Luke 7:17-23

John the Baptiser Sends An Appeal To Jesus (7:17-23).

Meanwhile, while all this was going on, John the Baptiser was languishing in prison. But he was regularly being visited by some of his brave disciples, and heard reports of what was going on and what was being said.

It is clear, however that he was puzzled. Why was something not happening? Surely if Jesus was God's Coming One now was the time to act. Why was He hesitating? Perhaps he thought in terms of an insurrection and the deliverance of the people from the tyranny of Rome and Herod, but if so the idea had never appeared in his preaching, and so it must be doubtful. Probably he rather expected that he would face up to the authorities with signs and wonder of an awasome kind. That would explain why Jesus answered in the way that He did, saying to John, ‘There are signs and wonders, but they are acts of compassion, not of belligerences, for I have come to obtain My way in peace'

We, of course, know the answer tp John's problesm, for Luke has revealed it to us. We have just seen the word of Jesus heal a dying man at a distance, and then raise a man from the dead. We know that Jesus has come to act through His word. But lying in a cell with nothing to do but think and pray John does not have our advantage.

We may analyse the passage as follows:

a This word went forth concerning Him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about, and the disciples of John told him of all these things (Luke 7:18).

b John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you He Who is coming, or look we for another?” (Luke 7:19).

c And when the men were come to Him, they said, “John the Baptiser has sent us to you, saying, Are You He Who is coming, or look we for another?” (Luke 7:20).

c In that hour He cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind He bestowed sight (Luke 7:21).

b And He answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them” (Luke 7:22).

a And blessed is he, whoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me” (Luke 7:23).

We note in this small passage the dual repetition of a question, and a dual answer, one in deeds the other in words. This stresses the importance of both question and answer. Jesus is aware that His disciples too are listening and possibly wondering the same thing as John. Note that in ‘a' ‘the word concerning Him went out' and many heard it, and then in the parallel Jesus says ‘Blessed is he, whoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me”. The word that went out was conveying the truth about Him, and must be accepted without it being a stumblingblock. For it conveyed the truth about His Messiahship and the presence of the Kingly Rule of God. Whoever thus received it would be blessed. In ‘b' the question is put forward, and in the parallel the answer is given by Jesus outlining the activities that ‘the word' that went about spoke of. And in ‘c' and parallel we have a doubling up of the question and the answer. It is dually witnessed because of its importance to all.