CHAPTER XI

Outline of Chapter 11

Theme: The Work Which Thou Gavest Him to Do

11:1–19 The Doubt of John the Baptist and the Manner in Which Jesus Dealt with It

11:20–24 Woes Pronounced on Impenitent Cities

11:25–30 The Savior’s Tender Invitation

11:1–19 The Doubt of John the Baptist and the Manner in Which Jesus Dealt with It

Cf. Luke 7:18–35

11 1 Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 And when John in his prison heard about the activities of Christ he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the Coming One, or must we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John the things which you hear and see: 5 (the) blind are gaining their sight and (the) cripples are walking, (the) lepers are being cleansed and (the) deaf are hearing, (the) dead are being raised up and (the) poor are having good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not repelled by me.”

7 When these (messengers) were going away Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What was it that you went out into the wilderness to look at? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Surely those who wear soft garments are (to be found) in kings’ palaces. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, even more than a prophet. 10 This is the one of whom it is written:

‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,

Who shall prepare thy way before thee.’

11 I solemnly declare to you, Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom is pressing forward vigorously, and vigorous men are eagerly taking possession of it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and shouting to their playmates,

17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

We sang dirges, and you did not beat the breast.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners.’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

The account of the sending forth of The Twelve as kingdom ambassadors (chap. 10) is followed here in chapter 11 by a report of Christ’s words of tribute to the herald of the kingdom, John the Baptist. Actually the chapter begins with the story of John’s doubt as reported to Jesus by the Baptist’s disciples (11:1–3). Christ’s answer, a message to be conveyed to John, is next reported (verses 4–6). Then, to offset any wrong conclusion on the part of the people, as if John were merely a fickle person, a large section (verses 7–19) records the manner in which the Lord extolled the Baptist. The small paragraph in which woes are pronounced on the impenitent cities is basically an outgrowth of the preceding much larger one. Many of the people have not accepted John’s testimony, at least have not truly repented. Some, in fact, have even called John “demon-possessed.” They have also rejected the testimony of the Son of man (verses 16–19). Accordingly, the cities which had been most highly favored but have nevertheless rejected the good tidings are now denounced (verses 20–24). This denunciation is however more sharply worded than the preceding rebuke. It is also more specific, mentioning certain centers of unbelief by name (Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum). In the unforgettably touching closing words of the chapter (verses 25–30) curse is replaced by blessing, accusation by invitation.

It is clear therefore that the entire chapter forms a unit. It is as it were a pyramid whose large lower section could be labeled “John the Baptist, herald of the kingdom, reassured and extolled.” The two smaller units—think of the higher portion tapering toward the pyramid’s apex—a. a natural transition (verses 20–24), and b. a striking contrast (verses 25–30)—can hardly be forgotten.

Essentially, however, the theme is far more exalted, for throughout the evangelist is showing his readers the majesty of the Christ. Even while the latter was uttering his remarkable saying, “Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (verse 11), was he not proving his own infinitely superior greatness revealed in dealing so wisely and so tenderly with his faltering disciple? Matthew does not even report how the Baptist, when the answer reached him, reacted to it. This, too, confirms what was just stated, namely, that ultimately not John forms the subject of the story but Jesus Christ does, and God through him. “The Work Which Thou Gavest Him to Do,” is the theme throughout.

The conclusion of the book of Jonah forms an interesting parallel. Have we not often wondered how Jonah reacted to Jehovah’s searching question (Jonah 4:10, 11)? It is not recorded, for the emphasis must be placed on the love of God, not on Jonah. So it is also in Matthew’s Gospel, and, in fact, in the Bible throughout.

First, then, we turn to the account describing the manner in which Jesus dealt with the Baptist’s doubt. 11:1–3. Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John in his prison heard about the activities of Christ he sent word by his disciples and said to him, Are you the Coming One, or must we look for someone else? At first glance we might feel inclined to criticize the division of the chapter. Would it not have been better to include verse 1 with the preceding paragraph? Does it not form a fitting conclusion to The Charge to The Twelve? It does indeed. But it also definitely introduces chapter 11, for it was exactly the report concerning Christ’s activities, his teaching, preaching, etc. in the cities, that contributed toward John’s doubt.

Had Matthew been an uninspired author he would undoubtedly have given us a detailed account of “The Experiences of The Twelve on Their First Mission Tour.” He would have placed this interesting story immediately after The Charge. But the evangelist is far more interested in Jesus than in the latter’s disciples, though, of course, he is also interested in the latter. However, as to them, he takes for granted that the readers will draw the correct conclusion. Even Mark and Luke, who share an equal degree of inspiration with Matthew, have but little to say about the experiences of the disciples. They do say something (Mark 6:12, 13; Luke 9:6), but then immediately continue with the story of Jesus and his love.

Matthew, then, informs us that having finished his charge to the disciples, Jesus went on from there to teach and to preach. The distinction between “teaching” and “preaching” has already been explained (see on 4:23). “In their cities”: accordingly, the Great Galilean Ministry is continuing. Though only “teaching and preaching” are mentioned in 11:1, it is clear from verse 5 that a goodly number of “mighty works” were also being performed. It is for this reason that even though in verse 2 the rendering “deeds” or “works” would have been correct, yet in the light of the context “activities” is probably better. This includes teaching and preaching as well as miracles.

According to 4:12 and 14:3, 4 (see on these verses) John the Baptist had been taken into custody by King Herod Antipas. He had been locked up in the gloomy fortress of Machaerus, modern Khirbet Mukâwer, located about five miles east of the Dead Sea and fifteen miles south of its northern tip. The prison was part of one of the Herodian palaces,⁴⁶⁵ which explains the possibility of the action recorded in Mark 6:25–28. Though his imprisonment must have been a very grim ordeal, John was allowed to receive visitors. From these he had learned about the activities of Jesus, the very One about whom the Baptist had said so many wonderful things (Matt. 3:11; John 1:15–18, 26, 27, 29–36; 3:28–30). As John saw it, the gracious words that fell from the lips of the Savior and the miracles of mercy he performed did not harmonize with the manner in which he, the Baptist, had pictured him before the public. He had presented him as One who had come to punish and destroy (Matt. 3:7, 10; Luke 3:7, 9). As was pointed out previously (see on 3:10) John’s word had been true and inspired, the very “word of God” (Luke 1:76; 3:2). What Christ’s herald missed, however, was this: he failed to discern that this prophecy of doom would go into fulfilment not now but at Christ’s second coming. He had not seen the present and the future in true perspective.

