Matthew 11

The Blind, the Deaf, the Dead and the Poor

MATTHEW 11:1-30

11:1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 “This is the one about whom it is written,

‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,

WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, 17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 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, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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.”

MATTHEW 11:1-3

11:1 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

Are you the Expected One?

The works of a person speak more about him than his/her words.  While imprisoned by Herod Antipas, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus the ultimate question; “Are you the One?”


One might think that John the Baptizer had known this already for in the very beginning of John (the Beloved’s) Gospel, he is already sending apostles to the Christ [see John 1].  There are three factors that we need to keep in mind to understand this reading more fully:

1.      The primary focus of John’s Gospel was to refute the heresies that were developing in the early church.  One of the heresies was that John was greater than Jesus.  Therefore, the gospel of John has a different emphasis than the synoptic Gospels. For example, Matthew primarily writes to Jewish believers so he emphasizes that Jesus was the historic Jewish messiah.

2.      It is quite possible that John was arrested by Herod on more than one occasion.  John was openly opposed to the “system” of religious and political oppression in Israel. He also condemned Herod Antipas for marrying his brother, Philip I’s wife (Herodias).  It was Herodias who masterminded John’s beheading.

3.      And, John is in Antipa’s hellhole.  There, in the dank stink of Herod Antipas’ dungeon, John may have sought an affirmation of the hope upon which John had staked his entire life.  Perhaps, before his inevitable death at Herod’s hand, John is seeking to put to rest any lingering doubt that would certainly have been exacerbated in Herod’s dungeons.  John hears of Christ’s signs and sighs; “Tell me, has my life been well-lived?”

It is Christ’s works that testify to Christ’s words.  Can we say the same for us?  Do people automatically think of the Savior when they have been near us?  Do our deeds go before us like the work of a craftsman – impressive beyond our presence?  Do others “know we are Christians by the simple testimony of our love?”


Another important point to glean from this reading is this: Many times, I have prayed beside those whose immediate circumstances seemed too dim for hope.  At those times, I have been stunned by the depth of faith that it takes to ask for the blessing of God’s presence when it is darkest around us.  In the face of death, when a loved one passes on, when battling depression or addiction, these are the times that are hardest to call upon Christ.  In this story, we see John in just such a moment – and we see Christ’s response.  No condemnation for doubt – only invitation and comfort in the promises of Christ.  “See me work.  Put me to the test.  Ask and you shall receive…” 


These are the messages the Messiah delivers to the defeated John – and also to us – in the midst of our darkness and despair.

Word Search

The works [2041, Ergon]; the deeds, acts or labor of a man.

He that should come [2064, Erchomai]; John is asking; “Are you the promised?”  “Are you the One to whom all hope points?”  “Are you the Messiah foretold in scripture?”

The actions of Jesus Christ give John the courage to ask this – the greatest of questions – from the darkness of the prison.  It is the work of the Lord in our life that dares us to the expectation of dawn while yet in the cloak of darkness; “He IS the Expected One!”

MATTHEW 11:4-5

4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

Report to John what you hear and see!

The infinite patience of Jesus is displayed in this tender moment.  Rather than reprimand John for his lack of faith, he buoys the faint hopes of a faithful follower facing death.  There is no “preachiness” here, no pretense, no admonishing.  He simply whispers; “Tell him what I’m up to, he will understand.”


Jesus is doing what the prophets have foretold.  Since the early days of the Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, and right up to Mary and John; “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor hear Good News!”


Every action in this sentence implies a little more than just meeting the expectation, as if all the words are “supercharged”.  Not only do the blind see – they have revelations!  Not only do the lame walk – they are possessed with walking!  Lepers aren’t cleansed – they’re purged!  The poor aren’t preached to – they are changed, evangelized!


I must constantly ask myself when I visit hospitals, rest homes, jails or detention centers; “What revelation can I bring to those whose vision is dim?  What do I have to say that might “raise up” someone who is dying inside or has grown deaf to hope?  What words and actions would be good news to the impoverished?”

Word Search

Shew / Show [G518, Appagello]; “Reveal to John, announce to him!”  In other words, don’t just hint, whimper or nudge – let the whole world know!

