Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Part II (Con’t)

Verse 12: Since the time John the Baptizer came until now, God’s kingdom has been meeting strong resistance; yes, aggressive people have been trying to stop it in its tracks.

In this we see a two-fold period of reluctance and resistance to the new covenant that would be brought by the arrival of the Messiah. The term “until now,” refers to all that had gone on before the Anointed One came to announce that the Kingdom of God was coming. Since this teaching of Jesus occurred early on in His ministry, He must be pointing to past resistance to the coming of Messiah. Herein lies the subtlety of what Jesus was saying. For most Jews, the Messianic age would provide freedom from any and all foreign powers holding sway over the Holy Land. But from the time of the destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar to the arrival of the Romans, the Jews had lived under occupation forces coming both from within and without the country. So the resistance Jesus is speaking of may be better understood as longstanding doubt about any real Messiah.

In other words, even the most dedicated Jew had began to despair that the Messiah would come at all. Then in that same term “until now,” we see the resistance that John the Baptizer and Jesus met once it was announced that the Messiah was here. And that opposition was also based primarily on doubt and unbelief. However, we know that this skepticism and aggressive resistance would eventually become violent when they beheaded John the Baptizer and crucified Jesus of Nazareth on the cross.

An early church Bishop had this to say about the strong resistance that came against the arrival of the messenger for the Kingdom of God: “Every prophecy is fulfilled. The spirit of Elijah is sent in advance through John’s words. Christ is proclaimed to some and acknowledged by others. He is born for some and loved by others. The violent irony is that His own people rejected Him, while strangers accepted Him. His own people speak ill of Him, while His enemies embrace Him. The act of adoption offers an inheritance, while the family rejects it. Sons refuse to accept their Father’s last will, while the slaves of the household receive it. This is what is meant by the phrase ‘the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.’”¹

We see this more clearly in what Jesus now has to say about this resistance:

Verse 13: Before John the Baptizer came, the Law of Moses and all the prophets told about the things that would happen.

This was an amazing statement about John the Baptizer by our Lord, especially with the high regard and reverence the Jews had for Abraham, Moses and their venerable prophets. They said of them: “With every single word that went forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, the whole world was filled with spices [fragrance].”² It is extremely helpful that Jesus describes the state of things as He sees them at that point in His ministry. Until John the Baptizer started preaching repentance, and Jesus the Messiah arrived, all of the prophesies about His coming were known. But since the time of Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah and the advent of the Messiah, prophesies had ceased and were restricted to the time they were made and for limited purposes.³ According to Bible chronologists, from the time of Malachi until Jesus came was some 400 years of silence.

It can be safely said that although there were many Jews who hoped the Messiah would appear during this time because of their suffering, others turned away from their faith and their apprehension caused many of them to look for the world-to-come Jews and reject Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah.

So instead of the announcement of John the Baptizer and the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth receiving a joyful and excited welcome, they were both given a cold shoulder and ridiculed for the claims they made. In addition, many of the Rabbis believed that all these prophecies concerning the Messiah would apply only when that moment came for His arrival to set Israel free. Since this did not seem to be the theme of John the Baptizer’s preaching nor the subject of Jesus teaching, they rejected what they heard.

One Rabbi surmised that since goodness and prosperity would accompany the Messiah’s appearance, then why are the poor still around?⁴ Others concluded that based on Deuteronomy 15:11, this implied that poverty would continue up to the Messianic era and then be erased. This same Rabbi goes on to state: “All the prophets prophesied only for the Messianic age.”⁵ In other words, all that was scheduled for the world to come, that the “eye has not seen” would be for those who wait patiently for the Messiah to appear.

Since these critics of John the Baptizer and Jesus had seen nothing to convince them that the world-to-come had arrived, it was easy for them to dismiss the two as impostors. One Rabbi even went so far as to say: “There shall be no Messiah for Israel, because they have already enjoyed him in the days of Hezekiah.”⁶ While other Rabbis disagreed, it still signaled there was a segment of Jewish society that did believe, and made the task for John the Baptizer and Jesus of Nazareth even harder. But what they didn’t know, was that both these holy men and instruments of God were foretelling that the day would come when everything they dreamed about the Messianic arrival would go up in flames as the Temple crumbled before their eyes.⁷ It is important to notice, from that day to this, no prophet has risen in Israel who added one word to the prophecies of the Messiah.

So the disagreement between the Rabbis mentioned before gets wider and wider as they continue to look to the future, when in fact He has already come. But I don’t think that Jesus meant for what He said to be taken as far as some would do in completely dismissing what the Jews said and understood about how God spoke and what He said, as one church father indicated: “So, too, it will be no speech of the Father to the Jew: ‘Thou art always with Me, and all Mine are thine.’ For the Jews are pronounced ‘apostate sons, begotten indeed and raised on high, but who have not understood the Lord, and who have quite forsaken the Lord, and have provoked unto anger the Holy One of Israel’”.⁸ So Jesus leaves it up to His listeners to accept or dismiss what He was saying.

Verse 14: And if you believe what they said, then John the Baptizer is Elijah. He is the one they said would come. So you people who hear this, listen closely!

The coming of Elijah was no surprise to the Jews. After all, long after Micah made his prediction a Jewish scribe echoed the same promise around 180-175 BC: “At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob”.⁹ Moses and Elijah were important to the Jews for several reasons, but one of them was their shared experience of ascension. Said the Rabbis: “Did not Moses and Elijah ascend to Heaven? Is it not in fact written, ‘And Moses went up unto God?’¹⁰…But is it not written, ‘And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven?’¹¹”.¹² This may put new light on why Peter thought they should build three tabernacles on the mountain after Jesus, Elijah and Moses spoke to each other during the transfiguration.¹³

We also find throughout Jewish literature where Rabbis tell of having spoken to the spirit of Elijah and were able to ask him questions. In one case, Rabbah ben Abbuha encountered the spirit of Elijah and said to him: “Which of these reasons prompted Esther to act as she did? Elijah replied: All the reasons given by all the Teachers and all the Expounders’.¹⁴ In another instance, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi met Elijah’s spirit standing by the entrance of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai’s tomb and asked him: “Have I a portion in the world to come?”¹⁵

So Jesus knew He was speaking to people who accepted that Elijah could appear and speak to people. Yet, even though John the Baptizer proclaimed the coming of the Anointed One, his message was mainly to Jews before the crucified and risen Messiah would send out apostles to tell the whole world. According to Jesus’ own words, no human ever born of the flesh has ever risen to the stature of John the Baptizer in bringing the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, the most insignificant Christian having been born of the Spirit is greater in the kingdom of heaven than John the Baptizer because of their mission to save the world.

