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This passage has puzzled me. The story is pretty simple; John the Baptist sends some of his followers to talk to Jesus, to ask him if he is really the Messiah they have been waiting for, or if they should keep looking. Rather than getting into a bunch of theological jargon, which God's Son could probably do even better than most preachers, Jesus simply tells them to look around at what they see going on and decide for themselves. What they see is amazing; the blind are receiving sight, people who haven't walked in years are playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie, untouchable lepers are hugging and kissing their children, deaf people are standing over there swapping stories, some caskets are lying open over next to a big rock and the contents are up walking around, and the poor are hearing a sermon that makes them smile. It is straight out of the book of Isaiah. This Jesus most definitely is the Messiah! The rest of the passage tells about some comments Jesus made about John, pointing out just how special a role he had played in the unfolding drama. That's the story.

So what is my problem? I have always wondered why John had to send his followers to ask Jesus who he was. Wasn't it only a few months ago that the two of them met by the river and the baptist got all excited and announced, "Look over there! He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." That's the way the gospels record it anyway. Why is it that he has to send these guys now? Wasn't he sure anymore, or what?

Some suggest that this is just one of the mysteries of scripture. They say that perhaps there are two different traditions about how John and Jesus met; one at the river, and one this way. Some suggest that the confusion comes from the fact that each of the four gospel writers tell the story in a slightly different way, and we can't be sure which one is actually the way it happened. One thing we do know. Puzzles like this certainly cause some people to wonder if you can understand or believe any of what this Bible has to say.

I see another possible explanation for John's question. Maybe he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is. Maybe that will help.

Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables, and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting.

She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes of the previous meeting like they were holy scripture. She listened intently to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth, you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly. Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that is.

She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to wonder who Jesus was again. This wasn't what she expected from a Messiah, so maybe she had been mistaken. Maybe Jesus was a "good man," and still worth believing in, but not really a Savior.

But John the Baptist was no newcomer to the movement. And neither was Glen. Glen had been a figurehead in the church and community for 65 years. There were few in town who had not, at some point in their lives, been touched and strengthened by Glen. He was a Christian's Christian, and was admired and praised. His living room wall was covered with plaques and certificates from charitable service organizations, and even one from the governor. Glen seemed to know full well who Jesus was, and sought to serve him. Then he became ill.

Glen was nearly 90 years old and had not been sick more than a few hours of those 90 years. Then the doctor mentioned cancer. At first Glen nodded and said that after 90 good years he had no complaints, but as days passed he grew quiet, the smile left his face, and the love left his eyes. He worried constantly, and complained just a bit more than that. "I've tried to do good," Glen said one morning, "but I just don't see why God would do this to me. This isn't what I expected at all. Maybe I've been wasting my time." After traveling alongside him for nearly 90 years, Glen was now having second thoughts about who this Jesus really was. He expected better treatment from a Messiah.

Most of us do, don't we? We get this comforting idea that if we follow the Messiah life will somehow be smoother, or at least all fit together in some "good" way. Then we run smack into the reality that the only guarantee Jesus made to us had to do with the activities that come after this life. In fact, Jesus very clearly expected that his followers would have a harder time getting through this life than those who walked away. But we still have these expectations of a "Savior" and when Jesus doesn't meet them we begin to wonder if he is really who we thought he was. There are thousands of empty church pews that used to be full of people who believed in Jesus Christ. But then he didn't live up to their expectations and they went home. Their families still fought, they still had some frightening decisions to make, and they still couldn't make ends meet on a budget. They began to wonder if they had made a mistake with Jesus.

Maybe that's what happened to John. He said that he had come to baptize with water, and that the one following him would baptize with "fire from heaven." So where was the fire? So far there wasn't even smoke. So far, the Pharisees and Sadducees were still in charge of the faith, and Rome was still in charge of the government. In fact, instead of bringing in the kingdom, Jesus had kept pretty quiet up north while John got himself arrested and thrown into one of Herod's dungeons on a mountaintop down by the Dead Sea. That might make a person ask some questions. Is this any way for a Messiah to behave?

At least I hope that's what happened with John. If John the Baptist, as high up as he ranked, still had some questions, maybe there is room for me and mine.