Gospel of Matthew. New literal translation from IMBF

Having sent disciples, He Himself (for a time) calms down, does not work miracles, but only teaches in the synagogues. Because if He, remaining in place, continued to heal, they would not turn to the disciples. Therefore, so that they also have an opportunity and time to heal, He Himself leaves.

John does not ask because he does not know Christ. How could he not know the One of whom he testified: is this the Lamb of God? But (asks) in order to convince his disciples that He is the Christ. Inasmuch as they envied Christ, He sends them to Him, so that at the sight of miracles they might be convinced that Christ is greater than John. That is why he takes the form of ignorance, asking: Are you coming that is, expected according to the scriptures and having to come in the flesh? Some, however, say that in a word - coming- John asked about the descent of Christ into hell, for the reason of alleged ignorance about it, and that he seemed to be saying: "Are you the one who should descend to hell, or should we wait for another?" But this is unfounded: because John, the greatest of the prophets, how could he not know about the crucifixion of Christ and the descent into hell, especially when He himself called Him the Lamb, as having been slain for us? John knew that the Lord would descend with his soul into hell, so that there, as Gregory the Theologian says, to save those who would believe in Him if He were incarnate in their days, and asks not as an ignorant, but as one who wants to instruct his disciples about Christ by the action of His miracles. But look what Christ says to this question.

And Jesus answering, he said to them, Go tell John, you hear and see: the blind see, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead rise and the poor preach the gospel. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.

He did not say: "Tell John: I am the one who is to come," not knowing that John sent the disciples in order to see miracles, he says: "If you see, proclaim to John, and he, taking advantage of this opportunity, will certainly give you a still greater testimony of Me. "Under the gospel beggars understand either those who then preached the Gospel, that is, the apostles, who, like fishermen, were really poor and despised for their simplicity, or those poor who listened to the Gospel, desiring to receive information about eternal blessings and, being poor in good deeds, were enriched by the faith and grace of the gospel gospel. And to show the disciples of John that their thoughts about Him are not hidden from Him, - blessed, He speaks, who will not be offended by me for they doubted Him greatly.

When the disciples of John left, Jesus began to speak to the people, so that, having heard John’s question, they would not be tempted and begin to say: does John himself doubt Christ, and thus has he not already changed his mind, although he had previously testified about Him. Therefore, removing such suspicion from their hearts, Christ says: "John is not cane, that is, he does not waver in his thoughts, - like a reed swayed by a small wind: because if he was like that, then why did you go out to him in the desert? of course you wouldn't go to the cane, that is, a man who easily changes his thoughts and words, but they went to him as a great and firm man. Such is he now, as you revered him and saw him."

So that they could not say that John, indulging in luxury, later became weak, he says to them: “No, his hairy clothes show that he is an enemy of luxury. If he wore soft clothes and wanted to lead a luxurious life, then he would go to the king's chambers, and would not be locked up in prison." Understand from this that a true Christian should not wear soft clothes, nor seek out many kinds of food, except in cases of bodily illness.

John is more than a prophet because other prophets only foretold about Christ, and this one was also a witness of Him, which is very important. Moreover, others prophesied after their birth, but this one knew Christ and leapt while he was still in his mother's womb.

Named an angel both by angelic and, as it were, incorporeal life, and because he announced Christ (the word - angel means - messenger). He prepared the way for Christ both by bearing witness to Him and by baptism into repentance: for repentance is followed by the remission of sins, and this remission is given by Christ. Christ says this after the departure of John's disciples, lest they think that He is flattering John. The prophecy given here belongs to Malachi (Mal. 3:1).

Announces with a special statement - Amen that there is no one greater than John; and in a word - wives- excludes Himself: because Christ Himself was the son of the Virgin, and not of the wife who entered, that is, married.

Inasmuch as he expressed many praises about John, in order not to consider John great and Him, he speaks here with particular clarity about himself: and heavenly blessings. Here I am less than him, both because he was born before Me, and because he is considered great among you: but there I am greater than him.

Apparently this has nothing to do with the previous one; but in fact it is not. Note: after having said about Himself that He is greater than John, Christ excites His hearers to faith in Himself, showing that many are already rapturing the kingdom of heaven, that is, faith in Him. For this, he says, a great effort is required: indeed, what labor is it worth to leave your father and mother and neglect your soul!

