Contemplative Bible Reading

Matthew 11:4–5 (New Living Translation)

4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”

The followers of John the Baptist were sent to Jesus. Was Jesus the one was was sent to take away the sins of the world?

Jesus replies with some facts. Tell John what you have seen and heard. This is a powerful list. And then we reach the last item: the Good News is being preached to the poor.

Well, uh, let’s see. The other items were miraculous healing—even the dead were brought back to life. Good news preached to the poor? How is that in this list?

In that time and place in history, the poor WERE P O O R. They sat on the side of the road and begged. They did this in a place that had been defeated in battle and was occupied by a foreign army. There wasn’t much giving to the beggars.

Jesus provided hope to those who were literally hopeless. There was something ahead that was much better than today. That is pretty miraculous.