Matthew 11:2–19

²When John the Baptist heard in prison about the things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him. ³“Tell us,” they asked Jesus, “are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: ^5*the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean,ⁱ the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. ⁶How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

⁷While John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind? ⁸What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that live in palaces! ⁹Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet. ^10*For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’ ¹¹I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John. ^12*From the time John preached his message until this very day the Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks,^j and violent men try to seize it. ^13*Until the time of John all the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke about the Kingdom; ^14*and if you are willing to believe their message, John is Elijah, whose coming was predicted. ¹⁵Listen, then, if you have ears!

¹⁶“Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the market place. One group shouts to the other, ¹⁷‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn’t dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn’t cry!’ ¹⁸When John came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, ‘He has a demon in him!’ ¹⁹When the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and everyone said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ God’s wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results.”