More From the Middle

By Cal Cook

Jesus came and did what was prophesied about him, yet many missed it. They were looking for the full fulfillment of the prophesy. Even John the Baptist who was the first one to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah doubted from prison.

Matthew 11:4-5

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, proclaiming many wonders:

Isaiah 35:5-6a Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Surely this week’s Gospel from Mark 7:31-37 is a fulfillment of that prophesy so why doesn’t what comes next happen?

Isaiah 35:6b-7 Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

The Pharisees and religious leaders surely knew the prophesies. They even acknowledged the miracles of Jesus…yet they didn’t believe Jesus to be the Messiah. Were they waiting for the rest to be fulfilled? Were they saying, “Where are the streams in the desert, where are the grass and reeds and papyrus?” Understanding Bible Prophesy is a mysterious and difficult thing. It’s as if the prophet is given a picture of what will be, lumped all together, yet as the prophesy unwinds in the annals of time what once appeared to be lumped is actually separated by great distances! Jesus came announcing “The Kingdom of God is near” Mark 1:15 yet it is an unfolding Kingdom. Jesus came as a Lamb, establishing the Kingdom…yet it will not be finished until He returns!

Meanwhile, we are stuck in the middle…struggling between what was and what will be. It’s a privileged position for those who have eyes to see…Lord give me eyes to see…help me to find your purposes in this life of hot and cold, soft and hard, help me to find just right.