16 December, Wednesday — See For Yourself

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

Isa 45:6-8,18,21-25
Lk 7:19-23

John, summoning two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord to as, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’

When I read this passage, I was wondering why John had to sent his disciples to ask Jesus that question. I find it odd that John would not know who Jesus was when as a child, he ‘leapt for joy’ inside his mother’s womb upon hearing Mother Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth. Surely, even as an adult, he would have been moved by the Spirit to recognize Jesus, who also happens to be his relative. This also happened after John had baptized Jesus where John himself said that it should have been the other way around (Matthew 3:14).

So why did John have to send his disciples?

I think John sent them so that they would know who Jesus is, so that they could see Jesus for who he is themselves. John sent them so that they could personally know Jesus, and not just know him through someone else.

And because John sent them, I think they had a personal connection with Jesus.

We need to see Jesus ourselves. And this ‘seeing’ is not just seeing Jesus from a distance. To truly see Jesus is to allow oneself to be vulnerable not just in front of Jesus, but to be vulnerable to Jesus. To truly see Jesus is to see him for who he really is — Jesus is love.

We can only fully see love if we open ourselves to love, which involves vulnerability.

It’s never easy to be vulnerable. To be vulnerable means to risk being hurt, to risk being disappointed. And people are only willing to be vulnerable to another person if they could trust the other person.

So when these disciples asked Jesus, he did not directly answer the question. Instead, he referred to the proof of who he is. Jesus told them to share with John what they have seen and what they have heard. Which I think translates to ‘See for yourself and decide who I am to you.’

So who is Jesus to you? This season of Advent would be a good time to look for Jesus in our lives. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us see Jesus in the different events, the different people, and the different circumstances we have encountered. And I pray that when we have seen Jesus, we will be able to make that decision to entrust ourselves to him, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable to him.

And if what we have seen is not enough, when Christmas day comes, let us remember that Jesus has already seen us for who we really are, and he was willing to come as a vulnerable baby to this world. Can we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the child Jesus?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)

Prayer: Dear Lord, please give us the openness to really look at you, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable to your love.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for coming to us as a child, because it gives us assurance that we can be vulnerable to you.