Jesus then goes on to explain why: It’s not because John the Baptizer will be left out of the kingdom; it’s not because John the Baptizer was not anointed to preach the good news; it’s not because John the Baptizer did not fulfill God’s will for his life. It was because up until John the Baptizer’s coming the kingdom of God had little chance of advancing and being accepted because it’s concept of salvation by faith were rejected under the Law. But now, every born again believer will be able to advance the kingdom significantly and its acceptance under Grace.

This is significant because as Job says, “We are all human beings. Our life is short and full of trouble. Our life is like a flower that grows quickly and then dies away. Our life is like a shadow that is here for a short time and then is gone. So God, do You need to keep an eye on something so small?”¹⁶ But while this effort to spread God’s grace in His kingdom is momentous, it hasn’t been easy. Our Lord points out that many have been trying to force their way in. But this has been no surprise to God, He knew it all along. As a matter of fact, God used the prophet Malachi to announce it, “Remember and obey the law of my servant Moses. I gave those laws and rules to him at Mount Horeb. They are for all the people of Israel. Look, I will send Elijah the prophet to you. He will come before that great and terrible time of judgment from the Lord.”¹⁷

But the question is, will they believe what they’ve heard. Our Lord echoes the thoughts from Ezekiel: “They are people who refuse to obey, so they may not listen to you. But even if they don’t stop sinning, at least they will know that there is a prophet living among them.”¹⁸ This may have been because Jesus felt compelled by what God also said to Ezekiel: “This is what the Lord God says ….’ They may not listen, and they may not stop sinning, but you must still tell them my message.”¹⁹

What a wonderful commission this is to us today. Sometimes we feel let down and become discouraged because we don’t see the response we are expecting for the time and effort we take in sharing God’s Word. But the good Lord will not judge us based on how many responded to what we said. That work is up to the Holy Spirit. But He will judge us on the basis of our faithfulness to His calling. So, as the great Prime Minister of Britain said to the people of England during the height of the second world war: “Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!

I once read where a man took his car to a hotel. As soon as he arrived he immediately declared bankruptcy. How and why did that happen? Let your imagination run loose and see if you can come up with an answer.

The problem with this brain teaser is that there is not enough information to find a clear answer. It reminds me of what may go through the mind of a person who is told to repeat a prayer offered by the speaker, and if they do they will immediately be born again, all their sins will be washed away, and they will become a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Now, if this is said after the speaker has offered a message in which sin and the penalty of sin is clearly defined, and Jesus is described as the only Savior to whom the Holy Spirit will lead us to in order for us to received forgiveness from the Father who is in heaven, then there is enough to go on to make a decision. But to offer a new life in Christ to anyone after talking about how blessed, prosperous, and favored you will become just by saying that prayer is very misleading.

I remember answering the phone years ago and being told I had just won a completely paid trip for two to a resort for three days because my name was picked out of the phone book. The joyfully sounding person on the other end told me that my airfare, hotel costs, meals and other expenses would be fully covered. All I had to do was say, “Yes!”

Thank God I was born of Prussian stock and my German brain began to yell, “Check this out!” So I started to investigate and found out it was a real estate agency trying to sell homes in a resort area, and once you accepted the invitation and went, they were hoping to woo you into buying property. Of course, I politely turned down their invitation.

The sinner’s prayer asking for mercy and forgiveness of sin should only be said after the person is properly informed of what such a confession will do and their responsibilities in accepting God’s answer. It is not always a smooth, prosperous ride after you make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. So they may end up trying to pay back a loan they really didn’t know they were taking out on some property in heaven that will only be theirs after they die.

Oh yes, the man in the brainteaser. He was playing Monopoly and landed on property with a hotel belonging to another player and didn’t have enough money to pay the rent. That makes a lot more sense, doesn’t it!

In a church I pastored in the Dakotas years ago, one Sunday evening after preaching a salvation message I invited anyone who wanted to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior to come forward so we could pray with them. I innocently used this phrase: “Let the blood of Jesus Christ wash away all your sins. Let his blood cleanse you and set you free.”

I noticed a lady stand up and start forward but then stop. She returned to her pew for a second or two, and then left the sanctuary through the front door. While we prayed with those who did come forward, she suddenly reappeared and came forward with tears in her eyes. After I led her in prayer for salvation, she looked up at me and said, “Okay, I’m ready”

I was so happy, I thought she meant she was ready to serve the Lord. So I told here how different her life was going to be. But she continued: “Go ahead. I’m ready.” So I asked her, “What are you ready for?” She looked at me and said, “I’m ready for the blood, go ahead and pour the blood over me.” I immediately connected her statement to what I had said earlier. I assured her that we don’t actually pour blood over someone. She was so relieved, because the reason she left earlier was she didn’t want to spoil her nice new dress. But once outside her conviction was so great and she wanted to be born again so much that she decided have the blood poured on her anyway.

When someone is that willing to yield their life to Christ, can you ever doubt their sincerity? But, it also taught me never to assume that everyone who hears preaching automatically understands all our churchy language. So I made up my mind that from then on I’d make what I said as clear as possible. So when we talk to people who are not church goers, who have never read the Bible or heard a sermon, we should not assume that they understand the language of believers.

