“And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” (Luke 7:24 KJV).
As the emissaries of John the Baptist left, the Lord Jesus turned to the crowd who witness His talk with them and started asking rhetorical questions to describe those who went to see John the Baptist preaching in the back country. He is assuring them of John the Baptist’s steadfastness, in spite of John's question of His identity. He contrasts the character of John with the image of a "reed shaken with the wind" to highlight his prophetic conviction and lack of material pursuit. This reference to the reed shaken with the wind serves to shake off the people's wrong perception of John the Baptist, emphasizing that people did not congregate into the wilderness to see and watch someone fickle or ostentatious, but to hear an authentic and great prophet.
Stressing about John's firm and strong character, the Lord Jesus used the metaphor of "A reed shaken by the wind" to highlight John’s contrast to a person that’s fickle, wavering, and easily swayed by external forces or popular opinion or the world's shifting wind of change represented by the reed. The Lord Jesus stresses that people did not flock to see John for fun. John was a man of great courage, character, and conviction who stood firm in his message.
The Lord Jesus is setting the stage to prepare the crowd’s mind to get a grasp of the true identity of John the Baptist as a prophet sent by God. He is greater than any worldly celebrity figure. He is a prophet chosen by God to call on the lost souls - that’s you and I, before we surrender to the Lord Jesus to save us, and prepare their/our hearts for the Messiah’s coming. Scriptures foretold John’s coming as harbinger to the Messiah, hundreds of years past. It is written: “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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