Lord, come and save us. (Psalm 145)
This Gospel combines great sadness and great hope. Pity John the Baptist after his austere life and heroic witness, thrown into prison but still tormented by unanswered questions.
Jesus does not answer his question directly, but presents him with the messianic evidence from which he must infer the presence of the Messiah.
Then, after his cruel death, John has yet to wait for the redeeming death of his Saviour before he can enter into eternal joy.
Even the greatest of all the children born of women must stand aside for those who have already entered the kingdom of heaven.
Such is the law of the Kingdom.