Preached to them [G2097, Euaggelizo]; to evangelize – the unabashed sharing of something that has turned your own life inside out and upside down.  Announcing the great news with the work of your heart and the love of your hands. (Remember the adage attributed to Saint Francis; “Preach the Gospel at all times – if necessary; use words”). 

MATTHEW 11:6

6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

He who keeps from stumbling…

Jesus tells John’s disciples to share with their mentor; “Those who are not tripped up or scandalized by what I am doing and saying – will know the peace of God’s joy.”


It is with compassionate joy that Jesus sends out these apostles to tell John to stand strong in his beliefs even as he suffers under Herod’s thumb.  “Stick to it, cousin.  There is peace in store when you have completed the course.”


Is this reflective of my life?  John was arrested because he boldly stood up to systemic injustice and confronted those who used it to their advantage. He did not just preach the arrival of the Messiah, he preached the condemnation of unjust leaders – and he preached it to their faces.


Since John’s time, many people have preached the Second Coming of Christ, but do they preach the whole message? Do they create a “preparation of the Way?” Are we preaching a change in systemic injustice and a confrontation of leaders who abuse their positions?

Word Search

Blessed [G3107, Makarios]; there are many words for blessing in both Hebrew and Greek.  The word that Matthew uses here is similar to; “A gift is given.”  Another use might be; “The gift of inner peace, happiness.”

Offended [G4624, Skandalizo]; it is fairly easy to guess what word we get from this Greek root.  It was originally used for a trap stick – like the small metal rod on a rattrap that is tripped when the rat bites the bait.  In its fullness the word means, to be scandalized, tripped up or trapped.

MATTHEW 11:7-11

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 “This is the one about whom it is written,

‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,

WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?

Many of those who had followed John were now following Jesus.  Jesus knew this and was aware that among them were those who sought to make a “political appearance.”  There were also people who questioned John’s credibility – now that he had been arrested. 


The Son of Man also knew there were those who didn’t feel John had moved “fast enough.” In other words, God had not sent his armies to battle on John’s behalf so John must not be God’s prophet.  What they didn’t consider was how, like John, Israel had a habit of arresting, scorning and attempting to silence most of her prophets throughout the ages.


A hint of anger can be detected in Jesus’ questioning.  “Did you think John was a wimp?  Did you think he was soft? Did you think John was “just a prophet”?  “John,” Jesus tells us, “was the Prophet’s Prophet; greater than all before him.”


Yet, as Jesus exalts John before the people, he tells them of something greater than the prophet himself, the coming Kingdom of God.  Who we are now, is nothing compared to who God desires for us to become.  This does not distract from John, rather it points toward the greatness of God.  Would John be jealous of these words?  That would be unthinkable!  The greatness of John was his total desire to continually point towards the Messiah.  He would be humbled, yet fully aware of his role in eternity.


Above all, John was like the signalman on the deck of an aircraft carrier; always pointing pilots toward the sky.  He never wanted a single eye to focus on him.  He wanted all eyes turned towards the Messiah.  Look at this from the Gospel of John:

John 1:35-37

35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.


See how primed the disciples of John were to follow Jesus?  All John says is; “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  He doesn’t even say, “Now, go follow him,” just, “there he is.”


That was all that his disciples needed.  One look at the Savior and they were gone.  Even John’s closest associates were not focused on him.


Can we say that we are that selfless; that our focus is so centered on Jesus that even our closest volunteers would leave at the moment they heard the call of Jesus?  Are we creating disciples of Jesus or members of our own congregation?


Do we recognize that our role is to point people towards the fields?  “Go and make disciples…” should be the sign above our church doors – and though pastors might often say that, what we usually mean is, “Stay and add to our members.”
What if we reshaped all of our relationships, the focus of our church so that our mission, finances and people completely focused on being “laborers in the harvest?”

Word Search

More than a prophet [G4554, Perissoteron]; to be proven a prophet (prophetes) was extraordinary by the standard of any age.  Prophets had inspired (God-breathed) speech and were able to foretell (i.e. forward-tell), the course of God’s people. Yet, the word also was used for “staking a claim” – as when Jesus spoke about the man who spent his savings to buy a tract of land with treasure buried in it [Mt 13:34]. Literally, a prophet was someone who would “forward claim” the treasure of God in the lost people of his/her era.