And here the same sequence in speech. "I am," he says. The words are: And if you want to accept, that is Elijah- means this: "if you want to judge sensibly, without envy, then this is the one whom the prophet Malachi called the coming Elijah." Both the forerunner and Elijah have the same ministry: John was the forerunner of the first coming, and Elijah will be the forerunner of the future. Then, in order to show that He here in passing calls John Elijah, and that reflection is needed to understand this, He says:

Thus excites them to ask Him and know. But they, like fools, did not want to know. - That's why he says:

This parable points to the rudeness and waywardness of the Jews: they, as wayward people, did not like either the strictness of John's life or the simplicity of Christ, but they were like stupid and wayward children, whom you can never please, even cry to them, even play the flute. However, listen to another explanation: The Jews once had the following children's game in their custom: children gathered in a multitude in the square, were divided into two parts, and one part of them, as if in reproach to the real life, seemed to be crying, the other, on the contrary, played the flute. Meanwhile, merchants, going about their trading affairs, did not pay attention to either one or the other. As a reproach to the Jews, the Lord says that they, acting like this, did not imitate John when he preached repentance, did not believe in Christ, whose life seemed as if joyful: but they did not pay attention to both, did not cry with the weeping John, nor did they sympathize with the wicked Christ.

The life of John likens to lamentation, because John showed great severity both in words and in actions; and the life of Christ is likened to a flute, since the Lord was very friendly to everyone, indulgent, but he would gain everyone; preached the gospel of the kingdom without showing the severity that John displayed. John's food was coarse and not found everywhere: he did not eat bread, he did not drink wine; on the contrary, Christ had ordinary food. He ate bread and drank wine. Thus their life was opposite to one another. However, the Jews did not like either one or the other; about John, who did not eat or drink, they said: he has a demon, and Christ, who ate and drank, was called a man who loves to eat and drink. The Evangelist did not write down all their slanders, considering these words to be sufficient to rebuke them.

Parable: how two catchers, wishing to catch an indestructible beast, stand on two opposite sides, and do one thing; so God arranged here. John led a strict life, but Christ a freer one, so that the Jews would believe in either one or the other, and thus were caught, if not by one, then by the other. For although their way of life was opposite, it was one thing. However, the Jews, like wild beasts, fled from both and hated both. Let us ask them: if, in your opinion, a strict life is good, then why did you not follow and did not believe John, who pointed you to Christ? If a simple life is good, then why did you not believe Christ, who showed you the way of salvation?

Question: But why did John lead a particularly strict life?

Answer: the preacher of repentance should have imagined the image of mourning and weeping, and the Giver of forgiveness of sins should have been cheerful and joyful. Moreover, John showed the Jews nothing more than a high life: John, said do not make a single sign(John 10:41), while Christ testified of Himself only to the omnipotence of God by worthy miracles. Also: Christ showed mercy to human infirmities, in order to win the Jews by this too. Wherefore He participated also in the meals of publicans, and said to those who reproached Him, He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. However, Christ did not leave a strict life; because he lived in the wilderness with the beasts and fasted for forty days, as was said before, and even participating in the very meals. He ate and drank reverently, temperately, befitting saints.

“When, he says, neither John’s nor My life pleases you, and you reject all the ways of salvation; then I, the wisdom of God, turn out to be right, not before the Pharisees, but before your children, and you will no longer have justification, but you will certainly be condemned: for I, for my part, have fulfilled everything, but you, by your unbelief, prove that I am right, as having omitted nothing.

Having shown that He did everything that needed to be done, and yet they remained impenitent, he begins to reproach them as rebellious.

So that you know that those who did not believe were evil not by nature and not by locality, but by their own will, the Lord mentions Bethsaida, from which were Andrew, Peter, Philip and the sons of Zebedee. For this clearly showed that the wickedness of the Jews did not depend on nature, nor on the locality, but on freedom. Otherwise, if malice depended on nature or locality, then they would also be evil. Bethsaida and Chorazin were Jewish cities, while Tire and Sidon were Greek cities. Therefore, the Lord, as it were, said: "It will be more joyful for the Greeks in judgment than for you Jews, who saw miracles and did not believe."

The Lord calls the Jews worse than the Tyrians and Sidonians; because the Tyrians transgressed only the natural law, but the Jews both the natural law and that of Moses; those saw no miracles, but these saw and only blasphemed them. Sackcloth is a sign of repentance; they pour ashes and dust on their heads, as we see, those who mourn.

And you, Capernaum, who ascended to heaven, descended to hell: for if in Sodomech the strength was former in you, then they remained until this day. Both I say to you, as the land of Sodom will be more joyful on the day of judgment than you.