John made a very wise decision when, instead of keeping his difficulty regarding Jesus to himself, or talking it over with others but not with the right person, he took it to Jesus. Owing to the fact that the Baptist was himself in prison, so that he was unable to go and see Jesus in person, he sent word by his (the Baptist’s) disciples.⁴⁶⁶ This does not mean however that the interpretation according to which it was not John himself who doubted but only his disciples who did, and that John now sends these men to Jesus so that the Savior may solve their problem, is correct. It is definitely incorrect. Why otherwise would Jesus have said, “Go and report to John”? (verse 4). There is no question about it: It was John himself who had a problem. It was he who wondered whether or not Jesus was “the Coming One.”⁴⁶⁷

4–6. Jesus answered and said to them, Go and report to John the things which you hear and see: (the) blind are gaining their sight and (the) cripples are walking, (the) lepers are being cleansed and (the) deaf are hearing, (the) dead are being raised up and (the) poor are having good news preached to them. In which sense was this answer reassuring? Is it not true that John already knew all this (verse 2), and that the very fact that he knew it had contributed substantially to his doubt? True indeed, but the wording was new.… Or was it? It was “new” in the sense that friends who had been reporting Christ’s activities to John had not used this type of formulation. On the other hand, the message as phrased by Jesus had a familiar ring. It must have reminded John of certain prophetic predictions, namely, Isa. 35:5, 6 and 61:1: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the cripple [or: lame] man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy.… The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, because Jehovah has anointed me to preach good news to the poor [or: meek].” It is as if Jesus were tenderly saying to John, “Do you remember these prophecies? This, too, was predicted concerning Messiah. And all this is being fulfilled today, namely, in me.” Jesus was going to use Isa. 61 also on another occasion, and again as a prediction fulfilled in himself (Luke 4:16–21).

In connection with these prophetic words and their fulfilment in Jesus two additional facts should be noted: a. Isaiah had referred both to miracles and preaching; Christ’s message to John also contains a reference to both; and b. the fulfilment in Christ was even better than the prediction, for in the latter not a word had even been whispered with reference to raising the dead. The predictions had to do with healing, cleansing, and preaching good tidings. The fulfilment included all these and more, namely, raising the dead. It is interesting to notice that in Luke’s Gospel the story of bringing back to life the son of the widow of Nain (7:11–17) immediately precedes the report of John’s doubt and of the manner in which Jesus dealt with it (7:18–23).

The message addressed to John the Baptist ends with the words: And blessed is he who is not repelled by me, that is, who does not allow anything I do or say to ensnare him, to lure him into sin. See on 5:29, 30. Though the view according to which by means of this admonition John was being rebuked may well be correct, yet if so it was a tender rebuke, one that did not in any respect eclipse the Master’s love for his momentarily confused disciple. In fact, rightly considered, the admonition contains a blessing, “Blessed is he.…” The Lord treats John as tenderly as he did the man born blind, the woman caught in adultery, Peter, Thomas, etc. In view of the manner in which Jesus immediately proceeds to praise John publicly and to rebuke those who were finding fault both with this herald and with the One to whom he bore witness (verses 7–19), and also in view of such passages as Mal. 3:1, 4:5, 6; Luke 1:15–17, 76, 80; Phil. 1:6, it must be considered certain that the message of Jesus had the desired effect on John. But it is the wisdom and tenderness of Jesus that stand out, and this both in the message of reassurance addressed to John and in the words spoken about John and directed to the crowd that was present.

The latter paragraph begins as follows: 7. When these (messengers) were going away, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, What was it that you went out into the wilderness to look at? A reed swaying in, the wind? Here Jesus corrects the erroneous conclusion which some of the people were apt to draw with respect to John because of the question in which he had revealed his doubt concerning the very One whom he had formerly pointed out as the Messiah, that conclusion being that the Baptist was a fickle, vacillating person. In the paragraph taken as a whole the Master is saying that it is wrong to condemn a person on the basis of one deviation from the straight course. In order to form a true opinion about a man his entire life, past as well as present, must be taken into consideration. In the case of John that past had been glorious. The crowd should reflect on the tremendous impact the Baptist had made on them during his earlier appearance in the wilderness of Jordan. “What was it,” says Jesus as it were, “that made, you travel all the way from Galilee to the Judean wilderness? Was it perhaps to look at a man who resembled a reed swaying in [literally: being swayed by] the wind on the banks of the Jordan?” Of course, that could not have been the reason. The person about whom everybody had been talking was like a sturdy oak, not like a trembling reed. Jesus takes for granted that the answer to the question voiced in verse 7 is “Indeed not. We definitely did not go out into the wilderness to look at a reed swaying in the wind.” So he continues: 8. But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Again the answer is a firm negative, as Jesus makes clear by continuing, Surely those who wear soft garments are (to be found) in kings’ palaces. As to John’s actual garments see on 3:4. Those who wear “soft” garments are the people without backbone, sycophants who readily kowtow to those in authority and are rewarded with a high office in the king’s palace, a position that enables them to wear soft garments in harmony with the high station in life to which they have attained. The people whom Jesus here addresses know very well that John was a totally different individual. Instead of flattering the king he had even rebuked him. So now, instead of enjoying gay palace life he was locked up in a horrid dungeon. Moreover, at the time when the Baptist was still free and preaching in the wilderness the people, by and large, had not even thought of finding fault with his stern message and rustic appearance. At that time John had been a popular hero (3:5). No doubt even afterward many continued to hold him in high esteem (14:5). Yet opinions were beginning to change. What many formerly praised in John, his ascetic manner of life and unsparing warnings, they had now begun to criticize. It is for that reason that Jesus here takes them to task. Continued: 9, 10. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? The Lord answers his own question, and in doing so gives a true appraisal of John: Yes, I tell you more than a prophet; meaning, “Yes, you went out to see a prophet, and I assure you that he is even more than a prophet.”

“More than a prophet” for John not only prophesied (see, for example, Matt. 3:7–12) but was himself also an object of prophecy. He was himself the predicted forerunner of the Messiah. Therefore Jesus continues: This is the one of whom it is written:

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,

Who shall prepare thy way before thee.⁴⁶⁸

That Mal. 3:1 refers indeed to John the Baptist as Messiah’s herald is clear from the fact that this way-preparer is evidently “Elijah the prophet” of Mal. 4:5, who, in turn, is John the Baptist, according to Christ’s own words as recorded in Matt. 11:14. We are justified in saying, therefore, that this is Christ’s own interpretation of Mal. 3:1. Thus interpreted, the meaning, in brief, of Mal. 3:1 must be:

“Take note, I Jehovah, send my messenger, John the Baptist, to be the forerunner of thee, the Messiah. The forerunner’s task is to prepare everything—especially the hearts of the people (Mal. 4:6)—for thy coming.” The meaning is “to pave the way” for Messiah’s first coming, but in view of the fact that the first coming and the second coming are as it were two stages whereby God comes to his people in Immanuel, therefore also for his second coming. When applied in the latter sense the appellation “my messenger” attains a broader meaning, from which neither John the Baptist nor Christ’s apostles nor their successors throughout the new dispensation can be excluded. Though it is true that the immediate context of Mal. 3:1 reaches forward to the final judgment (see especially verses 2 and 3), Matthew very legitimately, as has already been explained, applies the prophecy especially to the first phase of the coming, or, to put it more simply, to the first coming.

