Mark's Blog

Advent Day Twelve

Reading:  Matthew 11:7-15
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!

Have you seen the documentaries on how easily we fail to see what is in front of our eyes because we either don’t expect to see what is there or expect to see something else entirely? I’m still astonished at the classic demonstration video: you are told to count the times several people dribble and pass a ball to each other—which you do. Afterwards, they show you that man in a black gorilla costume walked across the room, waved at the camera, then exited—but you never saw it—because you were counting the times the ball bounced. The Coming is not an illusion, but will we see it?

Much of who God is and what He does is invisible, that’s true! But The Coming is not meant to be invisible.  There is no intent of cloaking The Coming—with heavens opening, with angels singing, and seas thundering—all of Nature and all of Heaven manifest, announce, and celebrate The Coming.

That people almost missed The Preparation (John the Baptist) because he wasn’t dressed appropriately is pretty amazing. Here is the #2 VIP to have ever been born up to that time, and his contemporaries just thought him an oddity.

We took some of the grandkids to a 3-D movie the other day. I have monovision, which means I read with one eye primarily and see at a distance with the other dominating. That means that I get a little motion sick using 3-D glasses at the theater. But whether it makes me comfortable or not, I have to wear the glasses because you can’t really watch the movie without them.

Perhaps whether we truly see The Coming is a matter of whether we have accepted the right lenses and put them on! Those lenses then bring the whole picture together and make sense out of it.

The Coming is not invisible. The Coming is not disguised.  But The Coming can be overlooked if we are not prepared to see what God is sending!