Day 4: Dungeon Experiences

Today we encounter John the Baptist in a dark and lonely place rather than in the front preaching to a crowd. He is in the dungeon. Sometimes when we are in the dungeons of life, we begin to question all that we once knew as true.

Scripture

Matthew 11:4-6

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:

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.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Matthew 11:4-6

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:

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.

And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

John is, indeed, having a dungeon experience.

“ARE YOU THE ONE or am I completely off base?”

“I mean, I thought you were, I think you might be, but… It’s so dark and lonely down here. This is radically different from what I imagined. I’m just not sure anymore.”

Can you relate? John needs A STRAIGHT UP ANSWER.

“Are You the One?”

Jesus offers John’s messengers an answer in Matthew 11:4-5. They are to report what they see and hear from Jesus. He doesn’t answer like John wanted, does he? Ever been there before?

“Should I keep going? Maybe I should put it on the shelf? Do I confront? Is it time to quit? Should I stop thinking about this possibility altogether? Lord, I need to know!”

John’s Answer

John’s answer does not arrive in a tidy “yes” or “no” format, but it is conclusive. Jesus calls John to consider how he recognized the Messiah in the first place. What did the Word of God say the Messiah would do? How would the people know when they found Him (Isaiah 61:1)?

John was having difficulty seeing truth in the midst of discouragement. Sound familiar? What you thought was going to happen is not jiving with your reality? You begin to question your ability to discern God’s voice in your life? Did you just make the whole thing up?

Jesus then does something precious. He adds this onerous line (Matthew 11:6):

“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

What does He mean by this? One commentator suggested the language means something far from being offended by Jesus but that the “one” in question exhibits “perfect trust under delay and disappointment.”

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “John, blessed is the one who is not offended by me but considers what I am doing compared to what the Scriptures declare the Messiah WILL DO and keeps the faith! Trust that you can hear your God under delay and utter disappointment even in a dungeon because you will be blessed if you do!”

Sometimes God meets us in our need just like John. In the middle of our discouragement or disappointment of how we thought our life should measure up, God lifts our eyes to a greater calling. Positively Jesus met John in his dungeon experience and restored him to believe again.

Do it in our Dungeon Experiences

Lord, do it for us, too!

When you are having a dungeon experience, allow Him to meet you right there. God can restore your hope and lift your eyes to believe again, too.

I pray that even if you and I have to experience delay and utter disappointment we will do exactly what John did. May God clearly meet you in your need today.

With much affection,

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