Matthew 11
11
In Praise of John the Baptist
1When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. # Mt 7:28; 9:35; Lk 23:5 2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples # Lk 7:18-35 3and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else? ” # Ps 118:26; Jn 6:14; 11:27; Heb 10:37
4Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, # Lit cleansed the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. # Is 35:5; 61:1; Lk 4:18; Jms 2:5 6And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.” # Is 8:14-15; Mt 13:21; Jn 6:61; 16:1
7As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? # Mt 3:1; Eph 4:14 8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. # Mt 14:5; 21:26; Lk 1:76 10This is the one it is written about:
Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; # Lit messenger before Your face
he will prepare Your way before You. # Mal 3:1; Mk 1:2 # Mal 3:1
11“I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, # Lit arisen but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, # Or has been forcefully advancing and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; 14if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. # Mal 4:5; Mt 17:10-13; Mk 9:11-13; Lk 1:17; Jn 1:21 15Anyone who has ears # Other mss add to hear should listen! # Mt 13:9; Mk 4:23; Lk 8:8; 14:35; Rv 2:7
An Unresponsive Generation
16“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:
17We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament,
but you didn’t mourn! # Or beat your breasts
18For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon! ’ # Mt 3:4; Lk 1:15 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, # Mt 9:10; Lk 7:36; 14:1; Jn 2:1; 12:2 a friend of tax collectors and sinners! ’ # Mt 9:11; 18:17; Lk 15:2; 19:7 Yet wisdom is vindicated # Or declared right by her deeds.” # Other mss read children
20Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! # Lk 10:12-15 Woe to you, Bethsaida! # Mk 6:45; Lk 9:10; Jn 12:21 For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, # Mt 15:21; Lk 6:17; Ac 12:20 they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! 22But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment # Ezk 28:2-4; Am 1:9-10; Mt 10:15; 15:21; Mk 3:8 than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. # Is 14:13,15; Mt 4:13 For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25At that time Jesus said, # Lk 10:21-22 “I praise # Or thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. # Ps 8:2; Lk 22:42; Jn 11:41; 1Co 1:26; 2Co 3:14 26Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. # Lit was well-pleasing in Your sight 27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows # Or knows exactly the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires # Or wills, or chooses to reveal Him. # Mt 28:18; Jn 1:18; 7:29; 8:19; 10:15; 17:25-26
28“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. # Jr 31:25; Jn 7:37 29All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, # Jn 13:15; Eph 4:20; Php 2:5; 1Pt 2:21; 1Jn 2:6 because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. # Jr 6:16; Zch 9:9; 2Co 10:1; Php 2:7-8 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
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Matthew 11: HCSB
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Matthew 11
11
John the Baptist
(Luke 7.18-35)
1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left and began teaching and preaching in the towns.#11.1 the towns: The Greek text has “their towns”, which may refer to the towns of Galilee or to the towns where Jesus' disciples had lived.
2John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers 3to ask Jesus, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”
4Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy#11.5 leprosy: See the note at 8.2. are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news.#Is 35.5,6; Is 61.1. 6God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do.”
7As John's followers were going away, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John:
What sort of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? 8What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king's palace. 9What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet. 10In the Scriptures God says about him, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you.”#Ml 3.1. 11I tell you that no one ever born on this earth is greater than John the Baptist. But whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
12From the time of John the Baptist until now, violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force.#Lk 16.16. 13All the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses#11.13 the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament. told what was going to happen up to the time of John. 14And if you believe them, John is Elijah, the prophet you are waiting for.#Ml 4.5; Mt 17.10-13; Mk 9.11-13. 15If you have ears, pay attention!
16You people are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,
17“We played the flute,
but you would not dance!
We sang a funeral song,
but you would not mourn!”
18John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, “That man has a demon in him!” 19But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, “That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors#11.19 tax collectors: See the note at 5.46. and sinners.” Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.
The unbelieving towns
(Luke 10.13-15)
20In the towns where Jesus had performed most of his miracles, the people refused to turn to God. So Jesus was upset with them and said:
21You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are in for trouble too! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads.#11.21 sackcloth…ashes on their heads: This was one-way that people showed how sorry they were for their sins.#Is 23.1-18; Ez 26.1—28.26; Jl 3.4-8; Am 1.9,10; Zec 9.2-4. 22I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will.
23People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honoured in heaven? You will go down to hell! If the miracles that took place in your town had happened in Sodom, that town would still be standing.#Is 14.13-15; Gn 19.24-28. 24So I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than you.#Mt 10.15; Lk 10.12.
Come to me and rest
(Luke 10.21,22)
25At that moment Jesus said:
My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. 26Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.
27My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.#Jn 3.35; Jn 1.18; 10.15.
28If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29Take the yoke#11.29 yoke: Yokes were put on the necks of animals, so that they could pull a plough or wagon. A yoke was a symbol of obedience and hard work. I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.#Jr 6.16. 30This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.
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