It was in a marvelous manner that John the Baptist had fulfilled his task as herald. Hence Jesus is able to continue as follows: 11. I solemnly declare to you, Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist.… As already indicated, John was greater because he was not only a prophet but one whose arrival upon the scene of history had been prophesied. It may well be questioned however whether this is all that Jesus meant when he made the tremendous statement found here in 11:11, introducing it with the impressive formula, “I solemnly declare to you,” explained in connection with 5:18. Is it not very probable that the Lord was thinking not only of the simple fact that John the Baptist, the herald, arrived in fulfilment of prophecy, but also of the marvelous manner in which this forerunner had fulfilled his task? He had done exactly what a herald must do. First, he had very clearly announced the arrival of Messiah, directing the people’s attention to that Great One: “Look, the Lamb of God who is taking away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Secondly, he had emphasized the necessity of repentance as the only way for the sinner to enter Messiah’s kingdom (Matt. 3:2 and parallels; see also Luke 1:76, 77). And thirdly, since it is the duty of the herald to recede to the background when the One whom he has introduced has fully arrived upon the scene, so John had resisted the temptation to call attention to himself. Instead in humility of spirit he had said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Now in view of the fact that Jesus himself, in describing the nature of true greatness, always links it with humility (Matt. 8:8, 10, cf. Luke 7:6, 9; Matt. 18:1–5, cf. Mark 9:33–37 and Luke 9:46–48; Matt. 20:26, 27, cf. Mark 10:43–45; Matt. 23:11; and see also Matt. 15:27, 28), is it not altogether probable that he does this also in the present case? This humility, in turn, must be viewed as a gift which John had received from the Holy Spirit. Thus the word of the angel addressed to Zechariah, “He shall be great … and filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15) had been and was being fulfilled. Surely, all of this—a. John not only “the prophet of the Highest” but himself the fulfilment of prophecy, b. as such one who in a most humble manner fulfilled his task, c. being filled with the Holy Spirit and this from his mother’s womb—must be taken into consideration in order to do justice to the full meaning of Matt. 11:11. When that is done it will be clear that the statement is not in any sense an exaggeration.

To this Jesus adds: yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. This cannot mean that John, after all, was not a saved man. Perish the very thought! Rather, the statement must be explained in the light of 13:16, 17, “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. I solemnly declare to you, many prophets and righteous persons longed to see what you are seeing, yet did not see it, and to hear what you are hearing, yet did not hear it.” The one least in the kingdom was greater than John in the sense that he was more highly privileged, for the Baptist in his prison was not in such close touch with Jesus as was this least one. And was it not this very circumstance which had also contributed to the herald’s confusion with respect to whether or not Jesus was truly the Messiah? At the very moment when the messengers sent by John submitted his question to Jesus, the latter was busily engaged in the act of healing and restoring (Luke 7:20, 21). Is it not true that actually seeing all this happening before one’s very eyes would be more likely to ring memory’s bell recalling to mind Isa. 35:5, 6; 61:1 ff. than would a dismal prison atmosphere, with no opportunity even to see, much less to speak to the One about whom the prisoner was thinking? Yes, in a sense the kingdom had already arrived: the afflicted ones were being delivered from their ills, the dead were being raised up, and the words of life and beauty were proceeding from the heart and lips of the Master. But in his sovereign providence, which no one has a right to question, John was not an immediate participant or even a direct witness. Also, he was not to see Calvary nor to experience Pentecost. However, he was not being forgotten or neglected. The message Jesus sent him (11:4–6) was sufficient to reassure him.

But even though John the Baptist was now far away from the scene of action, nevertheless through his earlier emphasis on the necessity of genuine repentance and his pointing to Jesus as the Savior from sin he had been used as an instrument of God in paving the way for blessings to happen, so that Jesus is able again to refer to him favorably as he now continues: 12. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom is pressing forward vigorously, and vigorous men are eagerly taking possession of it.⁴⁶⁹ Truly the work of John the Baptist had not been in vain. He had pointed away from himself toward Jesus, and the crowds had followed Jesus (John 3:26). Was it not an act of kindness and magnanimity on the part of the Lord to give credit to John for what he had formerly done, and especially to extol him thus at this very time when the Baptist had given expression to his uncertainty regarding Jesus? It is true that Christ’s drawing power was not dependent on John, not in the least. Nevertheless, in the providence of God and in fulfilment of prophecy John’s preaching had contributed toward the result of paving the way for Christ.

The kingdom, says Jesus, ever since the days of John’s first appearance upon the scene has been pressing forward vigorously, forcefully. It is doing so now, as is clear from the fact that sick are being healed, lepers cleansed, the dead raised, sinners converted to everlasting life, all this now as never before. Still, by no means everybody is entering. Many, very many, even now are refusing and resisting. But vigorous or forceful men, people who dare to break away from faulty human tradition and to return to the Word in all its purity, no matter what be the cost to themselves, such individuals are eagerly taking possession of the kingdom; that is, in their hearts and lives that kingship or reign of God and of Christ is being established.

What Jesus here emphasizes is that one cannot sleep his way into the kingdom. On the contrary, entrance into the kingdom requires earnest endeavor, untiring energy, utmost exertion. See also Luke 13:24; 16:16; John 16:33; Acts 14:22. This is true because Satan is mighty, has a large army of helpers, the demons, has learned to use crafty methods (see N.T.C. on Eph. 6:11), and receives aid and support from his fifth column established in man’s very heart (I John 2:16). Therefore it takes vigorous men, men who are eager to fight and to conquer, to overcome Satan and thus to take possession of the kingdom, of all the blessings of salvation. The kingdom, then, is not for weaklings, waverers, or compromisers. It is not for Balaam (II Peter 2:15), the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:22), Pilate (John 19:12, 13), and Demas (II Tim. 4:10). It is not won by means of deferred prayers, unfulfilled promises, broken resolutions, and hesitant testimonies. It is for strong and sturdy men like Joseph (Gen. 39:9), Nathan (II Sam. 12:7), Elijah (I Kings 18:21), Daniel and his three friends (Dan. 1:8; 3:16–18), Mordecai (Esther 3:4), the Peter of Acts 4:20, Stephen (Acts 6:8; 7:51), and Paul (Phil. 3:13, 14). And here let us not forget such valiant women as Ruth (Ruth 1:16–18), Deborah (Judg. 4:9), Esther (Esther 4:16), and Lydia (Acts 16:15, 40).