Capernaum was exalted because it was the city of Jesus, for it was famous as His fatherland; but this, because of unbelief, did him no good. On the contrary, he is condemned to hell, because, having such a Resident in himself, he did not want to receive any benefit from Him. Word Capernaum signifies a place of consolation; therefore, note for caution that if someone is worthy to be the receptacle of the Comforter of the Holy Spirit, and then becomes proud and exalted to heaven, he will finally fall to the hell of the underworld for his arrogance. And so be afraid, man, and humble yourself in trembling!

Instead, it is said - I thank You, Father, that the Jews, who acknowledge themselves to be smart and knowledgeable in the Scriptures, did not believe, but babies, that is, ignorant ones, learned great mysteries. God hid great mysteries from those who professed to be smart, not because he did not want to give them to them, and was the cause of their ignorance, but because they became unworthy, because they considered themselves smart. For whoever considers himself clever and relies on his own reason no longer prays to God. And when someone does not pray to God, He does not help him and does not reveal mysteries to him. Moreover, still. God does not reveal his secrets to many, especially out of love for mankind, so that they would not be subjected to a greater punishment for neglecting what they learned.

Calls everyone in general, not only Jews, but also Gentiles. Under working people it is necessary to understand the Jews as passing through a difficult legal obedience and laboring in the fulfillment of the commandments of the law, and under burdened- pagans who were burdened with the weight of sins. All these Christ calls to rest; for what is the labor of believing, confessing, and being baptized? And how not to calm down when here you are carefree about the sins committed before baptism, and there you will receive eternal rest?

The yoke of Christ is humility and meekness; therefore, he who humbles himself before every person has peace, always remaining without embarrassment, while the vain and proud are in constant anxiety, fearing to lose something, and striving to become more famous, as it were, to defeat enemies. This yoke of Christ, that is, humility, is easy; because it is more convenient for our lowly nature to be humbled rather than exalted. However, all the commandments of Christ are also called the yoke, and all of them are easy because of the future reward, although at the present short time they seem heavy.

Comments on Chapter 11

INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

SYNOPTIC GOSPEL

The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are commonly referred to as synoptic gospels. synoptic comes from two Greek words that mean see together. Therefore, the above-mentioned Gospels received this name because they describe the same events from the life of Jesus. In each of them, however, there are some additions, or something is omitted, but, in general, they are based on the same material, and this material is also located in the same way. Therefore, they can be written in parallel columns and compared with each other.

After that, it becomes quite obvious that they are very close to each other. If, for example, we compare the story of the feeding of five thousand (Matt. 14:12-21; Mark. 6:30-44; Luke 5.17-26), it is the same story told in almost the same words.

Or take, for example, another story about the healing of a paralyzed (Matt. 9:1-8; Mark. 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). These three stories are so similar to each other that even the introductory words, "he said to the paralytic", are in all three stories in the same form in the same place. The correspondences between all three gospels are so close that one has to either conclude that all three took material from the same source, or two based on a third.

FIRST GOSPEL

Studying the matter more carefully, one can imagine that the Gospel of Mark was written first, and the other two - the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke - are based on it.

The Gospel of Mark can be divided into 105 passages, of which 93 occur in Matthew and 81 in Luke. Only four of the 105 passages in Mark are found in neither Matthew nor Luke. There are 661 verses in the Gospel of Mark, 1068 verses in the Gospel of Matthew, and 1149 verses in the Gospel of Luke. At least 606 verses from Mark are given in the Gospel of Matthew, and 320 in the Gospel of Luke. Of the 55 verses of the Gospel of Mark, which not reproduced in Matthew, 31 yet reproduced in Luke; thus, only 24 verses from Mark are not reproduced in either Matthew or Luke.

But not only the meaning of the verses is conveyed: Matthew uses 51%, and Luke uses 53% of the words of the Gospel of Mark. Both Matthew and Luke follow, as a rule, the arrangement of material and events adopted in the Gospel of Mark. Sometimes there are differences in Matthew or Luke from the Gospel of Mark, but they are never both were different from him. One of them always follows the order that Mark follows.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE GOSPEL FROM MARK

In view of the fact that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are much larger than the Gospel of Mark, one might think that the Gospel of Mark is a summary of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But one fact indicates that the Gospel of Mark is the earliest of them all: if I may say so, the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke improve on the Gospel of Mark. Let's take a few examples.

Here are three descriptions of the same event:

Map. 1.34:"And He healed many suffering from various diseases; expelled many demons."

Mat. 8.16:"He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all sick."

