Matthew 11

In Praise of John the Baptist

11When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. ^m2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples ⁿ³and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ^o

⁴Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, ^pthe deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. ^q6And if anyone is not ^•offended because of Me, he is blessed.” ^r

⁷As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ^s8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. ^t10This is the one it is written about:

Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; ^u

he will prepare Your way before You. ^vw

¹¹“^•I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, ^xbut the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, ^yand the violent have been seizing it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; ¹⁴if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. ^z15Anyone who has ears ^ashould listen! ^b

An Unresponsive Generation

¹⁶“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:

¹⁷We played the flute for you,

but you didn’t dance;

we sang a lament,

but you didn’t mourn! ^c

¹⁸For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ^d19The ^•Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, ^ea friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^fYet wisdom is vindicated ^gby her deeds.” ^h

²⁰Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: ²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! ⁱWoe to you, Bethsaida! ^jFor if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, ^kthey would have repented in ^•sackcloth and ashes long ago! ²²But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment ^lthan for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to ^•Hades. ^mFor if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. ²⁴But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest

²⁵At that time Jesus said, ⁿ“I praise ^oYou, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. ^p26Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. ^q27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows ^rthe Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires ^sto reveal Him. ^t

²⁸“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ^u29All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, ^vbecause I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ^w30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”