The words of Jesus recorded in verse 12 imply that with John a new period had begun, when the kingdom started to press forward vigorously. That thought is confirmed in verses 13, 14. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come. “All the prophets and the law” indicates “the entire Old Testament,” as far as the prophets that wrote books are concerned ending with Malachi, in whose book the coming of Christ and of his herald was predicted. Thereupon prophecy was silent for more than four hundred years. After that came the fulfilment of prophecy in Jesus Christ, but (chronologically speaking) first of all in John the Baptist. In him, accordingly, prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled. It was he who tied together the old and the new dispensation. At least equally important, it was he whose inspired exhortation, if obeyed, would solve the problem of the generation gap, for by means of faith in the Christ whom he proclaimed the hearts of the fathers were turned to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Mal. 4:5, 6). This John the Baptist, preacher of repentance and faith, was accordingly the Elijah who was to come. Like the Elijah of old, John too was a preacher of repentance. The two resembled each other also in the sudden character of their appearance, the incisiveness of their message, and the simplicity of their life. See on 3:3. True, John was not literally Elijah (John 1:21), but inwardly he was indeed, for “he went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), and was therefore called Elijah by no one less than Jesus himself (Matt. 17:12). “If you are willing to accept it,” says Jesus, for he knows that accepting this truth was a matter not solely of the mind but also of the will. If the people were but willing to accept John as being truly the prophet of the Most High, then there was hope for them. Therefore Jesus adds: 15. He who has ears let him hear. Let him listen attentively to the message of salvation as God’s gracious reward for repentance and faith. Let him find peace and joy in the One who had been described by John as taking away the sin of the world. In all of Christ’s teaching, both on earth and from heaven, it would be difficult to discover any exhortation that he repeated more often, in one form or another, than the one of verse 15 (13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9; cf. 8:18 in both Mark and Luke). No wonder, for is not lack of receptivity that which, if persisted in, leads directly to the unpardonable sin? For more on this unresponsiveness or unwillingness to hear and to heed see 13:3–9, 18–23. In the present connection it is evident that when Jesus says, “He who has ears let him hear,” he was thinking surely not only of what he had said in verse 14, namely, that John was Elijah who was to come, but of the entire contents of verses 7–14. Over against the gradual change of attitude on the part of many with respect to John, Jesus had extolled him. It was not John who was fickle, but rather that large group of individuals who had allowed themselves to be led astray by the Pharisees (Luke 7:30), so that their earlier noisy enthusiasm about John had cooled, in fact had been replaced by hostile criticism. In fact, both John and Jesus had become the butt of their disparaging and insolent remarks (see verses 18, 19). So Jesus continues: 16–19. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and shouting to their playmates,

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

We sang dirges, and you did not beat the breast.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look, a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners.

It is clear that Jesus is here accusing these critics of being childish. There is a difference between being childlike and being childish. The Lord recommends the first (18:1–5 and parallel passages). He condemns the second. The picture he draws is that of children who on those days when no business is being transacted on the market have gathered in its ample spaces in order to play games. Today, however, nothing seems to succeed. Some children begin to play the flute, as an accompaniment not to mourning (9:23) but to merriment (cf. Rev. 18:22). They want to play wedding. Others object. So the players put their flutes away and start to lament pitifully and/or moan a dirge, as they had heard their elders and the professional mourners do. That idea, too, does not go across. In a spirit of desperation they then scold their playmates (literally “the others”) for being so unco-operative, a complaint which the others return (Luke 7:32).

We can easily imagine something of this nature happening today. “Let’s play wedding,” says one child. Others chime in. “Let Mary be the bride, Ruth the maid of honor. I’ll be the groom. Bert can be the best man, Peter the father of the bride, Jack will do very nicely for the preacher.” “Yes, let’s do that,” say some of the others, and they start whistling a wedding march. But many voices scream back in disgust, “Not that silly stuff. That’s not for us.” “Then let’s play funeral,” says the boy who had been the first to suggest playing wedding, and he adds, “I’ll be the funeral director, the pall-bearers are John, Bert, Peter, and Larry. Mike can be the corpse.” Dolefully the speaker and some others begin to intone a funeral hymn. But their groaning is drowned out by loud protests: “Cut it out. We want none of this sad stuff.” So a petty quarrel develops, in which those who had suggested the games are shouting to their playmates, “You ’re never satisfied. You don’t want to play wedding and you don’t want to play funeral. What do you want to play?” The accused hurl back similar charges.⁴⁷⁰ All are unhappy, disgruntled, sulky. Weddings are too silly, too glad; funerals, too gloomy, too sad. Not only are the children peevish and quarrelsome, they are also fickle, inconsistent: what they used to get all excited about they now look down upon.

Jesus, then, is saying, “That is the way you, Pharisees and your followers, are behaving. You are being childish. You are frivolous and are acting irresponsibly, inconsistently. You are never satisfied. You used to be filled with enthusiasm about John; at least, you stood in awe of him and did not find fault with his austerity and call to repentance. But now you say, ‘He is too harsh and unsociable; his message is too severe. Why, he must be possessed.’ But you are also turning against me, the Son of man.⁴⁷¹ You are pointing the finger at me and saying, ‘Though he demands self-denial in others, he himself is a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners. He is too sociable.’ ”

Jesus points out that in the end such thoroughly unfair and bitter criticism and intolerance will get nowhere. The victory is on the side of truth. He says, Yet wisdom is vindicated⁴⁷² by her works. The wisdom of John the Baptist, when he insisted on repentance, and of Jesus, when he held out the hope of salvation even to those with whom many in Israel would have nothing to do, was shown to have been fully justified by what it actually accomplished in the hearts and lives of those who, by sovereign grace, gave the proper response to both of these preachers. John and Jesus each had his distinct mission to perform. Each carried out his assignment. By Jesus, who himself in person was and is “wisdom from God” (I Cor. 1:30), this assignment was carried out flawlessly; by John, by and large superbly. Wisdom’s children (Luke 7:35) are all those who were wise enough to take to heart the message of John and of Jesus. Between John and Jesus there was this similarity: both proclaimed the gospel. Even John’s message was certainly not without hope (see especially John 1:29). Even when his emphasis was on repentance, his exhortation was hope inspiring. See Matt. 3:7–11. Yet between John and Jesus there was also a contrast, not only the one pointed out here in 11:18, 19, but also this, namely, that while John proclaimed the good news, Jesus not only proclaimed it but came into this world that there might be good news to proclaim!