The great theologian Karl Barth was lecturing at seminary in Chicago in 1952 when he was asked by a student if he could summarize his whole life’s work in theology in one sentence, Dr. Barth responded “Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so’.”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Part II

Verse 8: If that isn’t what you saw, then what did you really expect to see? Someone dressed in expensive clothing? Of course not. People who wear fine clothes are all in kings’ palaces.

Here our Lord gives us insight into one of the tricks of the trade for orators, and that was to dress in expensive clothing in order to look impressive and thereby influence the listener into thinking that what they are hearing is priceless. We read that one renown Roman lawyer named Malacinus had such a reputation. This was one of the reasons he was so well respected, especially when he went against Saint Nikon of the Greek Orthodox Church and defended the Jews in Sparta.¹ Today it appears some have kept this practice alive and added expensive cars, houses and airplanes.

So, did they go out to see a finely dressed orator? What they saw was a man who resembled the prophet like the one described to Ahaziah: “What did the man look like who met you and told you this? They answered Ahaziah, ‘This man was wearing a hairy coat with a leather belt around his waist.’ Then Ahaziah said, ‘That was Elijah the Tishbite.’”² This seems to have been the dress for prophets: “They will not wear the rough cloth that shows a person is a prophet.”³

One well respected German Jewish historian wrote in his book, that in the early days of Herod the Great a faction of scribes had attached themselves to his policies and party, and in so doing had laid aside the drab garments of their order, and had appeared in the gorgeous raiment worn by Herod’s other courtiers.⁴ Perhaps that’s why Jesus stated that such people were only found in kings’ palaces. Of course we know that Jesus was being satirical. But at the same time He certainly revealed what would have impressed these critics. It may have also shed some light on how Jesus dressed.

Verses 9-10:  So what did you actually go out to see? A prophet? For sure, and he was much more than an ordinary prophet. This Scripture was written about him: “Listen! I will send my angel ahead of You. He will prepare the way for You.”⁵

So if these people went out to see if John the Baptizer was a prophet, Jesus let’s them know they got what they were looking for and more. Our Lord told the crowd that John the Baptizer was not some self-appointed seer, that he was actually spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, “Listen, there is someone shouting: ‘Prepare a way in the desert for the Lord. Make a straight road there for our God.’”⁶ One Early Church writer had this to say about why John the Baptizer was more than just your everyday prophet: “Jesus now begins to tell the reasons why the blessed John was more than a prophet—from such a One John did deserve praise. Now John had borne witness to Christ, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’⁷ But he received more from Christ than he gave. For when John glorified Christ, he conferred human praise on him; but Christ conferred divine glory on John. For John spoke of Christ as a Lamb, but when Christ foretold John he spoke of him as an angel. And John did not praise Christ in full measure, for Christ not only took away the sin of the world but also granted eternal life to the world. But Christ exalted John higher than he appeared; John was a man, but Christ called him an angel.”⁸

And even the prophet Malachi spoke of this, “The Lord All-Powerful says, ‘I am sending my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then suddenly, the Lord you are looking for will come to His temple. Yes, the Angel you are waiting for, the one who will tell about my agreement, is really coming!”⁹ Jewish scholars differ on who they think this Lord or Angel would be. One of them sees this Angel as one who will carry out God’s justice and deal with the wicked.¹⁰ But another revered Rabbi says of this Angel, He could…possibly be the Messiah ben Joseph.¹¹ In other words, Jesus of Nazareth.

Early Church father Jerome offers his commentary on John the Baptizer. He writes: “John is greater than the other prophets for this reason: the other prophets predicted that someone was to come, but John pointed out with his finger that He had indeed come, saying, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.’¹² And he reached not only the rank of a prophet but even to that of Baptizer, by baptizing his Lord. This heightened his significance. He thereby fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi in which an angel is foretold.¹³ John belonged to the order of the angels not by nature but by the importance of his task. It means he was the messenger who would announce the coming of the Lord.”¹⁴

But it is what Jesus now goes on to say that would shock everyone who heard Him. For if John the Baptizer was greater than all the prophets before him, how then could the followers of Jesus be even greater than John the Baptizer? Jesus had no doubts that John the Baptizer was the spiritual incarnation of Elijah, just as he was promised.

A respected British commentator sees Malachi’s prophecy this way,¹⁵ and agrees with Dr. John Gill who expounds: “Elijah the Tishbite himself, is intended; though others think, that some great prophet of equal degree with him, and who is called by his name, is what the prophecy has regard to, which is the true sense of the passage: nor should it be once called in question, when our Lord Himself has applied it to John the Baptist; to whom the things said in it perfectly agree. He was an ‘angel’, not by nature, but by office; a ‘messenger’ sent by God, ‘before the face’ of the Messiah; six months before him: such a space of time he was born before him; and such a space of time he entered on his public ministry before him; and ‘prepared’ his ‘way before’ him, by preaching the doctrine of repentance, administering the ordinance of baptism, pointing at the Messiah, and exhorting persons to believe on him. All which proves him to be, what Christ says he was, ‘more than a prophet.’”¹⁶

Jesus did this for more reasons than to validate the man and ministry of John the Baptizer, He was also pointing this out to show the spiritual blindness of those who did not accept John the Baptizer or his message. So if their spiritual vision was that impaired, no wonder they did not accept Him as well. But then our Master shows the difference between those under the law and those under grace.

Verse 11: The truth is that John the Baptizer is greater than anyone who has ever been born of a woman. But even the least important person in God’s kingdom is greater than John the Baptizer.