Onion. 4.40:"He laying on everyone of them hands, healed

Or take another example:

Map. 3:10: "For many he healed."

Mat. 12:15: "He healed them all."

Onion. 6:19: "...power went out from him and healed them all."

Approximately the same change is noted in the description of Jesus' visit to Nazareth. Compare this description in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark:

Map. 6:5-6: "And he could do no miracle there... and marveled at their unbelief."

Mat. 13:58: "And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief."

The author of the Gospel of Matthew does not have the heart to say that Jesus could not perform miracles, and he changes the phrase. Sometimes the writers of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke omit little allusions from the Gospel of Mark that might somehow belittle the greatness of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke omit three remarks found in the gospel of Mark:

Map. 3.5:"And looking at them with anger, grieving for the hardness of their hearts..."

Map. 3.21:"And when his neighbors heard him, they went to take him, for they said that he had lost his temper."

Map. 10.14:"Jesus was indignant..."

All this clearly shows that the Gospel of Mark was written before the others. It gave a simple, lively, and direct account, and the writers of Matthew and Luke were already beginning to be influenced by dogmatic and theological considerations, and therefore chose their words more carefully.

TEACHINGS OF JESUS

We have already seen that there are 1068 verses in Matthew and 1149 verses in Luke, and that 582 of them are repetitions of verses from the Gospel of Mark. This means that there is much more material in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke than in the Gospel of Mark. A study of this material shows that more than 200 verses from it are almost identical in the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke; For example, passages such as Onion. 6.41.42 and Mat. 7.3.5; Onion. 10.21.22 and Mat. 11.25-27; Onion. 3.7-9 and Mat. 3, 7-10 almost exactly the same. But here is where we see the difference: the material that the writers of Matthew and Luke took from the Gospel of Mark deals almost exclusively with events in the life of Jesus, and these additional 200 verses, common to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, do not concern that Jesus did, but that he spoke. It is quite obvious that in this part the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke drew information from the same source - from the book of sayings of Jesus.

This book no longer exists, but theologians called it KB, What does Quelle mean in German? source. In those days, this book must have been extremely important, because it was the first anthology on the teachings of Jesus.

THE PLACE OF THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW IN THE GOSPEL TRADITION

Here we come to the problem of Matthew the apostle. Theologians agree that the first gospel is not the fruit of Matthew's hands. A person who witnessed the life of Christ would not need to turn to the Gospel of Mark as a source of information about the life of Jesus, as does the author of the Gospel of Matthew. But one of the first church historians named Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, left us the following extremely important news: "Matthew collected the sayings of Jesus in Hebrew."

Thus, we can consider that it was Matthew who wrote the book from which all people should draw as a source if they want to know what Jesus taught. It is because so much of this source book was included in the first gospel that it was given the name Matthew. We should be eternally grateful to Matthew when we remember that we owe him the Sermon on the Mount and almost everything we know about the teachings of Jesus. In other words, we owe our knowledge of the life events Jesus, and Matthew - the knowledge of the essence teachings Jesus.

MATTHEW-COLLECTOR

We know very little about Matthew himself. AT Mat. 9.9 we read about his calling. We know that he was a publican - a tax collector - and therefore everyone must have hated him terribly, because the Jews hated their fellow tribesmen who served the conquerors. Matthew must have been a traitor in their eyes.

But Matthew had one gift. Most of Jesus' disciples were fishermen and had no talent for putting words on paper, and Matthew must have been an expert in this business. When Jesus called Matthew, who was sitting at the tax office, he got up and, leaving everything but his pen, followed Him. Matthew used his literary talent nobly and became the first person to describe the teachings of Jesus.

GOSPEL OF THE JEWS

Let us now look at the main features of the Gospel of Matthew, in order to pay attention to this when reading it.

First and foremost, the Gospel of Matthew it is a gospel written for the Jews. It was written by a Jew to convert the Jews.

