Reading: Matthew 11
Encountering Jesus reveals who we are and where we are with God.
The unsure (v2-6)
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’
Interesting that Jesus is already being called ‘the messiah’ – a word reserved for God’s special emissary to planet earth.
But not everyone was able to see that
We might think that, of all people, John (=John the Baptist) would be the most enthusiastic about Jesus!
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He was his cousin – probably knew each other while they were growing up
John baptised Jesus!
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Who was it who saw the dove descend from heaven and settle on Jesus (apart from the crowd) – It was John!
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Who was it who heard the voice from heaven “This is my son whom I love, with him I am well pleased!” – it was John … and the people who were there at the time said the voice positively thundered!
In fact – listen to John’s own words about Jesus
Matthew 3:11 ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not even worthy to carry. He will baptise you with Holy Spirit and with fire. …”
If John was so confident then, why is he questioning Jesus’ identity now? It seems like a question we need to get some kind of answer to!
Matthew tells us that by this time John is in prison.
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He’s there because the had the temerity to question Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law. John said that was wrong. And Herod had him arrested.
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Maybe, in prison, he was depressed and questioning everything in life, including what he’d previously been doing.
But Matthew doesn’t present it like that.
Much more likely is this:
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John (like many other people) thought the ministry of Jesus would bring political liberation and social freedom to Israel and that didn’t look as if it was going to happen any time yet
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So the spiritual nature of Jesus ministry was something even John seems puzzled by
This question shows that John is one of the unsure – one of the not-yet-confident about Jesus.
This is really significant because John is on the inside of Jesus’ ring of friends. People in his world would think of John as one of Jesus most committed supporters. But underneath the surface there are genuine doubts
There may be some of us here like this
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you often come to church
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you often hang around with Christians
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you may read you Bible (but it’s a bit confusing)
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you may pray (but find it a bit puzzling)
Other people looking at you would say “He’s a pretty confident Christ-follower” but you know – and God knows – it’s a different story inside.
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You’re one of the unsure. – If you’re genuinely unsure then you’re in good company – that’s where John the Baptist was .
How did Jesus handle this. One thing he could have done is criticise John “Oh ye of little faith” “buck your ideas up John!” “get a grip!”
But he doesn’t …
4 Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
Look around you, John! Think back at what you’ve seen, John! And let that speak to you.
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Look at the evidence!
If you’re one of the unsure this morning, maybe that’s an approach you can take.
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You’ve been in and around Christians long enough to see the difference it makes in your friend’s lives, or your family’s lives
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and through that evidence your loving heavenly father is calling you to trust him.
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Will you do it?
Jesus adds a rider
6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’
John could easily have stumbled and fallen in his faith – especially in the firestorm of a prison cell. So Jesus says “Blessed (happy, to be envied, sorted) is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’
The nearly there (v7-9)
There’s another group of people
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘
Picture the scene.
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Jesus has just told John’s followers what to say to encourage him and, it is while these men were leaving that Jesus started talking about John himself
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I can imagine their ears would prick up very quickly – I can imagine they might slow their pace down to earwig on what Jesus is going to say.
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And when they reach John in prison I can imagine them saying “John, I don’t think Jesus knew we were listening, but you need to know what he’s saying about you behind your back! – He – admires – you!”
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Just think what an encouragement that would be to John the baptist!
Of course Jesus knew they were listening and I think these remarks were addressed as much at John’s disciples themselves as they were at anyone else.
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We know this because John’s message was all about repentance, but didn’t have the salvation element that God had invested in his son, Jesus.
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So these people were not quite there spiritually. They knew some of the truth, but it was incomplete.
All they needed to do was to take a step of faith and trust Chriost and the jigsaw would be complete
Anyone like that here today? >>>
The rejecters (v20-24)
We see another group of people in vv20-24
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
21 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Fundamentally these were people who refused to turn around. – Refused to repent.
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These are the people who, in spite of the evidence, – in spite of God’s holy Spirit working in them – nudging them towards the truth of Jesus – still refuse to turn.
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“Convince a man against his will, he’s of the same opinion still”
When someone deliberately and staunchly refuses to accept God’s will or God’s plan for their lives, they put themselves in the way of God’s judgement.
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It’s a dangerous place to be!