However, adding “perissoteron” to “prophetes” would be similar to saying, “Super-Prophet.”  “A prophet’s prophet.”  John was the prophet that other prophets would admire; every fiber of his being was focused on justice and the salvation of God’s people. He had abandoned every comfort in his life so that he would be completely free of any encumbrance save one – the message of preparation; “Prepare the path, the Savior is near.”

Messenger [G32, Aggelos]; we interpret this term as referring to angels, but it is also used of one who is “driving a herd” (as in a cattle drive).  Sometimes it is translated as pastor – but only in the sense of someone who “leads” God’s sheep to their destination. 

Prepare [G2680, Kataskeuazo]; when one prepares a people, he builds them up, even ordains them for a purpose. One of the roots of this word, skeous, is used of a wife who makes her husband “look good in public.”  It is also used of a sea-going vessel that carries an important dignitary. 

This is what John did for the Messiah.  He prepared the people, built up the name of Jesus, announced that his “ship was coming in” and even baptized Jesus to begin his public ministry.  
Essentially, John made the name of Jesus ring with Messianic fervor.  Is that what I do?  Am I making Jesus look good in public?  Am I preceding “the dignitary” where he needs to go in my community? 

MATTHEW 11:12-15

12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

·       Ears to hear [G3775 Ous] ear, ears, hearing

·       Let him hear [G191 Akouō] heed, understand

The statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Should really be translated more closely to, “He who has ears to hear, should heed.”

Hear is to passive a term, heed implies hearing and taking action.

What does Jesus want us to heed? That the kingdom is suffering the violence of violent men.

·       The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence [G971 biazō] to force or suffer violence

·       And violent men [G973 biastēs] take it by force [G726 harpazō] snatch it away, seize it, take it away

How can a violent person take the Kingdom of heaven? Remember that the kingdom is not a place, it is a practice. It means practicing the Way of God. Violent men such as the ruling religious elite and others like Herod, were claiming they had the kingdom and the keys to it. Herod had locked up John the Baptist while the religious leaders condoned the action through their inaction.

Jesus is telling us this is nothing new and will continue for the duration of this world. We have a part in that violence when our hearing doesn’t turn into heeding. When our inaction leads others to act violently without misgivings. Especially when religious people act violently claiming the authority of God.

MATTHEW 11:16-19

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, 17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 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, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

“Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds”

Who were these children to whom Jesus was comparing his generation? They were not children in school, they were not children helping their parents and they were not children constructively engaged. No, they were children of leisure or unsupervised with nothing to do except harass the passer-by’s in the market place. We might call them children of entitlement.

Nothing kept the attention of these young ones. Without direction or parameters they fed on each other disengaged from anything meaningful or constructive.


When is a generation like that? When it is more prone to entertainment than engagement. In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus gave us the role of the church and the roles of her members. There was no room in the church for spectators or commentators. You were either out in the streets seeking the lost or back in the church practicing radical hospitality. 
Look at the generation that Jesus describes, they are not amused with drama, they are not amused with comedy. They have become a generation of cynical critics instead of engaged participants. Doesn’t that remind you of the people of Haggai’s generation as well?

Haggai 1:2-11

2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.’”

3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways!

6 “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways! 8 “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the LORD.

9 “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away Why?” declares the LORD of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

The people of Haggai’s generation focused on self-interests and abandoned God, the result was God called a drought upon their lives (not just their land). Jesus’ generation became spectators and commentators, the result was they were blind to the Messiah when he was present in their midst.


What about our generation?


We live in an “Entertain-Me” society creating two major issues:

1.      
We constantly want to be entertained — but not engaged.

2.      
We are losing the ability to think critically. Although we might pride ourselves upon the amount of trivia we can retain, we are unable to process and think critically about that information. We are distracted by information — not processing it.

Everyone from pastors to little-league coaches feels the pressure of people who come to worship services or games not to critique instead to cheer. They come to be entertained and not to be more engaged. They expect the church to meet their needs or the coach to favor their child. It places an impossible burden on leadership.


