Matthew
Chapter 11
After Jesus finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their towns.
About John the Baptist
When John the Baptist heard in prison about the deeds of Christ, he sent a message through his disciples
asking him:
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus answered them:
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the good news;
and how fortunate is the one who does not take offense at me!”
As the messengers departed, Jesus started speaking to the crowds about John:
“When you went out to the desert, what did you expect to see? A reed swept by the wind?
What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes live in palaces.
What was it that you truly went out to see? A prophet? Yes, indeed, and even more than a prophet.
He is the man of whom Scripture says:
I send my messenger ahead of you to prepare the way before you.
I tell you this: no one greater than John the Baptist has ever been born of women, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is something to be conquered, and the violent take it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you trust me, John truly is that Elijah whose return was foretold.
Let anyone with ears listen!
Now, what can I compare the people of this time to? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their friends complain:
We played the flute for you,
but you wouldn’t dance.
We sang a funeral song,
but you wouldn’t cry!
For John came fasting, and people said, ‘He is possessed by a demon!’
Then the Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and people said, ‘Look at this man: a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her works.
He Reproves the Cities of Galilee
Then Jesus started to condemn the cities where he had done most of his miracles because the people there did not repent:
“Alas for you, Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles performed in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I assure you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be brought down to the realm of the dead! For if the miracles performed in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be standing today!
But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than it will be for you.”
The Father and the Son
At that time, Jesus said:
“Father, LORD of heaven and earth, I praise you because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to simple people.
Yes, Father, this was your gracious will.
Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Commentaries
Rewards.
The words that close the mission sermon speak of the reward that will be given to all those who welcome Jesus’ messengers. The mission is the task of the entire Christian community, with different charisms but a single mission.
About John the Baptist.
When Matthew discusses the Baptist, he often speaks indirectly to his followers, who, even decades later, had not yet decided to join the Christian community. Jesus responds about his identity and mission not by theorizing but by showing miracles and signs performed for the poor and the excluded (8f), in which the echoes of the prophecies are heard (Is 35:5f; 61:11). Those who reject him violently oppose his messengers, as is happening in the communities Matthew is addressing; it continues today and will always be so.
He Reproves the Cities of Galilee.
In a tone of sorrow, Jesus calls out to the cities where he was most actively involved in proclaiming the kingdom of God, urging them to turn to God. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were fortunate to witness Jesus and his followers’ missionary work firsthand. Yet, the weight of tradition and their self-reliance kept them from understanding the genuine freshness of the Gospel. Matthew shares these words of Jesus with a Christian community that constantly needs to turn and grow. The blessings that an individual or community receives are meant to be shared; they are both a gift and a responsibility. The more one receives, the more one has to give.
The Father and the Son.
This short prayer (25) is also found in Luke 10:21, as Jesus’ spontaneous and joyful reaction to the results of the apostles’ mission: simple people welcome the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Matthew transcribes it in the same context. It is Jesus’s messianic prayer in response to God’s surprising revelation to simple people. The one who sends his followers with authority on a task that apparently exceeds all human capacity is the only one capable of transforming that burden and yoke into an experience of joy.