My interpretation of scripture is that God does his absolute utmost to avoid this situation. He’s a God of grace and generosity and goes to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th mile to help people hear and respond to him.
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But not everyone does
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and that causes him great sadness.
BTW – We don’t find ourselves in the line-of-sight of God’s judgement because of an accidental error.
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Some people think this! >>> results in fear
So what made these people the target of God’s wrath?
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They did not turn (=repent) in spite of the evidence they had staring them in the face!
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I think Jesus said this with some hint of sadness in his voice.
After all, he’s denouncing Caperneum – and that was one of the towns where he’d lived for a time and where he did a huge number of his miracles.
The childlike trusters (v25-30)
25 At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
What Christ seeks in us is child-like faith
But we have misconceptions about child-like faith.
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we tend to think of childlike faith as being a faith that is rather gullible (as a child can be)
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or a faith that we’ll one day grow out of – and realise it wasn’t the whole deal that we thought it was. (like a child growing up)
Actually neither is the case, and neither is suggested by what Jesus is saying here.
God has hidden his revelation from the wise and the learned –
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these are folk who, because they’re clever think they deserve more of God’s grace than the rest of us!
Jesus says ‘your heavenly father has hidden his word from them!
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Greek word (‘hidden’) comes from root that we get our work ‘encryption’ God’s coded it up so their pride prevents them from reading it!
On the other hand …
He has revealed it (made it plain – taken the covers off it). To little children.
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IN Greek it’s the same root as the word used for the title of the book of revelation – it’s ‘unveiling’ ‘revealing’ ‘exposing’ – making it blinkin’ obvious!
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E.g. unveiling a statue …
So God has hidden his message from one group and revealed it to another – And there’s more! There’s another idea embedded here …
In the first century children were not little adults to be nurtured at all costs (like they are today)
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They were little people who had to make their own way in life like anyone else.
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For the most part, they were disregarded by adults. A nuisance.
So underneath this verse is Jesus saying “If you’ think you’re a religious expert who has got it all together and therefore God should reveal himself to you – then think again! God is looking for people who don’t carry the stench of pride in their hearts.
In contrast, God’s word/message is simple enough for people with a child’s understanding to grasp, but it’s profound enough for the greatest intellects to be in awe of it!
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That is the wonder of the gospel!
We have a game in our cupboard at home (Ergo) Strap line “a minute to learn – a lifetime to master”
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That’s the gospel!
We might ask ‘What right has Jesus got to say this?’ and he anticipates that feeling with v27:
And Jesus says:
27 ‘All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one [is intimate with] the Son except the Father, and
no one [is intimate with] the Father except the Son
and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
There is closest possible link between the son and father – between Jesus and God!
So he sums it up with these words:
28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’
BTW …
paraphrases and translations
I love the Message on these verses
Are you tired, worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
However, Can I give you a word of caution. – This is paraphrase, not a translation. There’s an important difference.
While the author (Eugene Petersen) has done a really god job in elaborating and embellishing the passage so that we can hear its message in contemporary, we need to be careful about interpretation here.
This is only Eugene Petersen’s interpretation of the text
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The word ‘unforced’ is not in Matthew’s gospel.
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The word ‘rhythm’ is not in Matthew’s gospel.
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The word ‘grace’ is not in Matthew’s gospel.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m no knocking paraphrases! Buy “the message” and read it! It will do your soul good!
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But do remember you’re reading a story based on the Bible, not the Bible itself. (sometimes he goes some distance off piste!)
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So if there are aspect of theology (understanding your heavenly father) that you get from this, make sure they check out with God’s word!
The Pharisees laid heavy burdens on people. The scribes wanted to honour God, but the effect of their teaching was to condemn ordinary believers to hard labour – keeping thousands of nit-picking little rules – and constantly in fear of breaking one of them!
Beware! That still here today! >>>
The ‘rest’ Jesus is talking about here is not a nap on a deck chair! It’s not a holiday! It’s being set free from religious obligations!
In Christ I don’t have to
Jesus is not saying there’s no ‘yoke’, no framework for being a Christian no guiding principles to follow. There is! It’s just that his yoke is an easy one – even a child can wear it!
He’s not saying there’s no ‘burden’ to be carried to follow him – there is! But his burden is ‘light’ it’s carryable – even a child can do it! – you can do it!
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