"What Were You Expecting?" by Gary Smith
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
(Matthew 11:7 NIV)
I could suggest an alternative translation, “What were you expecting to see out in the wilderness?” Another turn of the phrase might be, “You were expecting what, maybe?”
What are we looking for out there in the world this Advent? What should we be looking for?
The target scripture depicts a momentous occasion very quietly. Jesus declares to one (or two) of John’s disciples, based upon his body of works, that he is, in fact, the Messiah. This is pretty big to my mind, but it just flows right into Jesus’ following speech about John. Perhaps it was quietly shared with the disciple(s), not a secret but not announced to all within earshot. Maybe, it didn’t matter.
We tend to hurtle through the Advent season, bearing headlong down upon Christmas Day, the culmination of all the days of anticipation and excitement. We should be relieved, basking in the glow of family, thoughtful gift exchanges, foods of comfort, and joy. Yet, we all know this is not the feeling we are left with as Christmas Day folds into the next. The question could be asked then, “What was I expecting?”
Lots of times, the really big moments of our lives are quiet, seemingly innocent glimpses of insight, confession, or contemplation. How many times have signal events in your life been quiet, small occurrences, just another instance in another day? Yet, everything changed at that moment.
Jesus changed the whole narrative of his life in the moment we are looking at today. Arguably, the world changed, as well. I challenge you to flip your focus; in fact, don’t focus; let your vision blur a little and absorb it all, as fully as possible, without regard to the culmination. Take in the big and the small moments, fully engaged, fully revering all of the moments of the season.
Gary Smith