Today we know that to a considerable degree wisdom’s vindication has already arrived. For example, has not the designation that was originally intended as a disparaging nickname, “friend of tax-collectors and sinners” become one of the Savior’s most hope-imparting and soul-stirring titles? Is this title not being “justified” by thousands upon thousands of lives that have taken it to heart and acted upon it? And will not the full and final vindication arrive on the day of the consummation of all things, and ever afterward?

11:20–24 Woes Pronounced on Impenitent Cities

Cf. Luke 10:13–15

20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty works had been performed, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you Chorazin! woe to you Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? To Hades you shall descend, for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom it would be standing today. 24 But I tell you that for the land of Sodom it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment than for you.”

The relation between this and the immediately preceding section (verses 1–19) has already been indicated (p. 482). 20. Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty works had been performed, because they did not repent.… The exact moment indicated by “then” is not given. The contents of the paragraph clearly indicate however that many miracles had already been performed in Capernaum and its neighboring cities. This might point to the latter part of the Great Galilean Ministry. However, if we reflect on the fact that at the very beginning of that ministry Jesus immediately chose Capernaum as his headquarters and began to exhibit his healing power in that city and its vicinity (4:13 ff.) we are led to conclude that such a late date is not even strictly necessary: either the middle or the latter part of that period of activity is probably indicated.

Jesus, then, began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty works had been performed. The verb “reproach” is here used in a sense somewhat different than in 5:11. There it had reference to an unjustifiable action, that of heaping insults upon Christ’s disciples; here it indicates the Lord’s justifiable denunciation of those who have hardened themselves in sin. We read that Jesus reproached the cities. Here again, as in 10:15, the term “city” refers first of all and most of all to the inhabitants. See on 4:15; also footnote 441 on p. 460. A mere topographical entity—streets, buildings, a wall—cannot be expected to “repent,” is not held accountable for any deeds, and does not enter into the judgment. It is true, nevertheless, that what is done by the citizens is bound to affect the place where they live (see verse 23; cf. Gen. 19:13, 24).

These “cities” had seen Christ’s mighty works, his deeds of power, as the miracles are here called. Such works should have caused them to reflect on their ways and to turn to God in true sorrow for sin, but that had not been the effect (cf. Rev. 9:20, 21). So Jesus continues: 21. Woe to you Chorazin! woe to you Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. It is probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were situated very close to Capernaum, which is mentioned last of all, namely, in verse 23. The ruins of present day Kerazeh, northwest of the Sea of Galilee, and two and one-half miles north of what used to be Capernaum, are all that is left of ancient Chorazin. The Bethsaida here mentioned could be either Bethsaida Julias, located just southeast of the point where the Jordan River, coming from the north, flows into the Sea of Galilee, or else another Bethsaida, situated closer to Capernaum.⁴⁷³ In view of the mention of Chorazin and Capernaum in this very connection, the latter would seem to be probable. If so, it was the Bethsaida located in the plain of Gennesaret (Mark 6:53), which stretches northwest from the Sea of Galilee. It was the home town of Philip, the place where Andrew and Peter also originally came from (John 1:44). It is easily understood that with Capernaum as his headquarters Christ’s mighty deeds would have been performed not only inside this city but also in the nearby towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Jesus states that if the mighty works done in the two last-named cities had been done in Tyre and Sidon, these Phoenician cities, situated more northerly, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, would have repented long ago. Yet, from Isa. 23 and Ezek. 26–28 one receives the definite impression that the commercial seafarers and colonizers who inhabited these cities were proud, money-mad, and cruel. Amos denounced the Tyrians for selling Israelites into slavery to the Edomites (Amos 1:9). The Phoenicians also sold “the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem” to the Greeks (Joel 3:6). In the description of pleasure-mad, arrogant, presumptuous “Babylon” of Rev. 17–19 there is much that brings back to mind the heathen center of wickedness and seduction, Tyre. The assertion, therefore, that had Tyre and Sidon been favored in a manner similar to Chorazin and Bethsaida, the people of these Phoenician cities would have repented long ago⁴⁷⁴ shows with what revulsion the Lord views those who were far more highly privileged but had remained impenitent. The “woe” pronounced upon them amounts to a curse.

Tyre and Sidon would have repented “in sackcloth and ashes,” says Jesus. Since the material of which sackcloth was made was a coarse kind of cloth, dark in color (“black as sackcloth of hair,” Rev. 6:12), it was especially appropriate as a symbol of mourning. The sackcloth worn by mourners was actually a kind of shirt, with openings for neck and arms, slit down the front, and cast about the loins. It could be worn over an undergarment (Jonah 3:6) or directly over the skin (I Kings 21:27; II Kings 6:30; Job 16:15; Isa. 32:11). This symbolic reference to sorrow is even strengthened by the addition of “and ashes.” Continued: 22. But I tell you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment than for you. For explanation see on 10:15.

The Lord now turns to the very heart and center of his activity, namely, Capernaum: 23, 24. And you Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? To Hades you shall descend.… This city and the work which the Savior performed here, including the miracles, have already been discussed; see on 4:13. The main point now is this: by and large the population of Capernaum had remained impenitent in spite of all the labor of love which Jesus had bestowed upon it. It is for this reason that he now addresses this center of his activity in terms that remind one of Isa. 14:13, 15, where the king of Babylon is pictured as boasting that he will ascend into heaven, and is then described as actually descending into Sheol’s lowest depth. In a question full of dramatic emphasis Jesus, accordingly, asks, “And you Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?” In other words, “You don’t really expect to be exalted to heaven, do you?” As far as the form is concerned, the question is so phrased as to expect a negative answer.⁴⁷⁵ This is irony, for Capernaum expects exactly to be thus exalted. Swift as an arrow from a bow comes the answer, “To Hades you shall descend.” Note position of Hades (before the verb) in this answer, making this curse-filled prediction all the more emphatic, an emphasis that is lost in many of the renderings. Here (and in the parallel, Luke 10:15), as probably everywhere in the Gospels, but not everywhere in the entire New Testament, Hades means “hell.” Note how sharply it is contrasted with “heaven.” Hades is here the place of torments and of the flame (Luke 16:23, 24). See also on Matt. 16:18.⁴⁷⁶ That the utter ruin here predicted for the people of Capernaum also implied the destruction of their city is clear. Similarly, the punishment which was visited upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah included the loss of their city. Nevertheless, in both cases it is the curse upon the people that is primary. It is as a result of their sin that the city, too, is destroyed, not vice versa. In a manner similar to that found in verses 21 and 22 and 10:15, so that no further explanation is even necessary, Jesus concludes this paragraph by saying: for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom it would be standing today. But I tell you that for the land of Sodom it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment than for you.