One Early Church interpreter of the Bible had this to say about John the Baptizer’s special status: “If John is being judged against other people according to being born from a woman, he will be found to be the greatest of them all. He alone was filled with the Holy Spirit inside his mother’s womb, so that he ‘leaped,’¹⁷ and his mother prophesied because she partook in this as well. But if John is judged in relation to those who are to partake of the Spirit in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus says, he will be found to be the least. Thus Jesus says that John by no means partakes of such great grace as those who will be reborn into immortality after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and that John will experience physical death. At that time, however, the Spirit’s abundance toward people will be so great that no one who has partaken of even the least part of it can afterward fall into death.”¹⁸

So we must understand that Jesus was not putting down or dismissing John the Baptizer as an important cog in the wheel of God’s plan for sending the Messiah. What He was pointing out was that John preached to the Jews and his baptism was based on the old covenant and had little to do with the kingdom of God. But those that followed Him would be sent out with the message of the new covenant, not only to the Jews but to the whole world. So in that sense, even the least important disciple preaching the Gospel would be doing what John the Baptizer was unable to do. Nevertheless, John will have his place in that kingdom when the Messiah returns again.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Part I (Con’t)

Verse 6: Great blessings belong to those who are not offended by what I’ve said.

As they say, actions speak louder than words. Christ could have given John the Baptizer’s disciples a long dissertation on the Scriptures, messianic theories, prophetic exegesis, etc. Instead, He told them only to report back to John what they saw Him doing. Our answer to the inquisitive today should be no less. When we are asked if Jesus is really the Son of God, Savior of the world, let us reply likewise; look at what He did and is still doing! And one of the best examples is the story of the change Jesus made in our own life. So the response John the Baptizer’s followers got from Jesus was clear enough for them to examine the Scriptures that spoke about the Messiah’s ministry.

After all, did not the Psalmist say: “The LORD makes the blind see again.”¹ Did not Isaiah prophesy, “The deaf will hear the words in the book. The blind will see through the darkness and fog. The LORD will make poor people happy. The poorest people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”² And also in Isaiah we find where it says: “Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind. Bring out the people who have ears but are deaf.”³ Even His feeding of the multitude was forecast.⁴ And Isaiah said He would preach the gospel to the poor and afflicted.⁵ Jesus added that the lepers were being cleansed and the dead were being raised to life, so that John the Baptizer would know that only a man from God could perform such miracles. The Master took the time to do this so that John the Baptizer’s disciples would have no problem accepting Him for who the Scriptures said He was.

Our Lord may have formed His response to their questions with what Isaiah prophesied: “If you people will respect Him, He will be a safe place for you. But if you don’t respect Him, so He will be like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both Judea and Israel to fall. He will become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into. (Many people will trip over this Rock. They will fall and be broken. They will be caught in the trap).”⁶

No one ever stumbles over an object unless they are trying jump or step over it without using it as a stepping stone. No one who ever encountered Jesus has ever stumbled over Him except by trying to avoid Him and ignore what He said. This theory includes no provisions for stumbling over Christ in the dark (meaning ‘ignorance’.) Christ does not dwell in darkness. The Scripture says, “Those living in darkness have seen a great light.”⁷ Upon investigation, they find it is Christ who was standing there waiting for them. If they try to dismiss Him as being their only Savior, they will surely stumble. If they closed their eyes against the light (meaning ‘truth’), they will also fall.

In verse 6 of our text the English word “offended” is a translation of the Greek word “skandalizō.” It is also translated elsewhere as “stumble,” “take offense,” “fall away,” in various English versions. However, in the oldest Hebrew text of Matthew, it reads: “Who is not perplexed in me.”⁸ But the word doesn’t simply imply that this Rock is a mere nuisance, but that those who are offended by it and stumble, will fall into disobedience and thereby sin against God. So it is a life or death decision to either accept Him or reject Him.

Therefore, let’s synthesize this thought as follows: “Anyone who takes offense because they are perplexed when confronted by the truth of who Christ really is, they do not do so in ignorance but by rejecting the light of truth.” Some scholars believe that the final phrase by Jesus of hoping that no one would be offended, was a subliminal message to John the Baptizer who may have hoped that if Jesus was the Messiah, he would be freed from prison and allowed to preach and baptize again. As we will see, that didn’t happen.

Verse 7: When John the Baptizer’s followers left, Jesus began sharing with the people about John the Baptizer. He said, “What did you people go out to the uninhabited area to see? Someone who is weak, like a straw reed blowing back and forth in the wind?”

This visit by John the Baptizer’s disciples must have made a great impact on Jesus and His followers. So our Lord took time to explain how He felt about the ministry of the one who baptized Him. I love our Master’s direct quizzing of the people’s attitudes who stood listening that day. The metaphors used by Jesus are very interesting. The straw reed waving back and forth in the wind may have been a reference to John waving his arms back and forth while he preached. So our Lord’s question really was about them going out only to see this wild preacher hollering and shouting while he preached. But most likely the reference to the reed meant John the Baptizer was not pushed about by the winds of opposition. We see this illustrated in a line from Rabbi Judah: “For the Lord will smite Israel as a reed standing in water is shaken.⁹”¹⁰ Instead, they found a dedicated prophet who would not be silenced or intimidated by their questions or skepticism.

One of the earliest Popes who was known as a great debater had this to say about Jesus’ use of a shaken reed in comparison to John the Baptizer. He says: “As soon as a slight breeze blows on a reed it bends in response. What does the reed represent if not an unsure mind? As soon as it is touched by praise or slander, it turns in every direction. If a slight breeze of commendation comes from someone’s mouth, it is cheerful and proud, and it bends completely, so to speak, toward being receptive. But if a gust of slander comes from the same source from which the breeze of praise was coming, it is quickly turned in the opposite direction, toward raving anger. John the Baptizer was no reed, shaken by the wind. No one’s pleasant attitude made him agreeable, and no one’s anger made him bitter.”¹¹

Since many urban dwellers today do not see reeds growing by the water’s edge, they may be hard-pressed to understand this metaphor our Lord chose to use as the direct opposite of what John the baptizer was and represented. Nevertheless, even today everyone knows that the invisible wind is what makes palm trees bend over as if they will break, and causes tree branches to sway back and forth, and that in autumn causes them to lose their leaves. But John the Baptizer neither bent nor did he allow those against him to take away his steadfastness in preaching repentance and heralding the Messiah who came.

