Matthew 11:15-19: 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”NKJV.
THE NLT PUTS IT LIKE THIS:
15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
17 ‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’
18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
THERE IS A STORY IN GENISIS 13 OF ABRAHAM AND LOT:
THEY LEFT EGYPT AB, SARA, AND LOT AND ALONG THE WAY THEY GOT EXTREMELY WEALTHY.
THEN AB SAID TO LOT LOOK YOUR PEOPLE ARE QUARALING WITH MY PEOPLE SO WE NEED TO SEPARATE OUR LIVESTOCK.
SO BETWEEN BETHEL AND AI, THE BIBLE SAYS THE LAND COULD NOT SUPPORT BOTH OF THEIR LIVESTOCK AND POSSESSIONS. ABRAM SAID TO LOT, LET'S NOT FIGHT.
WE ARE CLOSE RELATIVES.
WE HAVE ALL OF THE HIGH DESERT.
LET'S PART WAYS IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT I WILL GO TO THE LEFT.
SO, LOT LOOKED AROUND AND SAW ALL OF VICTORVILLE AND MOVED TO VICTORVILLE TOWARDS ADELANTO AKA SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear! “A proverbial form of speech often used by Jesus after important utterances, here for the first time in Matthew.” (Bruce)
(Matthew 11:16-19) Jesus rebukes those who refuse to be pleased by either John the Baptist’s or Jesus’ ministry.
a. But to what shall I liken this generation:
Jesus here considered the nature of His current generation, and how they were choosy and uncertain in receiving God’s message and His messengers.
We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament: The idea is that those who have the heart to criticize will find something to criticize.
Many people wouldn’t be pleased with either John or Jesus.
“They refused to hear God’s voice in either form, the somber or the joyful, in judgment or mercy, if it did not accord with their conventions. There was no pleasing them.” (France)
A friend of tax collectors and sinners:
Jesus quoted the criticisms of others against Him. Though these words were meant to condemn, they have become wonderful. Jesus is a friend of… sinners.
“A malicious nick-name at first, it is now a name of honor: the sinner’s lover.” (Bruce)
But wisdom is justified by her children:
However, the wise man is proved to be wise by his wise actions (her children). Jesus had especially in mind the wisdom to accept both Jesus and John for what they were and what they were called to be.
People might criticize John, but look at what he did — he led thousands of people into repentance, preparing the way for the Messiah.
People might criticize Jesus, but look at what He did — taught and worked and loved and died like no one ever has.
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