11:25–30 The Savior’s Tender Invitation

Cf. Luke 10:21, 22

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and learned (people) and didst reveal them to babes; 26 yes Father, for such was thy good pleasure.27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father, nor does anyone know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son is willing to reveal (him). 28 Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is kindly, and my burden is light.”

This oft-quoted paragraph, dear to the heart of every true believer, forms a striking contrast with the preceding one. There withering denunciation, here tender invitation; there the curse, here the blessing: 25, 26. At that time Jesus answered and said.… “At that time,” but Matthew does not tell us just when these words of adoration, revelation, and invitation issued from the heart and lips of the Savior. Luke does, however (10:1, 17, 21, 22). They were uttered after the return of seventy men whom Jesus had sent, two by two, into every place where he himself was about to come. Of course, even this is by no means a definite time designation. But it provides a background for the precious saying found in Matt. 11:25–30 and in part also in Luke 10:21, 22. Naturally the seventy had much to report (Luke 10:17), though, as remarked earlier, what they reported was not nearly as important as what the Lord says in response. It is to this reaction on the part of Jesus that the evangelists, each in his own way, call attention. See Luke 10:18–22; and compare Matt. 11:25–30. In fact, here as often the very words “answered and said” indicate a reaction or response to a situation, rather than a reply to a question. In the present case Christ’s reaction develops into a tender invitation. Since everything in verses 25–27 can be viewed as preparing for the invitation found in verses 28–30, this theme suggests the following subdivisions:

The Thanksgiving That Precedes It

Enthusiastic reports not only about demons that had been expelled (Luke 10:17) but probably also about souls converted (cf. Mark 6:12) cause Jesus to give expression to his gratitude. The connection, however, is not only with the preceding events but also with that which follows in verses 27–30. A gracious invitation is about to be extended. Burdened ones are going to be urged to come to Jesus. Yet no one can come unless the path which in so doing he must tread has been revealed to him (verses 25, 26). Nor would it make much sense to come unless the One who invites knows what those invited need and unless he has whatever it takes to satisfy this need (verse 27). So, with a feeling of serene trust in his Father, an attitude of mind and heart similarly reported of him on another stirring occasion (John 11:41), the Mediator between God and man, himself man (I Tim. 2:5), probably lifting up his eyes to heaven (cf. John 17:1), says, I praise⁴⁷⁷ thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and learned (people) and didst reveal them to babes. Jesus does not say “Our Father,” the form of address found in the prayer which he taught his disciples to pray. He says “Father” (cf. Mark 14:36; Luke 10:21; 22:42; 23:34; John 11:41). Sometimes he is quoted as saying, “(O) my Father” (Matt. 26:39, 42), or as using this expression (“my Father”) in speaking about his Father (Matt. 6:17; 10:32, 33; 11:27; 12:50; 18:10, etc.; Luke 10:22; 22:29; 24:49; John 5:17; 6:32, 65; 8:19, 28, 38, 49, 54; 10:30, etc.). Even his enemies interpreted this to mean that he was claiming equality with God (John 5:18), in so far a correct interpretation (John 10:30, 38). In the present connection the term was appropriate also for another reason: his Father, in a unique, trinitarian, and also Messianic (or mediatorial) sense, is at the same time, though in a different—sometimes called “religious or spiritual”—sense, the Father of all those who are his children by adoption, all true believers, here designated by the endearing term “babes.”

Altogether fitting is also the next title of address, namely, “Lord of heaven and earth.” As such, the Father is the sovereign Ruler, whose decisions and dispositions—for example, that he purposely hides certain things from wise and learned people—must not be criticized.

The question is raised, “But how could Jesus actually praise the Father not only for revealing matters touching salvation to some, but even for concealing them from others?” It is not entirely satisfactory to say: “Jesus meant that salvation transcends human understanding but can be appropriated by the humble heart.” By rereading the question it becomes evident that if this is intended as a full answer it is somewhat unsatisfactory. It tries to evade the difficulty experienced when we think of the kind and loving Savior as praising the Father for actually hiding from certain individuals knowledge that is essential to their salvation. Perhaps a more satisfactory way of dealing with the question would be: a. To admit that in our present state of knowledge it cannot be fully answered. Is not God “the Lord of heaven and earth”? Are not such passages as Deut. 29:29; Job 11:7, 8; Dan. 4:35; and Rom. 9:20 applicable here? b. In so far as a partial answer is possible, to view this praise of the Father as the thankful recognition of the latter’s righteousness shown in punishing those who are “wise in their own eyes” (Prov. 26:5; Rom. 11:25; 12:16), the very opposite of “babes.”

The matter becomes easier when we consider the next clause, namely, “… and didst reveal them to babes.” Physically speaking, “babes” are “sucklings” (Matt. 21:16). They drink milk, not solid food (I Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13), and have not yet advanced very far in learning to speak (I Cor. 13:11). It is clear, therefore, that “babes” are those who are conscious of their utter dependence on others. Spiritually, therefore, babes are those who humbly confess their own nothingness, their emptiness and helplessness, and who, being thoroughly aware of their absolute dependence upon the might and mercy of the heavenly Father, betake themselves to him, trusting that from him they will receive whatever is necessary so that, enjoying salvation full and free, they may live lives of gratitude to his glory. It must have become clear by now that the contrast between a. “wise and learned” and b. “babes” is not that between educated and uneducated people. It is between a. Those who imagine that, because of their practical “wisdom” or superior “intellect,” they can save themselves, at least to some extent—think of Pharisees and scribes, with their doctrine of meritorious good works—; and b. those who realize that they must be saved by grace alone (Eph. 2:8). If this is understood, it will be clear that a highly educated individual can be a “babe,” and that a wholly uneducated person can be in the undesirable company of the “wise and learned.”

That Jesus would praise the Father for revealing these things to babes is understandable. In the present context the designation “these things” must mean the things concerning the kingdom of God (Matt. 11:12; cf. Luke 10:9, 17), the gospel (Luke 9:6) of repentance, hence of salvation (Mark 6:12). Such praise then is understandable, for if, in order to enter the kingdom or to obtain salvation, looking away from self and leaning on the everlasting arms of God is the path that must be trodden, then the way is opened to educated and uneducated, extraordinarily talented and intellectually retarded, rich and poor, young and old, male and female, slave and free. Truly, the Lord of heaven and earth has provided a glorious solution to the problem of human sin and misery. Is it not worthy of everlasting praise and adoration that the sovereign Ruler, who is self-sufficient and does not need man, is nevertheless willing to reveal the way of salvation to him; yes to humble people of every rank and station? “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa. 57:15).