In short, to be a great leader, one must have great supporters. Undoubtedly leaders need to show the respect and insight worth of leadership, but they must receive the emotional and physical support of followers as well (again review the study from Matthew 10:40-42).  We cannot be a congregation of critics and expect phenomenal leadership from the pulpit. We cannot be a nation of observers and expect the best political leaders in office. Remember the timeless adage: “We get out of it what we put into it.”


The next time we complain about leadership while sitting on the sidelines, we need to turn the roving fingers back upon ourselves. We get the leadership we deserve. How involved am I in supporting my leader’s life? Do I critique his/her sermons or pray during them? Do I go out of my way to encourage and build up my leader’s emotionally and physically? Do I have the right to speak honestly with them because I have build up a relationship of trust? Or, am I like the followers of Moses challenging him at every step, the people of Haggai experiencing drought because nothing is good enough for me, the generation Jesus spoke to who were never satisfied, dance or dirge?

Word Search

Let’s look at three words in this sentence before we review the whole statement.

Wisdom [sophia]

This word has an interesting heritage. It comes from a root word, phronimos, which means thoughtful and intelligent but also discreet and practical. In Hebrew wisdom was personified as a woman.

Proverbs 4:5-9

5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.


7 ”The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. 8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. 9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

The Hebrew word for wisdom, chokmah, not only means wise and skillful, even witty. Chokmah also comes from a root word, chakam, which means to “teach wisdom” and to  “deal with others wisely.”


The Hebrew had a relationship with wisdom. Remember, their term for knowledge “to know [yada],” was also the deepest form of intimacy between spouses. This wasn’t head knowledge, this was heart knowledge. Wisdom, as Nicodemus later found out, was not the facts you kept in your head but the love you offered from your heart. You courted wisdom, cared for her, made a home for her. In like manner, the wisdom of which Jesus speaks was living and applicable. It wasn’t how much you could retain in your head but how much you could reveal in your deeds.


In my latest book, “ReImagining Education; How We Teach, What We Teach, and the Systems in Which We Teach,” I say that the highest form of education teaches students not just topics. Isn’t that the kind of teacher all of us wish to find for our children? One who will commit to their learning — not just flunk them if they “don’t get it?” One who doesn’t say, “That kid lacks motivation,” but instead says, “How do I motivate that kid?”


That was Jesus’ concept of wisdom. It was taught, courted, practical and “vindicated by her deeds.”

Vindicated [dikaioo]

Here is an astounding word, it means to “be set free,” as in a prisoner who was arrested and then found innocent. It is also the word that Christ often uses for forgiveness.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.”


Rather than calling them “wise,” Jesus refers to them as violent. Violent in their deceit and ignorant in their childish — not childlike — behavior. Violence is not merely perpetrated by those who carry weapons; it is those who set policies and those who sit idle that contribute to injustice. In essence, Jesus is saying that their deceit will come to light just as wisdom will be vindicated (liberated) by deeds of justice and compassion. Time reveals intent illuminating both ignorance and wisdom alike.

Deeds [teknon]

This word actually means “children,” as in “Wisdom is vindicated by her “children” or “offspring.” Who were the “children” of the people Jesus was confronting on that day? The Sanhedrin was filled with corruption, the poor were locked out of worship and the ill and crippled were despised and ostracized. You can judge the strength of any society by how it treats its most vulnerable members.


In our time, we speak a great deal about expanding democracy. However, voting is not the indication of a healthy governing system. The vitality of a democracy is revealed in how it protects those who are not in power. These are the “children” of our time, the underrepresented, the misrepresented and the invisible. How do they fare in our city, nation and world?


Who are the children of a church? My son and I walked by a church near our house that just added a multimillion-dollar “Discipleship Center.” As we walked by my son said, “Dad, exactly how many of those disciples do you think will be ‘sent’ into the city? They really should call it a ‘Membership Center.’”


I think he had an important point. In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus pointedly tells us that the children of the church are the “least little one,” to whom we give a cup of cold water. Radical Hospitality—that’s the role of a church. How would Jesus measure the vitality of a church? The amount of cold water it gives to those who are thirsting. The radical hospitality it shows to the “least little one.”

MATTHEW 11:20-24

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

He began to denounce the cities

Listen to the judgment of Tyre and Sidon by the prophet Joel:

Joel 3:1-8

1  “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.