One of the main purposes of the Gospel of Matthew was to show that in Jesus all Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled and therefore He must be the Messiah. One phrase, a recurring theme, runs through the entire book: "It came to pass that God spoke through a prophet." This phrase is repeated in the Gospel of Matthew at least 16 times. Birth of Jesus and His Name - Fulfillment of Prophecy (1, 21-23); as well as the flight to Egypt (2,14.15); massacre of the innocents (2,16-18); Settlement of Joseph in Nazareth and education of Jesus there (2,23); the very fact that Jesus spoke in parables (13,34.35); triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21,3-5); betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (27,9); and casting lots for the garments of Jesus as He hung on the Cross (27,35). The author of the Gospel of Matthew set as his main goal to show that the Old Testament prophecies were embodied in Jesus, that every detail of the life of Jesus was foretold by the prophets, and, thereby, to convince the Jews and force them to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

The interest of the author of the Gospel of Matthew is directed primarily to the Jews. Their conversion is nearer and dearer to his heart. To a Canaanite woman who turned to Him for help, Jesus first replied: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (15,24). Sending the twelve apostles to proclaim the good news, Jesus said to them: "Do not go to the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (10, 5.6). But one must not think that this gospel excludes the Gentiles in every possible way. Many will come from the east and the west and lie down with Abraham in the Kingdom of Heaven (8,11). "And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world" (24,14). And it is in the Gospel of Matthew that the Church is given the order to go on a campaign: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations." (28,19). It is, of course, obvious that the author of the Gospel of Matthew is primarily interested in the Jews, but he foresees the day when all the nations will gather.

The Jewish origin and Jewish focus of the Gospel of Matthew is also evident in its relationship to the law. Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Even the smallest part of the law will not pass. Don't teach people to break the law. The righteousness of the Christian must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (5, 17-20). The Gospel of Matthew was written by a man who knew and loved the law, and who saw that it has a place in Christian teaching. In addition, it should be noted the obvious paradox in relation to the author of the Gospel of Matthew to the scribes and Pharisees. He recognizes special powers for them: "The scribes and Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses; therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do" (23,2.3). But in no other gospel are they condemned so strictly and consistently as in Matthew.

Already at the very beginning we see the merciless exposure of the Sadducees and Pharisees by John the Baptist, who called them the offspring of vipers. (3, 7-12). They complain that Jesus eats and drinks with publicans and sinners (9,11); they claimed that Jesus cast out demons not by God's power, but by the power of the prince of demons (12,24). They plot to destroy him (12,14); Jesus warns the disciples not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16,12); they are like plants that will be uprooted (15,13); they can't see the signs of the times (16,3); they are the killers of the prophets (21,41). In the whole New Testament there is no other chapter like Mat. 23, which condemns not what the scribes and Pharisees teach, but their behavior and way of life. The author condemns them because they do not at all correspond to the doctrine that they preach, and do not at all achieve the ideal established by them and for them.

The author of the Gospel of Matthew is also very interested in the Church. Of all the synoptic gospels, the word Church found only in the Gospel of Matthew. Only in the Gospel of Matthew is there a passage about the Church after Peter's confession in Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13-23; cf. Mark 8:27-33; Luke 9:18-22). Only Matthew says that disputes should be decided by the Church (18,17). By the time the Gospel of Matthew was written, the Church had become a large organization and indeed a major factor in the lives of Christians.

In the Gospel of Matthew, an interest in the apocalyptic was especially reflected; in other words, to what Jesus said about His Second Coming, about the end of the world and the Day of Judgment. AT Mat. 24 a far fuller account of the apocalyptic discourses of Jesus is given than in any other gospel. Only in the Gospel of Matthew is there a parable about the talents (25,14-30); about the wise and foolish virgins (25, 1-13); about sheep and goats (25,31-46). Matthew had a special interest in the end times and the Day of Judgment.

But this is not the most important feature of the Gospel of Matthew. This is a highly inclusive gospel.

We have already seen that it was the Apostle Matthew who gathered the first assembly and compiled an anthology of Jesus' teachings. Matthew was a great systematizer. He collected in one place everything he knew about the teachings of Jesus on this or that issue, and therefore we find in the Gospel of Matthew five large complexes in which the teachings of Christ are collected and systematized. All these five complexes are connected with the Kingdom of God. Here they are:

a) The Sermon on the Mount or the Law of the Kingdom (5-7)

b) Duty of Kingdom Leaders (10)

c) Parables of the Kingdom (13)

d) Majesty and Forgiveness In the Kingdom (18)

e) The Coming of the King (24,25)

But Matthew not only collected and systematized. It must be remembered that he wrote in an era when there was no printing yet, when books were few and rare, because they had to be copied by hand. At such a time, relatively few people had books, and therefore, if they wanted to know and use the story of Jesus, they had to memorize it.

Therefore, Matthew always arranges the material in such a way that it is easy for the reader to remember it. He arranges the material in triplets and sevens: three messages of Joseph, three denials of Peter, three questions of Pontius Pilate, seven parables about the Kingdom in chapter 13, seven times "woe to you" to the Pharisees and scribes in chapter 23.

