Dealing With Failed Expectations
- davidwperk
- May 20, 2024
- 5 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Monday, May 20, 2024
Proper 2, The week of Trinity Sunday
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’
You will find the full text of today's Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 967)
AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM: Psalm 4, 7
Prov. 3:11-20; 1 John 3:18-4:6; Matt. 11:1-6
Today we celebrate the Feast of The First Book of Common Prayer. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
Dietrich Bonhöffer wrote these lines from a Nazi prison in September 1944 (seven months before being martyred by the Nazis), as part of his poem, “Stations on the Road to Freedom." *
Suffering
A change has come indeed. Your hands, so strong and active,
are bound; in helplessness now you can see your action
is ended; you sigh in relief, your cause committing
to stronger hands; so now you may rest contented.
Only for one blissful moment could you draw near to touch freedom;
then, that it might be perfected in glory, you gave it to God.
We cannot know what John felt in prison, nor what prompted his inquiry of Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come or do we wait for another.?.” We do know that upon hearing of Jesus’ works John was prompted to inquire. Did John feel disillusioned about the course Jesus’ ministry had taken? Did he see Jesus going in a direction other than the one he had predicted with his anticipations of the Coming One exercising judgment and separating the righteous and the wicked?
We cannot know. John had predicted a Coming One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (judgment). Jesus had been baptized by him and probably had been one of his disciples. Perhaps John had assumed Jesus was the Coming One and now was uncertain. John’s ministry had wrought the ire of the Jewish king of Galilee and Perea, Herod Antipas, and had landed him in prison. How difficult for John—in prison and unsure whether his prophetic ministry would prove fruitful. Like Bonhöffer, his hands were bound in helplessness and he saw that his action was ended.
John shortly was beheaded by Antipas, not living to see the outcome of Jesus’ ministry. So many have died without having seen the fruitfulness of their life mission blossom—Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, ML King, Jr. In retrospect, we know that their lives bore fruit beyond their wildest imaginings. They were faithful to the end, living and dying in hope.
We have that same calling no matter what our state of being in the moment. When our expectations go unrealized, our prayers unanswered, and our hopes unfulfilled, we have a very simple calling. We are called to be faithful and to continue living and doing the right. Only in those ways can we preserve our integrity. We live and die with the certainty that God’s purposes for, in, and through us will be fulfilled. To desire measuring the fruit in our own lifetime may be little more than the cravings of ego. To cease living faithfully and in faith would only reveal how superficial was our commitment all along.
Jesus responded to John with gentle words of encouragement. We can count on a similar response in our inevitable moments of dark uncertainty. May we share the martyr Bonhöffer’s confidence expressed in the last lines from above.
you sigh in relief, your cause committing
to stronger hands; so now you may rest contented.
Only for one blissful moment could you draw near to touch freedom;
then, that it might be perfected in glory, you gave it to God.*
*Dietrich Bonhöffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, enlarged edition, ed. Eberhard Bethge, trans. Reginald Fuller, Frank Clark, John Bowden. (New York: Macmillan, 1972), pp. 370-71.
Collect of the Day: Pentecost Sunday
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 228)
Today we celebrate the Feast of The First Book of Common Prayer
Collect of the Feast of the First Book of Common Prayer
Almighty and everliving God, who, through the Book of Common Prayer restored the language of the people in the prayers of your church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
Prayer in a Time of War
O Almighty God, the Father of all humanity, turn, we pray, the hearts of all peoples and their rulers, that by the power of your Holy Spirit peace may be established among the nations on the foundation of justice, righteousness and truth; through him who was lifted up on the cross to draw all people to himself, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
William Temple (1881-1944), Archbishop of Canterbury
A Prayer for Light
Grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in us and shed its light on those around us, and that by its brightness we may have a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100, 257)
Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 11:1-6
11:1Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ 4Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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