But one of the more modern instruments that may fit the bill is the ever present windsock at every airport. It tells the pilot which way the wind is blowing so that he can face the airplane into the wind to gain altitude faster, and also to land against the wind so that it helps slow the plan down so that it isn’t blown past the edge of the runway. This windsock does not resist the breeze, but is easily moved to point in what ever direction it is blowing. But while the windsock moves in whatever direction the wind blows, the pilot uses it to his advantage to keep the airplane steady during take off and landing.

John the Baptizer was like the pilot. His eyes remained steadfast on the goal of his mission. None of the questions, skepticism or criticisms of the Scribes and Pharisees could alter his direction. Now he wanted to guide his own disciples onto the path of the Messiah. What a wonderful example Jesus presents of this steadfast voice crying out, and one that we as Christians can emulate today. Even when the winds of compliment or criticism blow in our direction, it takes a steady hand to keep us moving toward our goal and God’s destiny for our lives, and that steady hand is the influence of God in our heart, mind, and soul through the Holy Spirit. So don’t let the Rock become your stumbling block.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Part I

Verses 2-3: When John the baptizer was in prison, he heard about the things that were happening—things the Messiah would do. So he sent some of his followers to Jesus. They asked Him, “Are you the One we have been expecting, or should we wait for someone else?”

This begins a new vignette in the life and ministry of Jesus. No doubt John the Baptizer heard many stories of what was going on up in Galilee. So his new mission was to find out what it all meant. This was done as much for his disciples sake, more than for himself. He also may have suspected that the end of his ministry was near.

Bible historians tell us that the prison John the Baptizer was incarcerated in was located at Machaerus, about five miles east of the Dead Sea. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus describes this as a castle on the borders of the territorial dominions of Aretas¹ and Herod.² Being true to his calling as a forerunner of Christ, John the Baptizer now wanted those who had come to faith through him to be able to transfer that faith to Jesus. In his question of whether Jesus was the expected Anointed One, he was passively referring to all the scriptures that spoke about the Son of Man.

The fortress Machaerus originally built by king Alexander Jannaeus (104-78 BC)

No doubt it was those scriptures from the Torah and the Prophets that prompted John the Baptizer to make sure his disciples determine if Jesus as the real Messiah or expose Him as an impersonator. After all, He was the One who would crush Satan’s head.³ He would be a star rising from the family of Jacob.⁴ He would come from the tribe of Judah.⁵ He would be from King David’s family.⁶ He would be born of a virgin and named “Immanuel.”⁷ He would be a special child given to the Jews from God, and would be responsible for leading them to new heights.

Furthermore, it was said: “His name will be ‘Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.’ His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish Him as the king sitting on David’s throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever.”⁸ He would be born in Bethlehem of Judea.⁹ He would be a prophet just like Moses.¹⁰ He would be the LORD’S Son.¹¹ He would refer to Himself as a Shepherd.¹² And that when He came: “The eyes of the blind will be opened so that they can see, and the ears of the deaf will be opened so that they can hear. Crippled people will dance like deer, and those who cannot speak now will use their voices to sing happy songs.”¹³

So if John the Baptizer could get any verification on these things, he would be able to convince his followers that Jesus of Nazareth was in fact the Messiah. But with John the Baptizer already in prison, there must have been some motivation to ask these questions because like the others, everyone expected the Messiah to drive the Romans out of the Promised Land and establish the Kingdom of David once again so the flag of Israel could fly over a free country. That would then most likely guarantee that John the Baptizer would be freed.

This certainly seems to be the way one early Church bishop understands it. He writes: “About this text, some will argue, ‘When John sent his disciples, he was neither ignorant himself nor did he mean for them to learn, which seems clear to anyone who has entered to a certain extent into the meaning of the holy Scriptures.’ But this is foolish, because when John was about to die and join the departed, he sent them to ask whether he was the one who was to come and free those who had been vanquished by death. In this way the good news was delivered to his disciples as well. John the baptizer had already said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’¹⁴ He already knew very well that the Messiah would offer Himself up to God for the sake of all humanity. Certainly, if John the baptizer indeed knew that Jesus was the Christ, he was not ignorant about Christ’s mission. On the contrary, he knew exactly what benefits were to come to humanity through Him. John might seem to be telling different people different things in different contexts. Isn’t it true that John had so much knowledge about Christ that he said a great deal about him to various people? Isn’t it true that in accordance with the greater part of what John had said in his own testimony, he recognized Jesus as the deliverer of good news? It is hardly conceivable that John was ignorant about the Christ but now was guessing and wanted to find out for sure from Him. That would be inconsistent. And who would, in the attempt to discover something so great, send along his disciples as if they were competent in themselves to teach and witness?”¹⁵

Verses 4-5: Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John the baptizer what you have heard and seen: The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with leprosy are healed. The deaf can hear. The dead are brought back to life. And the Good News is being told to the poor.”

Just from this context of what Jesus said to the disciples of John the Baptizer, their visit with Jesus was not a short abbreviated one. We are not told exactly when they arrived to where Jesus was ministering or when they left. But the number of miracles that Jesus mentioned certainly suggests that they were with Him for a long enough time to walk with Him through the villages of Galilee and see how the people responded to Him, and how He reacted to their needs. No doubt, Jesus took the time to show and tell them what He wanted them to hear because there was little need to convince John the Baptizer who had already declared Jesus to be the Messiah.