A good example of this is the genealogy of Jesus, which opens the gospel. The purpose of the genealogy is to prove that Jesus is the son of David. There are no numbers in Hebrew, they are symbolized by letters; moreover, in Hebrew there are no signs (letters) for vowel sounds. David in Hebrew will be respectively DVD; if these are taken as numbers and not as letters, they add up to 14, and the genealogy of Jesus consists of three groups of names, each with fourteen names. Matthew goes to great lengths to arrange the teaching of Jesus in such a way that people can absorb and remember it.

Every teacher should be grateful to Matthew, because what he wrote is, first of all, the gospel for teaching people.

The Gospel of Matthew has another feature: dominant in it is the thought of Jesus the King. The author writes this gospel to show the royalty and royal lineage of Jesus.

The bloodline must prove from the very beginning that Jesus is the son of King David (1,1-17). This title Son of David is used in the Gospel of Matthew more than in any other Gospel. (15,22; 21,9.15). Magi came to see the King of the Jews (2,2); Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a deliberately dramatized statement by Jesus of His rights as King (21,1-11). Before Pontius Pilate, Jesus consciously assumes the title of king (27,11). Even on the Cross above His head stands, albeit mockingly, the royal title (27,37). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus quotes the law and then refutes it with royal words: "But I tell you..." (5,22. 28.34.39.44). Jesus declares: "All authority has been given to me" (28,18).

In the Gospel of Matthew we see Jesus the Man, born to be King. Jesus walks through its pages, as if dressed in royal purple and gold.

SIX INTONATIONS IN THE VOICE OF JESUS

Chapter 11 of Matthew is the continuous discourse of Jesus. As He speaks to people about various matters, we hear the tone of His voice change. It is important to consider separately the various accents in the voice of Jesus Christ.

CONFIDENTIAL TONE (Matt. 11:1-6)

The activities of John the Baptist ended tragically. John was not used to embellishing the truth, no matter who it was, and he could not calmly look at vice. He spoke fearlessly and very clear, and that robbed him of his security. Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, once visited his brother in Rome and during this visit seduced his wife. Returning home, he abandoned his first wife and married his daughter-in-law; John publicly condemned Herod severely. It was generally unsafe to condemn the eastern despot and Herod took revenge on him: John was thrown into the dungeons of the fortress of Macheron in the mountains near the Dead Sea. For many it would be terrible, but for John the Baptist it was doubly terrible. He was a child of the desert, he lived all his life in a wide expanse, his face was blown by a fresh wind and a high firmament served as his roof. And now he was enclosed in four narrow walls of an underground chamber. For a man like John, who may have never lived in a house at all, it must have been both physical and mental torture. In such a position was John then, and therefore one should not be surprised, much less criticized him for the fact that the question arose in his mind; because he used to be so sure that Jesus was the One that was to come. These were typical signs of the Messiah whom the Jews were so passionately waiting for. (Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; Heb. 10:37; Ps. 117:26). A dying person should not have doubts, he should be sure, and therefore John sent his disciples to Jesus with the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?" There may be many different things behind this question.

1. Some believe that this question was asked not so much for the sake of John himself, how much for the sake of his students. It is possible that when John spoke to his disciples in prison, they asked him if Jesus was really the One who was to come, and John answered this: “If you have any doubts, go and see what Jesus is doing, and your doubts will end." If so, then the answer was correct. When someone starts arguing with us about Jesus and questioning His omnipotence, the best thing to do is not to make a lot of arguments, but to say, "Give Him your life and see what He can make of it." The highest arguments in favor of Christ will not be intellectual reasoning, but to experience His changing power.

2. Maybe John's question was explained looking forward. John himself proclaimed the coming of the Day of Judgment and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 3:7-12). Already the ax (axe) lies at the root of the tree; the process of winnowing and sifting has already begun; the fire of divine purification was lit. Perhaps John was thinking, "When is Jesus going to begin to act? When will He begin to destroy His enemies? When will God's day of sacred destruction come?" It is possible that John was impatient with Jesus because he had a completely different expectation of Him. The man who expects wild wrath will always be disappointed in Jesus, and the man who seeks love will never be disappointed in his hopes.

3. Some thought that this question was indicative of an faith and hope John. He saw Jesus at the baptism. He thought more and more about Him in prison, and the more he thought, the more he became convinced that Jesus was the One who was to come. Now he has put all his hopes into this one question for testing. Maybe this is not a question of a desperate and impatient person at all, but a question of a person in whose eyes hope shone, and he only asked to confirm this hope.

