Feelings Are Legitimate, But Often Overrated…

I’ve always wondered why John the Baptist, while in prison, sent two disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah? Here's one possible reason. Didn’t John leap in his mother’s womb when Mary (while pregnant with Jesus) visited Elizabeth? Didn’t John witness the Trinity all at the same time at Jesus’ baptism? Didn’t John acknowledge Jesus to be greater than him, so much so, he wasn’t worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals? Didn’t he witness some of His miracles? Wasn’t he a prophet of God? Shouldn’t he have known Who Jesus was? The answer is yes to all of these questions. Then why? Because John was human. He was in prison, isolated from all the followers of truth. He wasn’t sure if he was ever getting out of prison. He began to listen to himself, start to give in to his feelings and emotions. When we do this we allow doubt and fear to creep inside and begin to question our faith. Satan has a way of when we are isolated of preying on our vulnerabilities. Jesus knew this. Instead of just answering “yes”, He told the two disciples to go back to John and tell him what they witnessed. The blind receiving sight, the lame walking, the dead being resurrected, etc... this reminded John of what he already knew to be true. It brought him back to right-thinking. It restored his hope and faith. This tells us two things: we need to be in God’s word daily, and we need to meet with other believers regularly. Jesus tells us that being a Christian is a life-long, day by day, pursuit of knowing God. He tells us that God blesses those that don’t fall away. Do you see the importance of a committed walk with the Lord? The importance of knowing scripture? Attending church? I’m certain there are other answers as to why John asked if Jesus was the Messiah, but I suspect this had something to do with it (a conversation for another time). Feelings are legitimate, but often overrated. You have to go with what you know to be true. John is an example of this being played out.

18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask Him, “Are You the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to Him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are You the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’ ”21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and He restored sight to many who were blind. 22 Then He told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard–the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 23 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of Me.’ ” Luke 7:18-23