Are you he who is to come

Long before Jesus came, the prophet Isaiah spelt out the signs that would distinguish him as the Messiah. 'When he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing.' When the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus if he really were the Messiah, Jesus simply asked them to look around and see for themselves. The words of the prophet were being fulfilled right there before their eyes. Jesus then went on to give John the highest possible commendation, because John had fulfilled his own mission with total fidelity, and was now in jail for his courage and his commitment. John had prepared the way for Jesus, and, in his own words, he then got out of the way. 'I must decrease so that he can increase.'

Isaiah had foretold the signs. Jesus pointed to the signs as proof of who he was. Before leaving his apostles, he commissioned them to go forth, and spread the good news among all the nations. 'And these are the signs that shall accompany those who believe in me : The blind will see, the lame will walk, and the poor will have good news preached to them'.

Let go, and let God. Like John, I begin to get out of the way, once I stop trying to play God. Only God can do God-things. I am powerless over persons, places, and things. Only God can change the human heart, including, of course, my own heart. Because of original sin, (and the freewill which God gave his people) God's creation was totally messed up, so Jesus came to set things right again. Once Jesus appears on the scene, it is time for us mere mortals to get out of the way, and let him do what is needed. Like John the Baptist, we can prepare the way, and make straight the paths, as we unwrap the deceits, the sins, and the sickness that he has come to remove.

Look again at the people whom the world calls great. Many of them may be great, by any standards, but some may appear to have feet of clay, when compared to the standard of greatness proposed by Jesus. It takes true greatness to be able to forgive, to admit that I'm wrong, to turn to another and ask for help. It takes true greatness to minister with great love to those who, because of a mental disability, are unable to say 'thanks'. These angels of charity are the greatest people on earth. How great Thou art, how great Thou art. If you were to write your own obituary notice, what are the things in your life that could deserve the term great, in that their value is eternal, and will continue long after your departure from this earth?

Look again at the little people in your life, those who carry out the day-to-day humdrum services that keep life going all around you. Can you find any greatness among them? Begin with those closest to you, the ones you are more inclined to take for granted. It was Jesus who said that the prophet is never accepted in his own home.

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