THE WORD 4 ev 1

Read Luke 7 (click here for link)

Yesterday, I encountered a word that I haven’t heard used in a long while. The word was “wherewithal.” It’s a funny looking word that sounds a bit archaic. It means something like “the means by which” an act is accomplished. If you used it in a sentence, it would sound something like this: Though of a meager background, the family had the “wherewithal” to survive the recent economic downturn. Wherewithal… It is closely related to “wherewith” and “withal,” both of which seem even more archaic. But now I digress, so let me get back to my point…

I think of this word this morning as I read through Luke 7. In this chapter, we encounter the amazing wherewithal that produces faith in the most unlikely of people—people stuck between a rock and hard place in life. The major characters of this chapter come from the fringes of Palestinian society: A Gentile centurion, a widow, John the Baptist and his disciples, and a sinful woman. But it is John, this morning, who particularly remains on my mind. He is sitting in prison. Imagine if it was you instead of him. Imagine if you knew the Messiah was out there somewhere doing amazing and wonderful deeds—healing the sick, raising the dead. Wouldn’t you have some of the same doubts as John? Lord, why haven’t you come to rescue me? I am the one who prepared the way for you. I am your cousin, your own family.

But John was to remain in prison until his death by the orders of King Herod (Mark 6:14-29). It seems strange, especially since Jesus will say, “Of those born of a women there is none greater than John.” Besides, it is a not as though miraculous rescue from prison is without precedent in the Bible (Acts 12). If Jesus was really the Messiah, then I am sure John was expecting to be freed. After all, God always takes care of his servants, right? But John’s high hopes were never to be realized. Perhaps he was now feeling the full weight of his prophet prediction when he said, “He must become greater, and I must become less” (John 3:30). But wherewithal did John hold on in faith?

And you? By what means do you hold on in faith when your troubles in life, like John’s, seem forgotten by God? In fact, to say John was disappointed in Jesus might be an understatement. John was beyond disappointed; he was deeply troubled. Everything he had believed in, hoped for, worked day and night to accomplish all hinged on his cousin making good on Jesus claim that He was, indeed, God’s Anointed and Chosen One! But Jesus wasn’t making any sense. John just couldn’t understand what was going on. And it depressed him, discouraged him. Deep down I am certain he was furious. That’s consistent with what we see of John’s fiery nature. What was wrong with Jesus?! He wasn’t making any sense to John at all. So John sent Jesus this message: “Are you really the Messiah…or should we look for someone else?”

But even with his doubts, there remained in John a deep, unshakable trust in Jesus. Jesus would tell him the truth. He just needed to hear from him again. So he sent two of his closest disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

The affection that radiated from Jesus is obvious. Jesus was familiar with John’s sorrows and grief and the satanic storms that break on the saints when they are weak and alone. He loved John.

So he invited John’s faithful friends to sit near him as he healed many and delivered many from demonic prisons. Then he turned to them with kind tears glistening in his eyes and quoted these words from the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah, “Tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” John would recognize Isaiah’s prophecy in those words. This promise would bring the peace John needed to sustain him for the few difficult days he had remaining.

Out of love for his friend, perhaps Jesus didn’t include Isaiah’s phrase “proclaim liberty to the captives” which Jesus quoted earlier in chapter 4:18. John would understand.

Whatever it was, today, like yesterday's reading, I see here in this chapter the power of words—Jesus’ words. Only his words could supply the wherewithal for John to remain steadfast even in the midst of great doubts.

Wherewithal do you find hope in time of great doubt?

Pastor Aaron