Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see?"
Mt 11:2-11
The Gospel consists of two parts:
• Mt 11:2-6. Who is Jesus?
• Mt 11:7-11. Who is John the Baptist?
v. 2. When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him….
According to Josephus, Herod put John the Baptist in jail for fear that he might start a rebellion. Mt 14:3-12 instead blames it on Herodias who took offense when John told Herod that it was not right to take his brother’s wife.
The works of THE Messiah. “The Christ” or "the Messiah" - for it was a title. And this is how Matthew uses it in his gospel – 1:17; 2:4; 16:16. 20; 22:42; 23:10; 24:5. 23; 26:63. 68.
v. 3. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"
“He who is to come” may be a title of the Messiah (3:11; 21:9; 23:39) and may have been derived from Ps 118:26 (Blessed is he who enters in the name of the Lord).
“Or shall we look for another”. In Greek “proskdokomen” means “wait for” or “expect” as in 24:50.
v. 4. Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see."
Jesus does not answer directly but asks John to consider what the messengers see and hear – the deeds and words of Jesus. These are the way to come to faith. Hence, those who do not believe are said to be deaf and blind (cf. 13:16).
v. 5. The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
The miracles of chapters 8 and 9 of Matthew are summarized in this list. They (the miracles) accompany the preaching of the Kingdom.
- Blind – 9:27ff
- Lame – 8:5ff; 9:1ff
- Lepers – 3:1ff
- Deaf – 9:32ff. The Greek “kophos” translate either as deaf or dumb.
- Dead – 9:18ff
See also Is 29:18ff; 35:5f; 9:27ff; 61:1f.
v. 6. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.
To take offense is to sin. Jesus cause the Pharisees to sin. Their sin is their unbelief in him (12:24. 31ff).
v. 7. As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
John preached in the wilderness as Isaiah prophesied in 40:3 (Greek transla-tion). An abundance of reed can be seen in the Jordan valley shaken by the wind and not in the desert.
The reed can also stand for a weak and vacillating person, carried away by what people say. This cannot be said of John who was imprisoned for denouncing the behavior of Herod (Mt 14:3f).
v. 8. Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Those who dress in fine clothing are people of the King’s court. John in fact is in prison and his clothing was that of a prophet: woven camel’s hair and leather belt.
v. 9. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
A prophet is not one who foretells the future. He is one who speaks the word of God. When the last of the prophets died—Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the Jews believed that the Holy Spirit ceased to be present in Israel. The appearance of another prophet meant a new epoch in the history of Israel.
Jesus says that John was more than a prophet for he is the messenger who comes before the Messiah and prepares his way.
v. 10. This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my mes-senger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'
This seems to be a fusion of two verses: Ex 23:20 and Mal 3:1.
Although Ex 23:30 is traditionally translated as “Behold, I send an angel before you”, angel may also be translated as “messenger”.
The wording in all the synoptic gospels (“before you”) differs from the Greek and Hebrew Malachi, which has “before my face” or “before me”.
v. 11. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
No one has appeared in the world with a greater function than that of John, which is to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
Anyone who shall gain entry into the Kingdom will be greater than John the Baptist is now.
Yet "the least in the kingdom" may also be interpreted as Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. This would agree with what John said that he who is coming after me is great then I (Mt 3:11).
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