“The road to a friend's house is never long.”
DANISH PROVERB

Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’”
At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.
And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard; the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
LUKE 7:19-23 NASB

As I study this scripture some questions comes to my mind. Why did John the Baptist question who Jesus was? Were not their mothers friends and possibly related? Had they not heard of each other as they grew up? Did not John say that the Messiah was coming? Did not John baptize Jesus in the Jordan River and experience the Spirit of God descend on Him? Did not John hear the Father’s voice at that time say, “Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased.” So then why did John at this time question who Jesus was? I don’t know, but I have come to some conclusions about the matter. You see, John was in prison and had been put there unjustly. Some were afraid of the truth that he spoke, and John was arrested. They later executed him. John’s situation was grim, and I know from experience that sitting in a jail cell with no way of knowing or controlling what is happening on the outside, leads a person to doubt many things. At times like this my mind played tricks on me. I always imagined the worst and fear would run rampant through my heart. Maybe John was thinking that Jesus was doing all these great miracles, and was demonstrating the Power of God in His life, then why didn’t He just spring him from prison? Myself I don’t know why, if Jesus could raise the dead, surly He could spring John from prison. I refuse to think long on why. I do know that Jesus sent John word, the Word, and that must have brought peace to every question and doubt he had ever had. John had been in the right place at the right time in his ministry. He had done everything right in preparing the way for the Messiah. Jesus Himself said that John was the greatest prophet to ever live, and he died in prison! Oh, but he must have died with peace in his spirit. Maybe John was temporarily spiritually blind, but he received his sight; temporarily spiritually lame, but walked again; temporarily a spiritual leper, but became clean; temporarily spiritually deaf but heard again; temporarily spiritually dead but lived eternally; temporarily spiritually poor, but heard the good news and became rich. John was not offended in what he heard and was blessed. I can relate to John’s prison experience, I too received sight in a cell. When John heard the Word of God it set him free. When I heard the Word of God it set me free, and still sets me free. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE

“We begin to see that God’s love has been present all the time, just waiting for us to accept it.” NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS, Basic Text page 46