Luke chapter 7 records how Yeshua healed the centurion’s servant, and the next day raised a man from the dead in the city of Nain. His miracles prompted John’s disciples to come to Him and ask, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
So He answered them, saying ‘Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’ (7:19-24)
When they left, He spoke to the crowds about John, asking them: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?… But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is the one of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You…among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” [Luke 7:24-28, Malachi 3:1]
Three times He asked them what they had come out to see. Then He asked “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation?” He compared them to children calling out to one another, watching and judging everyone they see.
The question is, what do we go out to see? What is our response to what we see? What is our generation like in terms of what we go out to see, and in how we respond?
In Luke chapter 2 we read about Simeon. What did he go to the temple to see? We are told that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. We are also told that the Holy Spirit was upon him, and that it had been revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Anointed One of ADONAI [the LORD]. One day, a couple came into the temple to dedicate their son, Yeshua, to the LORD. Simeon took Him in his arms, praised God, and said, “Now may You let Your servant go in peace, O Sovereign Master, according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation {Yeshua means “salvation”], which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples. A light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.” [Luke 2:29-32; Isa. 42:6, 49:6, cf 60:1-3] Simeon had come to the temple to see God’s salvation.
Anna was a prophetess, a woman who never left the temple, “serving night and day with fasting and prayers. And coming up at that very instant, she began praising God and speaking about the Child to all those waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. [Luke 2:36-38; Isaiah 43:1-3, 49:26] She was in the temple to see the redemption of Jerusalem.
What about us, and our generation? What do we come out to see in a service?
When people go to a service, to a house of worship, it’s to see something. Maybe it’s to see each other, but couldn’t they go somewhere else for that? What is the purpose of a service? Isn’t it to see or worship something or someone greater than ourselves? Ideally, we come to a service to see God, to experience Him. Some come out to a service to show how religious or observant they are. Yeshua was often confronted by the religious, who judged him. He said that they had their own righteousness and didn’t need God’s righteousness. He had a lot to say about man’s doctrines, man’s form of law and man’s righteousness. But His warning to the religious leaders was: “You will not see me again until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” [Luke 13:35]
What do we come out to see, He asks? A reed shaken by the wind? When Pilate’s soldiers mocked Yeshua, they dressed Him in a scarlet robe, put a crown of thorns on His head, put a reed in His right hand, mocked Him, then took the reed and beat Him with it (Matthew 27:28-30). They were showing what they thought of His kingship.
So, we need to ask ourselves, what do we come out to see? How do we see? What is our focus? Is it on Him, or is it on our own righteousness?
K'vod Yisrael 