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“The proof is in the pudding.” This old saying suggests that the only way to determine the quality of something (like pudding) is by experiencing it directly. But what if we are not sure if we like the pudding?
I believe this is one of our greatest struggles as followers of the Christ. We see and hear about the proof of who he was and what he did. It’s always right in front of us in the hope, peace, joy, and love that is always swirling through the communities of Christ, but we’re not always sure what to think about it. Is this really what we want or need? Or should we look for something else?
John the Baptist had the same reservations. When the rumors about Jesus doing great things came into earshot of the imprisoned John the Baptist, he sent some of his followers to Jesus to ask a very blunt question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
At first, this seems like an odd thing for John to ask because at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, John is “preparing the way of the Lord.” He is convinced that the Messiah is in their midst. Without mentioning Jesus’ name, he claims that he is not worthy to carry the sandals of the one who is coming after him. He also claims that he baptizes with water, but the Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Again, he doesn’t specify who he talking about, but when Jesus arrives for baptism one day, John tips his hat to him and says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” At least at this point, John has Jesus pegged for the role of Messiah.
But then they seem to go their separate ways. Jesus builds up a following, becomes a traveling sage, performs miracles and healings, and does everything we have come to expect from a Messiah. While this is happening, John is arrested and taken to prison.
At this point, John hears of all that Jesus has been up to and wonders whether he really is the Messiah. Why would he doubt it? Could it be that Jesus is not conforming to the popular expectations of a Messiah? Could it be that John is having his doubts about Jesus’ authenticity?
When Jesus receives the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another,” he responds with “the proof is in the pudding.” He doesn’t say those words, but that is what he thinking. “Go and tell John what you hear and see,” Jesus says “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
What more could you possibly want or need?
If we can read between the lines, Jesus is saying something like, “Maybe this isn’t what you expect from your Messiah. Maybe you want me to lead a military revolt against the Roman occupiers, but that would be a king you are looking for, not a Messiah.”
We don’t know how John may have responded to this because soon after he was executed.
This is a timeless story because it seems like people are still looking for something else. We have a difficult time fully committing to Jesus. His ministry and his teachings are so challenging that even those of us who gather in houses of worship secretly hope that we will discover something more practical and less radical in his teachings.
We want to discover a Messiah who is easier to follow, one that doesn’t require us to examine our lives so thoroughly, to repent of our old ways, or be so compassionate, forgiving, and merciful.
We want to be able to choose our Messiah, to follow the kind of Messiah we prefer to follow, not the One who came to show us the way. So, we hold back, “Give us more proof!” we say. All the while we are not willing to look at the results, the evidence, the outcomes.
This is what we struggle with, even as we count down the days to a celebration of Jesus’ birth. We act like we need more proof of what his kingdom is, or what it should be. But it’s all there: the healing, the restoration, the good news. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is much better than we could ever expect.
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