The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 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?”
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At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. 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, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me” (Luke 7:18-19 & 21-23).
Jesus states a curious promise after reporting out the restorative effects of His earthly ministry to John’s disciples. It caught my attention one brisk morning. The moon from the night before hadn’t completely faded into the morning light & I had a 20 minute window for my devotionals. I read through Luke 7, intending to read well into chapter 8, but kept coming back to that blessing. Years ago, I had preached on the particular section of Luke 7. What exactly I had said is lost to me, yet I seem to recall the spirit of it . . . yeeeees, it was earlier on in my first few years of ministry & I was around 30 or 31 when Jesus’ testimony had impressed a longing in me to see the same healings and deliverance’s in both the church and on the street. That it made up the majority of His resume (rather than His teaching and preaching) was originally astounding to me. But that was many moons ago . . . .
And so, here we are in the futuristic year of 2025 and everyone can state what they want with brilliant ease. As Christians, we have an astounding opportunity to share the Good News with hundreds & thousands of strangers every single day. We can blog or produce podcasts or stream live or make videos or shorts or a handful of other things everyday if we so choose. But miracles . . . that’s a whole other subject.
The fires in Southern California are particular startling when considering our technological advances in the last 20 or so years. We can launch rockets into orbit and stream live events in real time while flying 30,000 feet, but our useful nemesis is apparently besting some of the wealthiest areas of the world. Apart from our money and tech, we are still a people who need to be saved. When asked by John’s disciples if Jesus was the Messiah, His response is telling: he blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. We desire to see our brothers and sisters delivered, restored & saved in this fallen world. We place our hope in Jesus and long for His Kingdom. And we readily invite His miraculous power. But what if Jesus, apart from our political persuasions and ideologies, heals & saves someone who fails to think as we do? Will we stumble or rejoice.
There was an ancient concept that if certain people were constantly suffering then they were most likely cursed by God. It could be something that they did or are doing or even something that their relatives had done years ago. What comes around goes around is a very, very old idea. This maxim, at times true, isn’t always accurate, and worst still, can setup in our minds as judge, jury and executioner. Only God is fully capable of knowing and judging every soul. We can, at best, partially know the soul of another, but never entirely. Truth be told, we often hardly know ourselves, never mind someone else.
It’s then that Jesus adds a most needed blessing: God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. I thought about this for sometime and wondered if I could potentially fall away from Jesus because of His healing power for others and concluded that I could out of spite or jealousy or despair or any number of reasons. We all could. That’s why Jesus stated it & that’s why we need His healing power in our lives. We need Jesus to Save California. We live in a wonderful state with unmatched beauty and a glorious history of innovation. God has been good to the people of California, but we are now at that precarious tipping point where more people don’t know His saving grace than do. There are estimates that by 2050 something like only 30% of Americans will claim to be Christian. Imagine what the numbers will be here in our beloved state?!?
Lord, Save California! Heal us & deliver us by your grace & power.
All glory to our good God who can & will sustain you.
May you see many come to know Him this year,
–Pastor Aaron