3 “They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot and sold a girl for wine that they may drink.
4 “Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense on your head. 5 “Since you have taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious treasures to your temples, 6 and sold the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, 7 behold, I am going to arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and return your recompense on your head. 8 “Also I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the LORD has spoken.

Why condemn a city and not just the individual perpetrators? Because the indecencies were sanctioned by the government and tolerated by the people. When political leaders allow injustice and the people turn a blind eye to it (or don’t “lift a finger” to help) there is no check on licentiousness. You see God does not differentiate between the act of sin and indifference towards it. What kind of parents would be if we turned a blind eye towards a child’s destructive behavior? What kind of society are we if we turn a blind eye towards injustice?


When Jesus denounces an entire region the same principle applies. It doesn’t get much more frightening than being denounced [oneidezo] by the Messiah. These cities had seen the miracles of Jesus and had failed to “repent [metanoeo].” Metanoeo strictly translates into “higher knowing,” but the Hebrew roots would not imply head knowledge, it would mean “heart knowledge.” A greater intimacy as in “because of my relationship with Jesus I have a new intimacy with God and his people.


God gave these people every chance. He loved them so much that he sent his own son to die for them. His son physically lived among them. He healed their sick, gave sight to their blind and even raised their dead, but they took him for granted. They wanted all the benefits of the Son of God without the responsibilities of calling him “Lord.”
That becomes pretty personal to me. I think of all the times I am just like the citizens of Chorazin, Bethsaida and the Capernaum, the number of times I want Jesus to bless my life but not challenge my behavior. To receive God’s blessings and not change my thinking — not change my behavior [metanoeo] —that’s what Jesus denounces in this reading.

MATTHEW 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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.”

“Revealed Them To Infants”

Ultimately we don’t come to Jesus through our heads, but through our hearts. This does not mean we give up our intelligence and turn a blind eye to the wonderful pursuits of science and mathematics. In truth, the more we know about “how” the world works, the more we should be amazed at “why” we came into being.


In my curriculum for young people “Significant Conversations About Faith,” I describe the relationship of science and religion in the following manner:


The other day, I purchased a wonderful new musical keyboard that I quickly learned was very complicated to operate. The Owner’s Manual is nearly 300 pages in length yet, despite all those pages, there’s not one sheet of music in the whole book. I can use the manual to turn the keyboard on and off, to sequence and record songs, and to play hundreds of instruments. However, if I’m going to play music I will still have to turn to the masters like Mozart, Chopin, and Santana.

“Science and Scripture are much the same as my keyboard manual and a book of sheet music by the Masters. They compliment, not compete, with each other. Similar to my keyboard, one book focuses on how I can use the keyboard; the other gives me a beautiful reason to play. Science can help me understand how the universe works, but God—through Scripture—gives me a beautiful reason why it all exists in the first place.

“We can ask too much of science and lose the core of it’s message; an unbiased viewpoint with which to study the universe. However, when we try to use science to explain the purpose of our existence, we create biases that undermine the very definition of science. Similarly, when we try to read the Bible as if it were a scientific document we risk losing the beauty of its intended purpose.

“Still, the Bible does teach some significant “how-to’s.” For example, how to grow closer to God, how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life and how to restore a broken people to dignity. Look to science when you want to explain how a body functions or how a plant could be fossilized. But turn to the Bible when you seek to know how-to pray, how-to love, and how-to foster peace in the world around you.”


The real struggle today is not between science and religion; it is between spirituality and religion. The fastest growing religious affiliation is “indifference.” Simultaneously as denominationalism is plummeting, spirituality is on the rise. (For more information on this topic, see the study on “Religion and America,” from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a 2008 study of 35,000 Americans and their attitudes towards religion).


In my own work with young people around the world, I find a consistent trend in faith, a desire for the assets of spirituality but a rejection of the contentious aspects of religion. In particular, young people who have grown up during the last decade have seen religion as a divisive factor rather than a unifying one. They have seen it split national politics, cause the destruction of 9/11, employed as a justification of war and used to bash everything from homosexuality to immigration. They are less inclined to creeds and more amenable to the simple commonalities of most religious traditions: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”


More dangerous than the disinterest of our young people towards denominationalism is the spirituality of our “Boomer Generation.” As with all other aspects of my generation, we are more interested in personal peace and affluence than communal restoration. I refer to it as “meo-theism,” we seek a theology that is pain-free, personal and prosperity-oriented (the three Gnostic Gospels of our age).