It is as if the Mediator wishes to linger for a moment on this comforting thought, for in reverence and adoration he now continues, yes, Father, for⁴⁷⁸ such was thy good pleasure. It is comforting to note that throughout the New Testament the good pleasure or delight of the Father, when positively expressed, everywhere else has as its object Christ and/or the work of salvation in connection with him.⁴⁷⁹ It seems logical, therefore, to believe that also here (in Matt. 11:26 and in its parallel Luke 10:21) the positive thought of revealing to babes the things pertaining to salvation is uppermost in Christ’s mind when he mentions the Father’s good pleasure. Says H. Bavinck, “In a certain sense, the fall, sin, and eternal punishment are included in God’s decree and are willed by him. But this is true in a certain sense only, and not in the same sense as grace and salvation. These are the objects of his delight; but God does not delight in sin, neither does he take pleasure in punishment.”⁴⁸⁰ Cf. Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11.

The Claim That Gives Meaning to It

The way that leads to salvation has been pointed out (verses 25, 26). It is the way of humble trust in God, or if one prefers, in Jesus Christ. However, another question must now be answered, “Does the One who extends the invitation to accept this salvation have what the sinner needs, and does he even know what he needs? The answer is implied in verse 27. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.…

First of all, then, he has what the sinner needs. “All things” (cf. John 3:35; 13:3) necessary for the carrying out of the mediatorial task have by the Father been entrusted to the Son. What things? From the preceding chapters it has already become clear that Jesus, the Father’s Son, has received authority over Satan (4:1–11) and demons (8:28–32); over human ailments and handicaps (9:20–22; 9:1–8), winds and waves (8:23–27), body and soul (9:1–8), life and death (9:18, 19, 23–26), his own disciples and all other people (ch. 10), to save them (9:13) and to judge them (7:22, 23). From 28:18 we learn that he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. From other parts of Scripture it is clear that as Mediator he was endowed with the Spirit of Jehovah, that is, with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of Jehovah (Isa. 11:1, 2). In the heart of the Mediator there is peace (John 14:27; 20:21, 26), light, life, love (John 1:4, 17, 26), and joy (John 15:11; 16:24; 17:23). All these spiritual qualities and many more have been entrusted⁴⁸¹ to him by the Father in order that from him as the Fountain they might flow out to others (John 1:16, 17; 3:16; 6:51; and other passages already mentioned). It has become clear, therefore, that the Mediator has whatever is needed to render a human being truly blessed.

He also knows what the sinner needs. This follows from the fact that he is able to add: and no one knows⁴⁸² the Son but the Father. So great and so glorious is the heart of this Mediator that none but the Father can fathom its riches of knowledge, wisdom, and love. The very fact that the word “Son” is now used—not “me”—shows that what is being revealed here is the inner relation between Father and Son, a relation that existed from all eternity. When Paul speaks about “the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3), about “the fulness of the godhead” dwelling in him (2:9), he immediately applies this theme in a very practical manner by adding, “and in him you have attained to fulness” (2:10). It is probable that a similar practical implication is also implied here in Matt. 11:27, as if to say: from a reservoir so inexhaustible that only the Father knows its capacity weary and heavily burdened ones are urged to replenish their needed supplies.

This practical purpose becomes even more clearly evident, it would seem, with the addition of the clause that is the counterpart of the preceding: nor does anyone know the Father but the Son.… The sinner’s inner self and therefore his needs are known to God alone (Ps. 139; Jer. 17:9, 10). Before him every creature is laid bare (Heb. 4:13). Really to know a person means therefore to be able to see him as the Father sees him. Therefore, he who knows the Father knows the sinner and his needs also. It is the Son, the Son alone, who knows the Father, and who therefore also knows the sinner and his needs.

Since the Son knows the Father he, he alone, is able to reveal him, and does reveal him (John 1:18; 6:46; 14:8–11). Therefore to the words “nor does anyone know the Father but the Son” there is added: and he to whom the Son is willing to reveal (him). This must not be interpreted to mean that the Son is reluctant to reveal the Father, for just a moment ago (verse 25) the Son has been praising the Father for having revealed salvation to his humble children. The words indicate that the salvation of God’s children is dependent not upon anything in man but solely upon revelation, and that this revelation, in turn, is based solely upon the will and delight of both the Father and the Son, for not only as to essence but also as to purpose Father and Son are one (John 10:30). From start to finish therefore salvation is based on sovereign grace. Cf. Eph. 2:8.

The Content That Encourages Its Acceptance

The Son has and he knows, and now he also offers and gives what is needed by those who are weary and burdened: 28–30. Come⁴⁸³ to me all who are weary and burdened.… What it means to come to Jesus is clearly described in John 6:35, “He who comes to me will in no way get hungry, and he who believes in me will in no way get thirsty.” It is clear from this passage that “coming” to Jesus means “believing” in him. Such faith is knowledge, assent, and confidence all in one. Moreover, faith, being the gift of the Holy Spirit, produces the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22; cf. John 14:15; 15:1–17; I John 2:3). It brings forth the works of gratitude, performed in spontaneous obedience to Christ.

It is to the weary⁴⁸⁴ and burdened⁴⁸⁵ ones that the invitation is extended.

It is they, all of them, who are urged to come to Jesus. Specifically whom does Jesus have in mind? Matt. 23:4 provides the answer. The reference is to all those who are oppressed by the heavy load of rules and regulations placed upon their shoulders by scribes and Pharisees, as if only then when in any person’s life obedience to all these traditions outbalances his acts of disobedience can he be saved. When in anyone’s mind and heart the belief took root that in this way, and only in this way, man must earn his way into everlasting life, the result at best was painful uncertainty; more often something worse, namely, clutching fear, gnawing anxiety, rayless despair (cf. Rom. 8:15a).

It stands to reason that Christ’s urgent invitation that such weary and burdened ones should come to him is relevant today as well as it was at the time when Jesus walked on earth. It applies to anyone who, for whatever reason, tries wholly or partly to achieve salvation by means of his own exertion. And does not the heart of every sinner, including even the man already reborn but still living here on earth, harbor a Pharisee, at least once in a while?

