At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist is no longer the courageous prophet crying out in the wilderness, but he is now a prisoner of conscience held by Herod for inciting a rebellion, this new religious “movement” that was threatening the authority of the empire.  John has been silenced, and in his despair, he pleads with the disciples to ask Jesus the following question: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Simply put, he is asking Jesus if the ministry to which he has dedicated his life has meaning. Did I get it wrong? Was it worth it? The Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee describes John’s dilemma (and perhaps our own) in this way:

Hope in the gospel is not grounded in outcomes or visible success. Hope is rooted in perception—in trusting God is still at work, even when systems remain unchanged, even when prophets die behind bars. John’s question echoes across generations. Activists, caregivers, clergy, organizers, artists—anyone who has dared to hope in a better world—knows this moment. The fear that nothing has changed. The grief that our lives might not have mattered. The silence from the people or institutions we hoped would transform. … Advent does not require us to manufacture hope. It invites us to bring our emptied hope to Jesus, to ask the hard questions, and to listen again for signs of God’s nearness. When we’re running out of hope, it may be the perfect time to ask: What do you see? What do you hear? And to trust that somewhere, even now, something new is springing forth. (Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee, Sanctified Art)