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But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
Curiosity about who Jesus is can be an invitation to faith. It is natural to notice that he does not conform to any pre-existing patterns of figures with whom we are familiar in the world. He breaks every mold in which we might try to place him. He shatters all of our old paradigms. He is too good and too wise to be merely a liar or a lunatic, but he is not merely a good man, wise teacher, or spiritual leader. He speaks with a prophetic voice but there is something about him that sets him apart from all the prophets who came before him. The invitation we receive is to interpret Jesus on his own terms. His heavenly Father, through his Spirit, provides the interpretive key to make sense of his identity.
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven" (see Matthew 16:17).
Curiosity is only an invitation and can't get us all the way to revelation by itself. If it only pushes us toward understanding for the sake of entertainment as if we were enjoying researching a new UFO sighting he won't countenance us by performing or playing along. If it is only for the sake of reassuring ourselves that our own understanding of the world is exhaustively complete that too will come up short. These motives will short circuit before arriving at the truth. Only if the motivation genuinely moves us outside of ourselves and causes us to step back from our usual prejudices and preconceptions can it bring us to a place where the Spirit can speak. In a sense, there is a conspiracy, one put in place by the devil himself, keeping us from knowing Jesus. But we ourselves, to one degree or another, are co-conspirators. We prefer to enjoy the question remaining unanswered rather the risk the reality of the revelation.
And he kept trying to see him.
Jesus wants to reveal himself to us. But the purpose of this revelation is not for our entertainment. Neither is it so that we can full so confident of our complete understanding of the world that we are not threatened by the unknown. Jesus, as God, always remains more unknown than known. He is never going to be made entirely safe even when we realize who he is. In fact, that will inspire greater fear. But it will be holy fear, awe, in the presence of the Word made flesh. It is difficult to desire that fear before one has it. But it is hard to imagine life without it once it is given as a gift.
The basic posture to receive revelation is one of humility, the posture of the child more than that of the king. Since Jesus still has more to teach us about who he is it is worth praying for a greater spirit of humility for ourselves. Rather than seeking the confidence of already knowing all we need, we should seek the confidence of knowing the one who knows, trusting he will show us what we need to see when we need to see it.
Our own earthly wisdom tends toward the practical and toward things which have the most immediate benefit. We sow, eat, drink, and clothe ourselves first. We earn wages and try to solve problems with structural changes. We only give God the time and effort we have leftover. Because of this, only a few leftover things are fully enveloped in his blessings. Instead, God should be the beginning and the end of our efforts. Our practical, human efforts ought to be done with a view to the house of the Lord as the center point, that they might all share in his providence and blessing.
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.
The Lord takes delight in us. We are meant, in return, to find true delight in him. In the end, nothing else will satisfy us.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
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