The promise is: and I will give you rest.⁴⁸⁶ Such rest is not only negatively absence from uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and despair; positively it is peace of mind and heart (Ps. 125:1; Isa. 26:3; 43:2; John 14:27; 16:33; Rom. 5:1); assurance of salvation (II Cor. 5:1; II Tim. 1:12; 4:7, 8; II Peter 1:10, 11). Continued: Take my yoke⁴⁸⁷ upon you and learn⁴⁸⁸ from me.… In Jewish literature a “yoke” represents the sum-total of obligations which, according to the teaching of the rabbis, a person must take upon himself. This definition accounts for such terms as “yoke of the Torah,” “yoke of the commandments,” “yoke of the kingdom of heaven,” etc. It has already been shown that because of their misinterpretation, alteration, and augmentation of God’s holy law, the yoke which Israel’s teachers placed upon the shoulders of the people was that of a totally unwarranted legalism. It was the system of teaching that stressed salvation by means of strict obedience to a host of rules and regulations. Now here in 11:29 Jesus places his own teaching over against that to which the people had become accustomed. When he says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” or “and become my disciples,” he means, “Accept my teaching, namely, that a person is saved by means of simple trust in me.” Continued: for I am meek and lowly in heart⁴⁸⁹.… In explaining the word “meek” as it occurs in 5:5, it was pointed out that the meek person is the one “who finds refuge in the Lord, commits his way entirely to him, leaving everything in the hand of him who loves and cares.” See also on 12:19, 20. It is clear that the meek person is peaceful and peace-loving. It is therefore not so strange that the Syriac (Peshitta) New Testament has: “Come to me … and I will rest you … for I am restful … and you shall find rest for yourselves.” This, or something very similar to it, may well have been what Jesus, speaking Aramaic, closely resembling Syriac, said that day to the conscience-stricken multitude.⁴⁹⁰ The synonym of “meek” is “lowly” or “humble,” as opposed to “proud” (cf. I Peter 5:5).

The result of taking Christ’s yoke and becoming his disciple is: and you shall find rest for your souls⁴⁹¹ (or “for yourselves”). Such “finding” is “obtaining.” Note the parallel: “I will give you rest” (verse 28) and “you shall find rest” (verse 29). Men can never obtain unless Christ gives. They can never discover what he has not disclosed. Concluded: For my yoke is kindly, and my burden is light. It should never be forgotten that a yoke, literally a wooden frame, was placed upon a person’s shoulders in order to make a load or burden easier to carry, by distributing its weight in equal proportions to opposite sides of the body. This, however, did not entirely rule out the possibility that if the burden was very heavy the yoke would not be of sufficient help to the wearer. Consequently even a yoke could be called heavy (Acts 15:10). Accordingly, to make the carrying task delightful not only must the yoke be well adjusted to the shoulders, not chafing, but also the burden must not be too heavy. Symbolically speaking, Jesus here assures the oppressed persons whom he addresses, both then and now, that his yoke, that is, the one he urges them to wear, is kindly, ⁴⁹² and his burden, that is, that which he requires of us, is light. What he is really saying, therefore, is that simple trust in him and obedience to his commands out of gratitude for the salvation already imparted by him is delightful. It brings peace and joy. The person who lives this kind of life is no longer a slave. He has become free. He serves the Lord spontaneously, eagerly, enthusiastically. He is doing what he (the “new man” in him) wants to do. Cf. Rom. 7:22. On the contrary, the attempt to save oneself by means of scrupulous adherance to all the artificial rules and arbitrary regulations superimposed upon the law by scribes and Pharisees (23:4) spells slavery. It produces wretchedness and despair. Therefore, says the Lord, “Come to me.”

In the study of this marvelous passage (verses 28–30) one fact is generally passed by in silence. It is this: The authoritative advice Jesus gives is not only good for the soul; when heeded it also greatly benefits the body. The rest—peace of heart and mind—which Jesus here provides is the very opposite of the aggravated mental stress that sends so many people to doctors, hospitals, and death. Absence of peace, whether in the form of anxiety or of rancor and vindictiveness (the lust to “get even”), may lead to ulcers, colitis, high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc. The teachings of Christ, if taken to heart, have a curative effect on the entire person, soul and body.⁴⁹³ He is a complete Savior!

Summary of Chapter 11

After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls many have attempted to link John the Baptist with the Qumran movement. See, for example, General Bibliography, under W. H. Brownlee, and J. Daniélou. Among the resemblances that have been pointed out in some of the many books and articles are these: Both (The Baptist and the Qumran community) were associated with the desert in the general vicinity of the Dead Sea. Both were austere. Both emphasized the need of repentance and baptism. Both originated in the priesthood (John’s father was a priest). Both reacted vigorously against “the establishment,” that is, the recognized authority of Pharisees and Sadducees, etc.

There are certain outward resemblances, and it must be admitted that the Baptist may have been acquainted with the Qumran community. Nevertheless, in connection with certain more or less essential items, he was different. He did not try to keep his doctrines a secret but welcomed multitudes. Not only men but also women went to hear him and were converted (Matt. 21:31, 32). His disciples were not a highly organized group, kept under control by strict rules and regulations and by a rigid code of discipline. Most of all, John proclaimed a Messiah who had already arrived. He said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world.” “I on my part baptize you with water with a view to conversion, but he who is coming behind me is mightier than I.…”

But though John had spoken with profound conviction about Jesus, there came a moment when he began to have his doubts. See Matt. 11:1–19. So the Baptist sends a few of his disciples to Jesus with the question, “Are you the Coming One, or must we look for someone else?” Probable reasons for his doubt: a. He was in a grim and gloomy prison and was not being rescued; b. The activities of Jesus, reported to the Baptist, did not seem to harmonize with the manner in which John had described the Messiah.

John had pictured impending judgment (the axe already at the root of the trees), but words of grace were falling from Jesus’ lips, and works of mercy were being performed by him. Yet what John had said was correct, based on prophecy. However, he had not been able to distinguish between the first and the second coming. So he expected first-coming fulfilments of second-coming coming predictions. Jesus dealt very kindly with him. He directed his attention to that aspect of Old Testament prophecy—promises of healing, deliverance, and restoration—which pertained to the first coming, and he reassured him by showing that right now these good tidings were being gloriously fulfilled. At the same time he defended John before the public, speaking with distinct approval of the work he had done as a herald. Not a reed swayed by every gust of wind was John, nor a flatterer. Had he been a flatterer he would right now have been in the king’s palace instead of in the king’s dungeon. The people therefore should take to heart John’s preaching of repentance. They should not be like children in the market-place, quickly condemning what they formerly applauded, whether in John or in the Son of man.

In the second section (verses 20–24) Jesus denounced the cities in which most of his mighty works had been performed, because they had not repented. Lesson: judgment will not be easy on privileged impenitents.

In the third section (verses 25–30) withering denunciation is replaced by tender invitation. The return of missionaries with an enthusiastic report is for Jesus the occasion for the utterance of a stirring thanksgiving. He concludes with the tender invitation, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.…”