Matthew 11:16-19 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Today’s verses show that many people rejected both John and Jesus’ messages. The truth is determined by the deeds of the man doing them, not by his lifestyle or other measurements. Both John and Jesus’ deeds were for the lasting betterment of the people they were addressing and teaching. John’s message was a call to the people to repent and to be baptized, to turn their lives away from fleshly, self-serving lifestyles, to treat people as they should be treated, with kindness and generosity. His message was based on self-effort, a determination to make everyone’s life more loving and to make Israel a more cohesive and generous society. John’s ministry emphasized work that led to a good outcome, better deeds by the people. Jesus built upon John’s words, but brought in the dynamics of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. As John 3:16 relates, whosoever believes in Jesus Christ as Lord will receive eternal life, pleasing God through their faith in Jesus’ works, not theirs. Entering the kingdom of God came through faith, not a temporary turn-around in a person’s life because of self-effort. John brought people near to the kingdom of God; Jesus brought people into the kingdom of God. If people were willing to accept and to implement John’s ministry into their lives, they would be prepared for the transformational nature of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus taught that eternal life came by the hands of God, not by the hands of people: faith in God’s work, not their own. The Messiah would usher in the kingdom of God through faith, not through the efforts of man’s good intentions to become better. However, the newly minted Christians would display, as John ministered, the works of righteousness in their lives. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) John’s baptism of repentance was to corral the deeds of the flesh, to put an end to them in people’s lives. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-22) Because the selfish carnal nature permeated the Jewish society and its religious leaders at that time, John warned them that God already had an ax in his hands ready to mete out terrible judgment on the people of Israel. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:10) John’s ministry of repentance stirred up a revival in Israel, preparing the way for the Messiah’s coming. Many people readily repented, but the Jewish leaders would not submit to John’s message; subsequently, none of them were baptized. The Jewish leaders were the blind leading the blind or the unrepentant leading the unrepentant. Later on in Jesus’ life, these blind, unrepentant leaders, convinced the people to cry out for Jesus’ death on a cruel cross.
Most of the leaders of the Jewish people were adamantly against Jesus for He represented a threat to their dominance within the Jewish community. They enjoyed their place of privilege—the people’s deference to them. They valued their prominent position in every community gathering. Sadducees appreciated the fact that they were the caretakers of the Temple. Their unwillingness to repent, to identify sin in their lives brought Jesus’s words of accusation against them. He said of them, They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. (Matthew 23:4-9) He knew their unwillingness to change would bring judgment upon them and upon the people they were supposedly leading. Jesus was very harsh with them for the people were being led by shepherds stubborn to God’s will of goodness and kindness. The people were really as sheep with no genuine shepherd. Jesus compares this generation of people as sheep unwilling to be led by true shepherds. No matter what the true shepherds did, the Israelites wanted to go their own way. They always had an excuse to reject the call of God on their lives. “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’” (Luke 14:16-20) Jesus was telling the crowd that they had put up false excuses for not turning to God and to be led by true, faithful servants of God. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ The people knew they should change their lives of fleshly pursuits, but they deflected God’s call on their lives by claiming John was too weird and Jesus was too worldly. They criticized both men, but this yeast of criticism started at the top with their leaders. Their false shepherds led them to question the call of God in both John and Jesus’ ministry. The Pharisees and the Sadducees said both ministries had to do with the devil’s work rather than God’s work. These lies were accepted rather than rejected by the people.
Criticism is so easily ministered to people instead of encouragement. Gossip is readily accepted by people even in today’s society. They say falsehoods go around the internet many times faster than the truth. Negativity sells: truth is stale and unexciting. Falsehood is often claimed as knowledge and wisdom. Part of Adam’s DNA was created to be like God, to be a fountain of holy truth and wisdom, but we are warned in the Bible about claiming our self-interest as truth and wisdom. The Bible says that every man is like a sheep that has gone its own way. (See Isaiah 53:6) In today’s focus, we see the Israelites going their own way, unwilling to be led by either John or Jesus. Their claim that neither man was led by God brought them into great judgment later on in the century. They thought of themselves as wise by rejecting John and Jesus’ ministry. But, they were really fools, for God had come to them in both men. John as a mighty prophet who made the way for Jesus, and Jesus was the Son of God who came to save sinners. Both men carried the vital message of God, telling people how to come into the kingdom of God. John preached, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. (Mark 1:3) Jesus said, Repent and believe the good news. (Mark 1:15) But the Jews thought themselves as wise because of their desire to maintain their lives as they were constructed, believing God would accept their unrighteousness into his kingdom. Paul addresses this deception. Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20) To rationalize their rejection of John and Jesus, the people said they were controlled by the wicked one. Paul tells us to not to follow what men think unless their ideas line up with Jesus’ teaching. In fact, the Bible says even if an angel preaches another gospel, we should reject it. (See Galatians 1:8) When we fully embrace the Good News of Christ as our Savior from sin, we are placed in the body of Christ. We no longer reject the call of God by sitting on the fence, unwilling to join others in the mighty army of believers who follow Jesus. We will follow him regardless of the tune played. For we have ears to hear the Shepherd’s voice. Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9)
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