Who are you waiting for? Maybe the question comes in a waiting room at the hospital. Or perhaps in the lobby of a big corporation or Bank. Maybe it's in the carpool line. More than likely, you've been in one of these settings where someone has asked the question who are you waiting for? In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is approached by some of John the Baptist's disciples. They want to know if he's the person they're waiting for or is there someone else coming. Their teacher John has been locked up and is probably wondering why Jesus isn't taking care of business. Why hasn't he dealt once and for all with these oppressive Romans (and the Jewish leaders who cooperate and collude with them)? I wonder if sometimes we feel like John. We look at the world as it is today and might ask the same question. Are you really the one…is there someone else? It begs the question “Who (or what) are you waiting for? Someone to show the right way to run your life? Someone to heal all the sick people in the world? Someone to put “those people” in their place? Someone to make everything all right? Jesus tells John’s followers to go and tell him what they are seeing and hearing: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me. Jesus is the one they have been waiting for…just not what they were expecting. I wonder if that might be the case for us too. Jesus comes in ways that don’t match our expectations and we begin to wonder if he’s the one. We take offense. But Jesus’ response to John contains the answer we too are waiting to hear: good news! The good news that has come in the flesh and is in fact establishing his kingdom. Not a kingdom in the style of this world. This is an upside-down kingdom where the mighty are humbled and the lowly are lifted up. Advent is a season of waiting. Yes…we are waiting for Christmas…as we remember the birth of the Savior long ago. But we are also waiting for his return in glory! This is who we are waiting for! Blessings,
Matthew+ Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP p. 212) | 