The anonymous early church writer we referenced before offers this commentary: “What then is the meaning of ‘what you see and hear’? As Luke says, the Lord knew that these disciples would come from John. And at that time, He was preparing a worthy meal for a multitude of guests, good people. In this way, even though Christ was silent, His works would vouch for Him,¹⁶ for those who had been cured were thanking Him. Some said, ‘We never saw anything like this in Israel.’¹⁷ And others said, ‘God has visited His people with goodness.’¹⁸ Others said, ‘Glory be to God, who has given such authority to humans.’¹⁹ And so the disciples of John the Baptizer would feast their eyes and ears, seeing the miracles of healing and hearing the voices of those who thanked Him; or at least seeing miracles done by Him and hearing His teaching; or at the very least seeing the good health of those who had been sick and hearing the testimony of those from whom demons had been cast out.”²⁰

Today when people inquire about whether Jesus was the promised Savior, there is no need to invite them to church to watch miracles performed in His name. That would be another way of selling Jesus as a product. Instead, it is the Holy Spirit that draws them to Christ, and when they hear His words preached, the conviction of their sins is what causes them to reach out for forgiveness. But one thing is for sure, the change that comes into their heart, mind and body is the miracle that they can then point to when sharing Jesus with others. And it may be that miracle of a person’s new birth will be what the Holy Spirit uses to  bring even more to Christ for redemption and salvation.

ATTENTION ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS AND FRIENDS

We have now finished the very informative Chapter 10 in the Gospel of Matthew, where we saw Jesus calling His twelve disciples and giving them instructions on going out into the world around them and sharing the good news of the kingdom of God that was so vital to their effort.

But He not only gave them a message to deliver, but He gave them power they never had before.  By His authority there were given the power to drive out demons and heal those who were sick.  There were many others who came claiming to be the Messiah, but none of them were able to both cleanse the body and cleanse the soul.

Yet, they were not to force their message on anyone.  Let those who listened exercise their own will of whether they received it or not.  But if they rejected the message of salvation, then move on to find those who were looking for a savior.  It would not be easy, they would meet opposition, but were charged never to give up on God because He would never give up on them.

Furthermore, their calling to go out announcing the good news that the Savior had come to redeem them from the bondage of sin and set them free to live for God out of love instead of out of fear would force them to make decisions.  Like soldiers sent out into battle, were they willing to put their allegiance to Christ ahead of their desire to please their family and friends.  In other words, they must be willing to die for the cause.

Everything Jesus said to His disciples and followers back then, is still relevant and valid today for all those who believe in Him.  And as we see Christianity coming under attack even in countries once thought to be Christian, the call for loyalty and dedication is as strong as ever.  We must remember, there is a reward at the end of this journey, but we must cross the finish line in order to receive it.

Next we will examine Chapter 11 of Matthew.  There we will learn the tragic story of what happens to John the Baptizer.  But instead of discouraging Jesus and His disciples, it only invigorated them to stand even stronger for the truth.  And in the midst of the growing hostility to the message they would bring, our Lord reaches out with words of encouragement and comfort.

So we will begin Chapter 11 tomorrow.  Hope to see you continuing to read with me the greatest story ever told of the greatest man who ever lived, our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, who was, who is, and is soon to come.  Amen!

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TEN

Part VI

Verse 41: Whoever accepts a prophet because that person is a prophet, gets the same reward a prophet gets. And whoever accepts a godly person because that person is godly, gets the same reward a godly person gets.

Now our Lord reverses the flow by saying that when a prophet is accepted as being genuine, those who listen and receive the prophet’s message will by grasping it get exactly what the prophet gets for giving it. Although there is no cross reference to the Old Testament, this saying by Jesus sounds very much like an ancient Hebrew maxim.

It’s another way of saying that when you hear the truth, don’t judge it by who or what you think you are or by what you already know, but judge it by the messenger who brings it to you. It appears that our Lord is trying to point out that even though He has shown the same power the Father in heaven has, and has clearly announced that the message He brings is from the Father above, many of the Jewish leaders refuse to accept it because it didn’t fit their view on the Law’s teaching of how a person gets forgiveness of sin and thereby attains eternal life.

Jewish Rabbi’s explain it this way: “A Sin-offering is offered because of a sin and a Guilt-offering is offered because of guilt; therefore, just as a Sin-offering is invalid if slaughtered under some other name so is a Guilt-offering invalid if slaughtered under some other name.”¹ One Rabbi adds: “If any other named offerings were slaughtered under the name of a Passover-offering or of a Sin-offering, they become invalid.”²

For instance, since the Passover-offering required an innocent, spotless lamb, and someone brought a pigeon because they couldn’t afford the lamb or didn’t want to spend that much, if the pigeon was offered as a Passover-sacrifice the Rabbis say that the offering is invalid. Jesus as the Lamb of God was the only approved sacrifice of the Father. Therefore, anyone coming to God for forgiveness using any other name than the name of Jesus, it makes their request invalid. You cannot use the name of Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad or even Mary. God will only accept the name of His Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Origen gives his exposition on this subject by writing: “This passage has a deeper meaning. One who has properly extracted the meaning of the apostle’s writing, and has not misunderstood it is receiving the apostle as well as Christ who speaks and dwells in the apostle and is the source of the apostle’s teaching. And since the divine mind of the Father is also in the Son, one who receives the ‘word of wisdom”³ and everything that is Christ is receiving God the Father of all things. The first part refers mystically to the new covenant, the last part to the old covenant.”⁴

While this venerable early church scholar certainly embodies the meaning that by accepting the apostle the receiver also accepts the apostle’s teaching, it does in fact have a deeper meaning. They cannot accept the apostle and reject Christ. This has happened over and over again where a minister is told, “I like you, you are a good person, but please don’t force me to accept your Jesus as my Savior.” A true apostle and Christ cannot be separated. The blessings that an apostle carries is the Word of God, the message of salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and freedom from the legalistic law of working for their salvation to receive the grace of God through Christ that offers salvation based on faith alone. Therefore, whatever reward is in store for this apostle for sharing these blessings will be passed on to those who receive and accept the message he brings.

