and has been doing throughout time to restore shalom to humanity. And it is also easy to miss Jesus’ invitation for us to be involved in this slow, steady work.

To see evidence of the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom, we need only look to the restorative work of Jesus in the lives of people. The Kingdom comes through seemingly small acts of restoration and through the proclamation of Good News for those without resources or hope. And if these small acts continue to multiply on the earth, the Kingdom will eventually disrupt even the most formidable of human structures.

For the remainder of your time in meditation today, get quiet and let all your thoughts settle. Notice anything you are feeling right now, and from that place begin to talk and listen to Jesus.

What might Jesus want you to learn or do from his answer to John’s question.

What do you plan to do about that?

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