Matthew 11:1-19...The Return of JTB

Stephanie sent this picture to me with the heading "2 blockheads."  Understandable as I convinced her to go with me up the Green Mountain Trail that has a very steep ascent right out of the gate.  The trail was also very hard to negotiate at this time of the year with melting snow and post holing from those who didn't use snowshoes.  Fresh snow this week and colder temps so the snowshoes are not put away yet.

We finished chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew last week so chapter 11 was our destination last Sunday.  Jesus spent a lot of time instructing His disciples about the pressure, push back and persecution that they might face from religious authorities, governing authorities, family and all of society.  Jesus goes from speaking of the persecutors to someone being persecuted, John the Baptist, JTB.  It is almost like "here is exhibit A."

Highly regarded JTB is in prison for standing on God's Word and he sends 2 of his disciples to meet with Jesus to ask a question that seems to be of doubt.  JTB does something that is so right by asking of Jesus when he has a question.  When we have questions or doubts, we need to go directly to God to receive some affirmation that He is in control.  Doubts and questions might appear when we deal with 1) personal tragedy, 2) popular influences, 3) partial revelation and 4) painted expectations.  

Jesus is going to give JTB some empirical evidence by allowing his disciples to hear and see what is happening in the Jesus' camp.  They will be first hand eye witnesses to take back to JTB.  We need to go to God with our doubt and ask for Him to make himself known to us in His way.  I saw this happen back when I and another was experiencing the same type of cancer.  Steve was really struggling with the questions surrounding having this diagnosis just before retirement and an outcome that didn't sound favorable for longevity on this earth.  Steve said to me, "I need to see a miracle."  We prayed that Wednesday night for God to make Himself know to Steve and Sunday following the worship gathering Steve told me he got his miracle.  I asked what it was.  He told me that at the end of the service someone responded to the call of Jesus.  Someone that morning said "yes" to Jesus and surrendered his life to follow Jesus all the days of his life.  Steve said to me, "It's a miracle because only God can do that."  Steve saw God prior to his death do something only God could do.  I officiated his funeral months later and gave the good news of Jesus to those who gathered and there were more who responded to say "yes" to Jesus!

Next Jesus takes JTB back to the Scriptures.  He gives 6 short phrases from the scroll of Isaiah.  The prophet Isaiah gives us what the coming Messiah will do.  Jesus is validating His ministry by God's Word and He will also validate JTB's ministry the same way.  How often when we are in a time of questioning and doubting that we run away from God's word rather than running to it.  We get lacks in our attendance the to weekly gathering and the time of fellowship with other believers.  We go into isolation mode rather than taking our questions and doubts to the source of all wisdom.  

It is also interesting in this passage that after speaking of JTB and addressing his concerns that Jesus uses JTB example to lay aside what He is seeing in the present generation.  I love the picture of the marketplace where the children have gathered.  It was the playground of the day.  There are children calling out to other children to come out and play either wedding or funeral.  The response of the other children is "No, we don't want to play." They did not want to participate in either one.  Jesus is saying that this generation is in non participation mode when it comes to joining the children who are ready to play.  He ends it with us deciding which group of children are the wise ones.  I couldn't help comparing the non participating children to the fully participating JTB sitting in prison because he was following God's instructions no matter what.

This is another way to say that we will be continually calling out to the children of this world from the marketplace, the safe place of being in the kingdom of heaven, and the response much of the time will be negative.  The latest Pew Research survey notes that in the U.S. population this percentage is up to 28% of those who are "nones" to any religious affiliation.  Our obedience in the face of low odds takes me back to Isaiah again.  After Isaiah says, "Here am I.  Send me." God says his audience will hear but not understand and see but not perceive.  They would have dull hearts to what he was going to communicate to them.  Isaiah then asks, "Lord, how long?" God's answer is a long time but His instruction to Isaiah is to keep speaking the word.

We are in God's playground.  We have said "yes" to play funeral and wedding with Jesus.  We responded in obedience to Jesus' call when He stopped our spiritual funeral to hell and we rose in obedience to follow Him.  We were adopted into His family and invited to the wedding of the Lamb because our names are found in the Book of Life.  This is the good news that we call out from the marketplace to those who God puts around us even in the face of much rejection.  His few children will emerge from the many to join us.  Let's keep faithful in calling out, "Can Johnny/Susan come out to play?"

The next passage is a doozy.  We will see the sovereignty of God laid side by side with the invitation of God.  

Adam