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Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 – 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Context
John the Baptist
The lectionary is doing us a bit of a disservice this week as we’re starting in the middle of a scene that is rife with tension. But the reason is because we got Matthew 11:2-11 back on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. A disciple of John the Baptist is coming to Jesus with a message, “Are you the one or are we to wait for another?”
Now, I’ve been emphasizing for over half a year now, that the Gospel of Matthew is a prophetic work that illustrates prophetic transition: from John the Baptist to Jesus to the Church. We hear back in 2nd Sunday of Advent in Matthew 4:12 that John has been arrested, before Jesus does any ministry. This is Matthew more explicitly naming that the prophetic authority has switched fully to Jesus because John isn’t even out and about in the world. So, from 4:12 through now (at chapter 11), John has been behind the scenes, listening to what Jesus is doing through those who have been following him. This message would have just gotten around even more because Jesus has just sent the twelve out to all of Israel. News of Jesus’ teachings, healings, and ministry will have gotten around, even to John in prison. And it’s not aligning with what he thought the Messiah would do.
John prophesied of the wrath to come and to bear fruit worthy of repentance. “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (3:10-12).”
Such a good Advent word! Really gets the blood pumping on Advent 2. And yet the very next week in Advent we heard chapter 11. That all of a sudden John is doubting whether or not Jesus is the Messiah because of what he’s been hearing about Jesus’ ministry. That Jesus hasn’t brought fire or damnation. He hasn’t cleared the threshing floor. All of these sinners that needed repentance, he’s actually been eating with. He healed a Roman Centurion’s slave. One of his main disciples is a despicable tax collector.
Missing Judgment
The lectionary does a greater disservice by cutting out the most difficult (and most prophetic) portion of this passage from Jesus in which he reproaches the cities that did not repent (11:20-24).
But we must remember, this passage is not the judgment of the world. Unlike the Gospel of John, Matthew is not making a claim about the cross as judgment of the world. Judgment comes at the eschaton. BUT, as I’ve stated before, this is a recalling of the prophetic model of the Old Testament. Jesus is warning the people to repent. If they don’t, just as is true in the scriptures, God will judge them for their failure to turn. John the Baptist expects the judgment to be now, but Jesus is still “working” and trying to bring the people back to God.
Come to me all ye…
Now, I know so many people who use 11:28-30 wildly out of context. AND, I know many pastors who scold people for doing that and say that it comes in a judgment text and isn’t a gracious message but then don’t go on to explain it further.
This is the grace portion of this text. This is the (more) comfortable ending to land on.
As many Study Bibles and commentaries explain, the yoke is referring to Jesus’ teaching. To dangerously oversimplify, you could say, “the Law is easy through Jesus.” But ultimately what Jesus is saying is, repentance, right-living, and new-living do not have to be so hard and ultimately that will release the burdens we carry. Through the way of Jesus, we can find new life. Now, what this text is not saying is “lay your burdens down and then go back to living the way you were.” No, we lay our burdens, our sin, and our shame down and then we begin anew, following the yoke of Jesus. The way that is easy and light because it guides us rightly and pushes us towards community. Our souls will find rest from not being tormented by sin or guilt or shame.
Now this is for and about all the people that Jesus has been healing, helping, and calling: tax collectors, Roman centurions, even the fishermen. Those who have turned toward him and taken up this new life. But this is also for the cities who didn’t repent. In so much of prophetic tradition, the prophet declares future judgment for those who have not repented. But at the very end of those texts, they end with a seed of hope. My favorite example is Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah is called to prophesy the destruction of Jerusalem. It will be laid waste and burned to the ground. But the very last line is “The holy seed is its stump (6:13).” While this may mean the postexilic remnant, it can also be the hope that Jerusalem will again grow.
Not always, but often, passages of judgment in prophetic tradition conclude on a note of mercy and hope. It does not negate what was said before. Repentance is still needed and expected. An end to destructive living is still needed. But there is still hope that those others will see a new way of living. There is still hope that hearts and minds can be turned.
Preaching Possibilities
New way of living
As someone in recovery, I always find these messages so helpful and comforting. And that’s because in the 12-steps, we talk like this all the time. The opening portion of the meeting we read a portion of the Big Book called How it Works is a great example. Here are a couple of sections that show what I mean:
“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.”
“Many of us exclaimed, “What an order! I can’t go through with it.’’ Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.”
What I have heard time and time again from people in the 12-step community is, “I wish everyone would go through the twelve steps.” It’s similar to people who have been in therapy saying, “Everyone needs a therapist.” In following this program, my life (which at one point was on a downward spiral toward death) has been completely turned around. It was hard. But I can’t imagine living any other way now. The ease on my mind. The rest for my soul. The honesty with which I can live. Similarly with therapy, it is often a space where we are free to be who we are so that we can be free in the world. It’s a space where honesty, introspection, and self-awareness can transform us. But it often comes with hard truths.
If we looked a Christianity through the lens of our baptismal promises and the life and ministry of Jesus, we might see that this program is a lot stricter than we’ve pretended. And if we want to make a difference in our lives and the world, we will need to enter into a life wear we bear fruit worth of repentance. We may need to live differently than how we’ve been living.
Doubting John
If you didn’t cover this back in Advent, you could talk about this awkward moment of John the Baptist, this is incredibly important figure, doubting Jesus’ ministry. One of the most faithful people in the world is doubting whether Jesus is the Messiah because he is doing things differently than how he expected.
This is an opportunity to talk about doubt in seasons of tension and conflict. John’s action here is not bad. Jesus does not scold John’s disciple for asking this question. When we are doubting, that is the moment to ask our questions. That is the moment to enter into our community of faith. Not to retreat.
And to rip off from my Advent post, it is always helpful to remind ourselves that God’s ways are not our ways. We expect and anticipate things to go according to our plans and yet very rarely are our plans perfect and best for everyone else. How do we allow ourselves to see God at work in the world even when that work is not what we were hoping for?
Micah Krey 
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