Sermon Notes

11 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the
wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed
in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What, then, did you go out to see?
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I
am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the
least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the
kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and
the Law prophesied until John came, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 Let
anyone with ears listen!
20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done because they
did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I
tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you,
Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. “For if the deeds of
power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that
on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
11 7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you
expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk
pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet!
Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote,
‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the
kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried
to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely,
you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the
kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the
Messiah. 15 “Are you listening to me? Really listening?
20 Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded
the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way. 21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom,
Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have
been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum!
With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had
your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
(The Message, MSG)

This week’s lesson is the second journey into exploring this unit’s theme: Life in
God’s Kingdom. While last week’s lesson text explored how The Lord’s Prayer
is essentially a petition for God’s Kingdom to become a present reality on Earth,
this week’s lesson studies how Matthew admonishes 1st century disciples of Jesus
1.28.25 – djs
Winter 2024-2025: A King Forever and Ever Unit 3: Life In God’s Kingdom
2
Christ to heed Jesus’ teachings about how the active embrace of the kingdom of
God requires both prophetic witness and positive human response. The kingdom
of God is realized when people—like John the Baptist—courageously speak truth
to power and then make that truth a reality by their courageous actions.

Matthew’s Gospel consists of six major parts, and our lesson text for this week
emerges from the third portion (11:2–16:20). In these chapters, Matthew tells the
story of various differing responses to Jesus’ identity, Jesus’ teaching on God’s
kingdom, and growing opposition to Jesus’ ministry by the Pharisees and scribes.
Case in point: this major portion of Matthew is framed by two scenes that pose the
question of Jesus’ identity (11:3 and 16:13). The first is asked by John the Baptist
through his disciples to Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait
for another?” The second question is asked by Jesus to his disciples, “Who do
people say the Son of Man is?”
Along with discussing the question of Jesus’ identity, Matthew also explores Jesus’
social vision for the world which he calls the empire or kingdom of God. Because
Matthew references the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, this portion of the
gospel reflects a post-70 CE context of conflict between Jesus-followers and the
Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jewish leaders of synagogues. Jesus envisions a new
kingdom of God that Matthew calls the Church (ekklesia in Greek) which reshapes
society by radical community and care for the “least of these.” This week’s lesson
text conflates Jesus’ discussion of John the Baptist with his reproach of people
who reject his ministry and should be divided into two major parts: verses 7-15 and
verses 20-24.

INTERPRETING THE LESSON

7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’

In the opening verses of the lesson text, Jesus queries the crowd, asking six questions about John the Baptist:

1. What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?

2. A reed shaken by the wind?

3. What, then, did you go out to see?

4. Someone dressed in soft robes?

5. What, then, did you go out to see?

6. A Prophet?

Each of these questions masterfully moves the crowd through the process of discerning who John was and the purpose of his ministry. Unlike many speakers, preachers, teachers and “messiahs” who came and went in the 1st century, John was not a reed that easily fluttered in the wind, nor a performer who sought to lay in the lap of luxury. John was one who lived an acetic lifestyle that denied worldly pleasures for the purpose of pointing people to the simplicity of God’s repentance and the austerity of God’s messiah. Further, Jesus’ questions regarding the reed and the palace are related to the Herodian royal family. Some coins from Herod’s reign contain images of reeds from the Jordanian valley, several of Herod’s palace—which feature members of the royal family dressed in robes—are nearby. Therefore Jesus’ comments underscore the presence of earthly kingdoms that are at odds with God’s kingdom.

Matthew’s Gospel makes it plain that John was the prophet whom Malachi and Isaiah spoke—the one who would ready the world for the Messiah.

“This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:3-6, NRSVue).

John’s purpose was to strip the superfluous things and people of the world away and get to the bare bones truth: salvation is available to everyone who repents. Further, the need for repentance is the common denominator that binds all persons together—regardless of political position class, socio-economic status, or race. Ultimately, John’s mission was to get the people ready to receive Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah.

11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah. 15 “Are you listening to me? Really listening?

Verses 11-15, are some of the most difficult verses to interpret in Matthew’s Gospel. For thousands of years, Christians have debated exactly what Jesus meant as he says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force,” (Matthew 11:12, NRSVue). We should consider these comments within the context of Mathew’s understanding of Jesus as the one who inaugurates the Kingdom of God which embraces the least, lowly, and left out, but is violently opposed by those who don’t

believe the least, lowly, and left outs are worthy of inclusion. John understood the character of God’s kingdom and it's preached about it. However, just because something is preached, doesn’t mean people will actually listen to the sermon. Jesus says, “he who has ears, let them hear,” to emphasize the importance of having the wisdom and discernment to receive this teaching and recognize what discern what God is doing through Jesus.

20 Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way. 21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”

In verse 20, Matthew provides a narrative break between the previous portion of this text—which talked about John the Baptist’s prophetic ministry—and this portion of the text which discusses how Jesus cast judgement upon cities who do not have the wisdom to discern God’s will in Jesus’ actions. It is important to note that these cities are where Jesus conducted many healings. Yet, these miraculous acts were not enough to convince these cities to embrace Jesus’ ministry or his vision of God’s kingdom.

In verses 21-24, the text outlines “woes” or “judgement oracles” against Chorazin and Bethsaida—cities that refused to comprehend what Jesus was doing in their midst. These judgements that Jesus proclaims are similar in style to the "woes against foreign nations" that are a recurring theme in the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (Jeremiah 13:27; Jeremiah 48:46; Hosea 7:13). But unlike those judgement oracles, in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus says Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom—non-Jewish cities—will get off easier than the Jewish cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.

What is especially interesting about how Matthew presents Capernaum—Jesus’ adopted ministry base—is that Jesus compares it to the notorious wickedness of Sodom and the fire and brimstone that it received. But Jesus says Sodom will fare much better than Capernaum asserting because they intentionally rejecting his ministry and message. The signs were there for the citizens of Capernaum to see. However, they went on with their daily lives, ignoring the God-signs that God placed all around them. Further, because they dismissed Jesus’s ministry, they also failed to heed the repentance that Jesus called for. Thus, Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin would be judged because they were offered an opportunity to repent and receive the kingdom of God—but they rejected the opportunity to do so. Like Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin, how many contemporary people reject the opportunity to embrace and experience the kingdom of God? Perhaps we think we have all the time in the world? Or, maybe we don’t think we have much that requires confession or forgiveness. However, Jesus says that kind of short-sided thinking will ultimately bring about God’s judgement! Further, we will forfeit experiencing the Kingdom of God.