In Jesus' answer, John hears trusting tone. Jesus answered John's disciples thus: "Go back and tell John what you hear and see; tell me what I'm doing. Don't tell him what I claim tell him what's going on." Jesus demanded that the most serious test of all, the test of works, be applied to Him. Of all people, only Jesus could demand without reservation that He be judged not by words, but by deeds. Jesus' demand remains the same today. He doesn't say so much, "Listen to what I have to say to you," but, "Look what I can do for you; look what I have done for others."

Jesus still does today what He did in Galilee. In him the eyes of those who have been blind to the truth about themselves, about their fellow men, and about God are opened; in Him they gain strength to stay on the right path; in him are cleansed those who were unclean from the sickness of sin; those who were deaf to the voice of conscience and God begin to hear in Him; in Him those who were dead and powerless in sin are resurrected to a new and beautiful life; in him the poorest will inherit the love of God.

At the very end comes the warning: "Blessed is he who is not offended in Me." This was addressed to John; and it was said because John only made clear part of the truth. John preached the message of divine holiness and divine punishment; Jesus preached the gospel of divine holiness and divine love. And so Jesus says to John: "Maybe I'm not doing what you expected from Me. But the forces of evil are defeated not by irresistible strength, but by selfless love." Sometimes a person is tempted about Him because Jesus contradicts his presentation.

EXCITED TONE (Matt. 11:7-11)

Few people were spoken of by Jesus as reverently as John the Baptist. He begins by asking the people what they wanted to see in the wilderness when they flocked to John in droves.

1. Did they go to look at the reed [at Barclay: reed] shaken by the wind? This could mean two things.

a) Reeds grew along the banks of the Jordan River and the expression swinging(under the wind) cane was a typical saying, with the meaning the most typical kind. Maybe the people went to look at something as ordinary as the reeds on the banks of the Jordan?

b) swinging reed can also mean weak, wavering a man who also cannot withstand the gusts of danger, just as the reeds on the bank of the river cannot stand upright when the wind blows. Whatever drove people in droves into the desert, they certainly did not go there to look at an ordinary person. The very fact that they went there in droves shows how unusual John was, for no one would even cross the street, let alone cross the path into the desert to look at an ordinary person. Whoever they looked at, they clearly did not go to look at a weak and hesitant person.

A compliant, accommodating person does not end his life in prison as a martyr for the truth. John was not a swaying reed that sways back and forth with every gust of wind.

2. Maybe they went there to see a man dressed in soft and luxurious clothes? People in such clothes were at the court of the king. John was not a courtier. He did not know the court manners and the flattery of kings; he testified fearlessly, spoke the truth to kings. John was a messenger of God, not a courtier of Herod.

3. Maybe they went to see the prophet? Prophet - precursor the truth of God; A prophet is a person who is trusted by God. "For the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). A prophet is a person with a message from God who has the courage to deliver the message. A prophet is a person with God's wisdom, truth, and courage in his heart. This is exactly what John was like.

4. But John was more than a prophet. The Jews believed, and still believe today, that before the coming of the Messiah, the prophet Elijah would return to proclaim His coming. And to this day, celebrating Passover, the Jews leave an empty seat at the table for Elijah. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Mal. 4:5). Jesus declared that John is the very messenger of God who has the duty and the privilege of proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. There can be no greater task for man.

5. So highly did Jesus value John, and so enthusiastically did He speak of him, that "out of those born of women there arose no greater than John the Baptist." And then comes the amazing word: "But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than him." This is a universal truth: with Jesus something completely new came into the world. The prophets were great people; their messages were precious, and with Jesus came something even greater and more beautiful news. K.J. Montefiore, himself a Jew, but not a Christian, writes: "Christianity represents a new era in religious history and in human civilization. What the world owes to Jesus and Paul is immeasurable. The greatness of these two men changed the thinking and events of the world." Even a non-Christian himself, without any pressure, agrees that after Christ came, everything in the world has changed compared to what it was before Christ.

But what did John lack? What could not John have that every Christian has? The answer is simple and solid: John never saw the Crucifixion. And therefore, John could never know one thing - the full revelation of the love of God. He could know the holiness of God, he could explain the justice of God and His judgment, but he could never know the love of God in all its fullness. One has only to listen to the message of John and the message of Jesus. No one could name the John's message good news; in essence, it was a threat of death and annihilation. Jesus and His death on the cross were needed to show people the depth, breadth, and immensity of God's love. It is amazing that the humblest Christian can know more about God than the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Only in the Calvary death of Christ, God is fully revealed to people. Indeed, the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than all the people who lived before.