Some people have referred to our current theology as “Neural Buddhism.” We are learning scientific exercises that impact the centers of our brain resulting in metaphysical experiences of peace and joy. That’s all fine, but we misconstrue the fulcrum of religion to be personal peace. The focus of most world religions — especially Christianity — is never merely “what God does for me.” It is what God calls me to do for others.


Isn’t this indicative of what Christ confronted in his generation as well? Leaders turned religion into a tool of the aristocracy; theology turned inward and “headward,” until ritual became the focus and leading ritual became the sole proprietorship of the elite. They, in turn, used ritual to create a system of worship that taxed the poor and channeled vast sums of money (and authority) into the coffers of the Sanhedrin (the religious privileged of Jerusalem).
Religion became a tool for the upper-class to further oppress the poor.

Matthew 23:13-15

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.] 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”


When religion becomes a head-game, it loses its relevance. In clergy retreats, I will tell pastors, “If it ain’t simple, it ain’t Jesus.” Our Lord made it radically simple when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another [John  13:34].”


You don’t give people a new command if you expect them to obey a thousand other commands. You would simply give them another command. In like manner, the best sermon a pastor could ever preach would be this: “See how I love others? Love like that.”


Jesus now turns to the heart of religion as the Son of God sees it.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

The heart of religion, to Jesus, is to give rest to the overburdened [phortizo]. Overburdened refers to a beast of burden that is overloaded, staggering under the weight of oppression. Jesus came to give these people “rest [Anapauo]”—meaning to give repose, to exempt and refresh.


Karl Marx once said that religion is the “opiate of the masses.” How does this compare with the comfort Jesus offers? Marx’s view of religion offered the type of mindless drivel that tells people to “accept their circumstances” and your “situation in life.” Is this what Jesus was saying?


Not at all!


The central tenet of Jesus’ religion was to alleviate the staggering oppression of the poor. He did not tritely say, “you are poor, accept your plight joyfully.” He came to be “good news to the poor.” He told the rich, young prince that perfection would be found in selling all you have, giving the money to the poor and then following Jesus [Matthew 19:16-26].


This is the Jesus who prompts Zaccheus—a leader of tax collectors to redistribute his income to those he had cheated and oppressed [Luke 19:1-10].


This isn’t “Ten Percent Tithing,” this is a radical redistribution of income. It is giving all you can to alleviate the suffering of the poor. Jesus wasn’t interested in the religion that Marx condemned either. Jesus wasn’t interested in acquiescing to grossly unjust systems that overburdened the poor. He wanted the poor to receive repose, exemption and to be refreshed.

”For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”

Jesus knew a thing our two about yokes. A carpenter in Christ’s day would not only work on houses, he would also work on “mechanics.” Wheels, carts and yokes. A yoke was one of the most important implements that a farmer possessed. Nothing was more expensive, yet more valuable, to a farmer than the ox that pulled a plow. An ill-fitted yoke would blister the ox’s shoulders and could even lead to a crippling infection.


The yoke of Jesus isn’t “easy” it is “well-fit [chrestos].” It is “easy on the shoulders.” Our Lord does not promise us an easy life—he offers a meaningful life. A life of self-focused “ease” that focuses on personal comfort is the shortest way to mental illness. That’s why self-help books don’t work; there is no help in self-focus. If you want to ruin a child, give them a life of ease.


We think of God as the ultimate parent and Jesus as the ultimate child. Does God give Jesus an easy life? It is not “ease” that makes a child mature, it is meaning—purposeful direction. Do we come to Jesus to adjust our yoke or ease our burden? Burnout is due from people who think their burdens should be easier rather than actually working industriously in a passionate cause.


Turn to Jesus for a well-fit yoke, but a yoke nevertheless.


This reading has been filled with highs and lows. We have learned that Jesus rebukes those who treat religion as a debate and/or use it to complicate the lives of the poor. We have also learned that the focus of religion to Jesus is not to comfort ourselves — make our lives easy — but to comfort the poor by alleviating their suffering. That is our yoke. That is a well-fit burden. That is a meaningful life.