The great Early Church scholar Theodore of Heraclea had this to say: “The one who receives people sent by anyone gladly honors the one who sent them, and vice versa. Or alternately: the one who receives the apostles who preach the Trinity receives ‘the fullness of deity itself.⁵ And I think it likely that even in our day we receive them in spirit, if we receive their counsels with an open mind.”⁶

Over the years I’ve heard of ministers offering their version of what was needed for a person to become a child of God. But unless they complied with the demands of the Scripture, then whatever they did can be declared as invalid. That’s because there can be no other sacrifice for sin other than Jesus who died on the cross for that very reason. Likewise, the Jews could not say that their animal sacrifices were sufficient to take away the punishment of sin when Jesus was trying to tell them that God had instituted the plan He announced to their forefathers, because the plan they were using was only temporary until the real sacrifice came.

Verse 42: Whoever helps any of these younger ones because they are my followers will definitely get a reward, even if they only give them a cup of cold water.

Scholars say there must have been some small children with their mothers and fathers in the group, giving Jesus the opportunity to point to several of them and say that this guarantee of a blessing to be a blessing applies even to the smallest and most innocent among us. However, other scholars feel that children in that situation would have been out of place, therefore they suggest that Jesus was referring to Jesus’ newest followers. They point to Chapter 25:45 as an example of our Lord using similar language.

In Jewish thinking, the giving of the cup of cold water seems to be tied to making vows. As such, it allows for a gracious act even to someone who has no interest in what is being offered. One venerable Rabbi tells the story about a man who invited someone he knew over to his house for a meal. But that individual had vowed he’d never go to this man’s house and bother him even for a drink of cold water. However, he did end up going and later when he had to explain why he didn’t keep his vow, it was determined that he really meant he wouldn’t go if the man was putting on a feast.⁷ In other words, don’t be discouraged when someone does not accept the invitation to join your Bible Study, and don’t let that keep you from inviting them over for a cup of coffee and piece of pie to talk about how things are going, or even to watch a ball game.

In September 1971 I was in Amsterdam, Holland to take part in a street evangelism effort sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ that required us to walk up to people in the city’s famous “Dam Square,” which we thought was appropriately named because it was where many hippies who were on drugs hung out near the National Monument, and engage them with a booklet called “The Four Spiritual Laws.” Our opening line was this: “If you were to die tonight do you know for sure you would go to heaven?” We were told that even if they showed no interest, we were authorized to still give them a small copy of the New Testament as a gift for even talking to us. In this way, we combined our words with action. It may not have been soul-winning as some may see it, but like the cup of cold water, but we did it in Jesus’ name. We won’t know until the books are opened in heaven to see how many actually who did not pray with us that day but accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior later on.

Also, years later as a hospital chaplain I had patients who expressed no interest in talking religion with me. But instead of turning around and leaving the room as though I had been rebuffed, I respected their wishes but asked if it would be alright if I chatted with them as a friend because I really cared about their situation? In many cases they agreed, and it eventually led back to the subject of their spirituality. Sometimes a cordial reception can be every effective in opening the door to the Gospel. In other words, you may have to start with a cordial cup of cold water before they accept your invitation to enjoy a spiritual snack.

The Jews had a similar concept, but in reverse order: “Two Rabbis began to speak in praise of hospitality, expounding on the verse, And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his house . . . . because of the Ark of God.⁸ They said: If there was a reward for attending to the ark of the covenant that neither ate or drank, but in front of which he merely swept and dusted, how much more will it be for one who entertains a scholar in his house and gives him to eat and drink and allows him the use of his possessions!”⁹

To put this another way, if you invite a young believer to a Bible Study in someone else’s home, but they cannot go because they have no transportation, if you offer to pick them up and take them but they say “No,” don’t despair. It’s another cup of cold water that Jesus said would be like giving it to God Himself. But if they say “Yes,” how much more will you rejoice when they receive as much of a blessing for going as you did in asking them if they wanted to go.

Bishop Hilary offers this explanation of the cup of cold water: “Jesus teaches that no deed of a good conscience is useless. It is no crime for a believer to have hope that transcends another’s unbelief. For He foresaw that there would be many who glory in merely being called an apostle but whose every action proves they are unworthy. They deceive and lie perpetually. And yet when we grant these people the favors that are due them because of their mere appearance of religiosity, He does not withhold from us the reward of doing His work and of hope. For even if they are the very least, that is, the worst sinners of all—for nothing is smaller than the ‘least’—nonetheless He decrees that we have duties toward them. These duties are light but not useless. They are represented by the phrase ‘cold water.’ For honor is to be paid not to the sins of the individual but to his status as a disciple. He grants His reward to the faith of the one who gives, not to the deceitfulness of the one who receives.”¹⁰

While his eminence makes a metaphor out of cold water to represent what many believers see as everyday, mundane duties, we cannot ignore the Jewish custom of Jesus’ day in which certain good manners, that were considered the very least one person could do for another, would still bring a reward for being righteous. So in other words, our Lord was teaching that no effort or ministry on our part, even to those who do not represent the brightest or most talented in the congregation, is still significant in the eyes of God. Therefore not even the most distinguished of God’s servants should consider any task as being below their station or interest.

So our Lord was letting His followers know that when sending them out to represent Him their preaching should be clear, direct, and given freely to those who received it and not let those who reject it deter them or make them despondent. However, it should not be hell-fire and brimstone without compassion. I’ve been told that during the days of the “Jesus People,” individuals would be confronted on the streets and told, “Turn or burn!” I’m sure this was not what our Lord had in mind when He spoke of going out into the vineyard where the harvest was ripe. After all, who wants to listen to someone who is shouting and criticizing them for not accepting God’s free gift of love and salvation.

Chapter 11:1 When Jesus finished these instructions for His twelve followers, He left Capernaum. He went through the towns around in Galilee to teach the people and tell them God’s message.

In the Greek manuscripts, this verse appears to be the final part of the narrative of chapter ten. It is a way of saying that this portion of His ministry concluded with an evangelistic effort in Galilee. Many think that Christ’s journeys into the countryside were just happenstance or impromptu with no prior planning. Christ is often pictured as a wandering miracle worker, going wherever His whim or fancy took Him.

