Matthew 11
11
1 And it happened that, when Jesus had completed instructing his twelve disciples, he went away from there in order to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard, in prison, about the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, he said to him,
3 "Are you he who is to come, or should we expect another?"
4 And Jesus, responding, said to them: "Go and report to John what you have heard and seen.
5 The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor are evangelized.
6 And blessed is he who has found no offense in me."
7 Then, after they departed, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8 So what did you go out to see? A man in soft garments? Behold, those who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings.
9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send my Angel before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.'
11 Amen I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 But from the days of John the Baptist, even until now, the kingdom of heaven has endured violence, and the violent carry it away.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied, even until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah, who is to come.
15 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace,
17 who, calling out to their companions, say: 'We played music for you, and you did not dance. We lamented, 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 man who eats voraciously and who drinks wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is justified by her sons."
20 Then he began to rebuke the cities in which many of his miracles were accomplished, for they still had not repented.
21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in haircloth and ashes.
22 Yet truly, I say to you, Tyre and Sidon shall be forgiven more than you, on the day of judgment.
23 And you, Capernaum, would you be exalted all the way to heaven? You shall descend all the way to Hell. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, perhaps it would have remained, even to this day.
24 Yet truly, I say to you, that the land of Sodom shall be forgiven more than you, on the day of judgment."
25 At that time, Jesus responded and said: "I acknowledge you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones.
26 Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you.
27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.
28 Come to me, all you who labor and have been burdened, and I will refresh you.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden is light."
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Matthew 11
11
John the Baptizer
1When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
2-3John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
7-10When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
15“Are you listening to me? Really listening?
16-19“How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24“Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.