Here we have a repeat of what Matthew recorded in Chapter 9:35-38, so this would be His second evangelism circuit in the areas around northern Galilee. Little did the people know that He had a date with destiny that was already scheduled by God for the right point in time. Everything God did in relationship to Jesus’ arrival here on earth and His departure back into heaven was prescripted by the Father in heaven: when He was born; where He was born; when He would be baptized by John the Baptizer; when He would call His disciples; when He would ride into Jerusalem; when He would die on the cross; when He would walk out of the tomb; and when He would ascend back into heaven. How then can anyone doubt that the time of His return is already scheduled. It doesn’t matter if you die before it happens because you will still live to see it!

But no other life on earth had been so precisely directed by our heavenly Father. His birth, His flight into Egypt to avoid Herod’s massacre, His hometown of Nazareth, His move to Capernaum, calling His disciples, raising Lazarus from the dead, His ride toward Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His death and subsequent resurrection and ascension, were incisively calculated. Should His ministry have been left to chance in order to be fair? No! God forbid, as Paul would say, you can believe that every footstep of Christ was set down with omniscient precision. Take a look at the John 4:4 to be further convinced of this truth.

Can you believe this! I read that in 1990 a person was 21 years old, but in 1995 that same person was only 16 years old. How can that be possible? It didn’t make any sense until I realized the direction time was going in. Then it became clear! Do you think you know why?

It’s a lot like that in life sometimes. I remember as a boy on a train in Germany going home from school. While we sat at the train station, next to another train waiting to leave, suddenly we began to move. I couldn’t believe it, we were going in the wrong direction, back toward the station we just came from! It wasn’t until the last train car passed my window that I realized it was the other train that was moving. The same thing happened one time when I was standing on a dock that went out into the bay. As I looked down at the water, it seemed like all of a sudden the dock started moving. When I looked up and saw a boat going by I realized it was the water that was moving, not the dock.

In science it is called an “optical illusion.” It means that the eyes and the brain are not in sync because of where the person is looking. If you keep your eyes on a stationary object, then you can tell what direction things are going. Here are some examples for you to look at: http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot-feetLin/index.html

In life we often find the same phenomenon. We look at things and get the wrong impression. We start thinking that things are changing for the bad when in fact they are changing for the good, or that something we don’t think is good for us actually turns out to be the best. This applies to our spiritual life as well. As you see changes in your society, your church, your fellow believers, it’s important to know where you stand.

One way to get the right perspective is to keep our eyes on the Savior who never changes, and God’s Word that never goes out of date. He is alive, and the Word is a living document will remain relevant until He comes again. He and the Word are the same yesterday, today and forever. That’s why when you’re not sure that you may not be where you ought to be, doing what you should be doing, look to the author and finisher of your faith and it will help you understand where you really are with God.

By the way, in our brain teaser the dates were 1990 BC and 1995 BC.

Many of us are guilty of making quick assumptions whereby we come to a conclusion before we’ve examined the facts. For instance, try this brain teaser: “Two boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. One of the boxers gets knocked out after only one round, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?” You may not be all that familiar with the Marquess of Queensberry rules for Boxing, but you should know enough to see how impossible this looks, even though it turns out to be true.

Since we don’t know the facts, we can only go on assumptions. The term “assumption” is quite easy to define. It means accepting something as true or possible without having any proof. It is based mostly on speculation, guessing, a notion, conjecture, etc. It’s like throwing mud against a wall hoping that it will stick, or taking $20 to the store to pay for an item we presume will cost less than that, only to find out that we’ve miscalculated. The underestimation of the cost is not what embarrasses us, it’s having to turn around, go home or to the ATM and get more money.

But what about assumptions we make concerning others, especially our friends? I read this story about two businessmen with a great idea who made an assumption that ended up falling flat on its face. They tell us that several years ago they came up with a great idea for a new leadership-development program they thought would be valuable to everyone in their business. They had research showing that when people embarked on a self-development program, their success increased dramatically if they received periodic follow-up encouragement. So they developed a software application to offer that sort of encouragement. People could enter their development goals, and the software would send them reminders every week or month asking how they were doing. This was meant to motivate them to keep on going. They invested a lot of time and money in this product. But it turned out that people did not like receiving such unsolicited e-mails and considered them more annoying than motivating. Some of the users came up with a name for this type of software. They called it “nagware.”¹

They go on to explain how that failed assumption came about. First, they were too lazy to check the facts. They figured it was a good idea and went with it without checking to see if the people wanted such reminders.

Second, the program was so good they did not expect anything to go wrong. It’s hard for people to consider the possibility of negative events so they just assume the worst would not happen.

Third, they based their assumption on data they assembled without considering that such data is constantly changing and requires constant study. So they were indecisive at that point and decided to go with what they had.

Fourth, they were basing their theory on old data, therefore they remained locked in the past. It’s one of those “That’s the way it’s always been done” theories, so they made the assumption it would work in this case.

Fifth, they failed to see if their effort really was connected to their overall strategy. In other words, was this the best way to do what they wanted to do. That’s why when things went wrong, no solutions had been figured out for plan B.

Sixth, they were overly optimistic that the people who got the emails would respond the way they thought they would. So they made the assumption that these people thought the way they did.

Seventh, they made the assumption that these people felt about them the way they felt about these people. So they more or less lived in isolation with their own ideas. This denied them the expertise they may have gotten had they asked.

Eighth, they made the assumption that they had all the facts they needed to carry this out. So instead of searching for people with more experience and expertise, they went on what they knew.

And ninth, they did not communicate their intentions with the recipients before they started. They made the assumption that it would be alright with them. They forgot that communication is a decision that involves rational and implications, so there has to be a connection to make it flow successfully.

If this is so important in business, how much more important it is that we make assumptions about God, the Bible, our faith, or our fellow believers. That’s why we need to constantly talk to God, study His Word, practice our faith, and fellowship with believers; not to assume that we already know all that we need to know to be victorious for Christ.

By the way, the answer to the brain teaser we started out with is this: both boxers were women.