Thus, John the Baptist had a share that sometimes falls to people: he had to show people a greatness into which he himself did not enter.

Some people are destined to be God's pointers. They point the way to a new ideal, to a new greatness, into which others will enter, but they themselves did not live to see its realization. It is very rare that a great reformer is the first to set to work on a new reform, with which his name is later associated. Many of those who went ahead of him saw this glory only in the future, worked for it, and sometimes died for it.

Someone told how, from the window of his house, every evening he saw a man walking along the street, who lit lanterns, and the man himself was blind. The light he kindled for others he himself had never seen. Let no one be disappointed, either in the Church or in other areas of life, if what he aspired to and what he worked for has not finished by the end of his day. God needed John the Baptist; God needs His signposts that can show people the way, even if they themselves here can never reach that goal.

HEAVENLY AND EFFORT (Matt. 11:12-15)

AT 11,12 one very difficult phrase: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force." Luke uses this phrase in a different form. (Luke 16:16):"The law and the prophets until John; since that time the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone enters into it by force." It is clear that Jesus was saying something where there were related violence and kingdom; the phrase must have been so complex, difficult, and obscure that no one could fully understand it at the time. Luke says that everyone, that is, everyone who wishes by his own effort, enters the Kingdom, that the current does not carry anyone into the Kingdom of Heaven, that the gates to the Kingdom open only for those who make the same great efforts as when achieving a lofty goal.

Matthew says that from the time of John until now the kingdom of God is taken by force and the strong take it by force. The very form of this expression shows that it refers to a rather distant past. It is more like a commentary by Matthew than a statement by Jesus. Matthew seems to be saying: "From the time of John, who was thrown into prison, until our own time, the Kingdom of God has suffered from violence and persecution at the hands of furious people."

Perhaps we will get to the correct understanding of this difficult phrase if we combine the meaning of Matthew and the meaning of Luke. What Jesus actually said could well have looked like this: “My Kingdom will always suffer from violence; there will always be wild people trying to destroy it, and therefore, only a truly serious person, in whom the violence of devotion is equal to the violence of persecution, will see the Kingdom of God. ". Initially, this statement of Jesus was both a warning about the coming violence and a call to show devotion, which is stronger than this violence.

It's strange to see in 11,13 words that the law prophesies, predicts; but it was confidently declared in the law itself that the voice of prophecy would not die. "A prophet from among you, from among your brothers, like me, the Lord your God will raise up for you." "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will put my words in his mouth" (Deut. 18:15-18). As we have seen, the Orthodox Jews hated Jesus, but if they had eyes to see it, they would see that the prophets were pointing to Him.

And once again Jesus tells the people that John is the messenger and forerunner who was to come, whom they had been waiting for so long - if they are willing to accept this fact. And in this last phrase lies the whole tragedy of the human situation. As the old saying goes, you can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. God may send His messenger, but people may refuse to receive him. God can manifest His truth, but people can refuse to see it. God's revelation is powerless for those people who are unwilling to answer it. That is why Jesus ends with the call: He who has ears, let him hear!

SAD-REPLEASANT TONE (Matt. 11:16-19)

Jesus was saddened by the perversity of human nature. The people seemed to Him like children playing in the village square.

When John the Baptist came and lived in the desert, fasting and despising food, they said about him: "He is crazy if he deprives himself of human society and human joys." Then, when Jesus came and talked with all kinds of people, sympathized with their sorrows, and was with them in their hours of joy, they said about Him: "He is constantly in public and loves to go to dinner parties. He is a friend of strangers, with whom none of the decent people don't want to have anything in common." They called the asceticism of John madness, and the sociability of Jesus - licentiousness. They were picking on both.

The point is that when people do not want to hear the truth, they will always find an excuse for not listening to it. They don't even try to be consistent in their criticism. When people have no desire to respond, they will not respond to whatever offer is made to them. Adult men and women can be very much like spoiled children who refuse to play no matter what game they are offered.

And now the final word of Jesus in this passage: "And wisdom is justified by her children." The final verdict is passed not by quarrelsome and stubborn critics, but by deeds. The Jews might have criticized John for being a hermit, but John turned the hearts of the people to God in a way no one had done for centuries. The Jews might criticize Jesus for being too close to the common people, but the people found in Him new life, new virtue, and new strength to live the way they were supposed to live, as well as new access to God.

It would be good if we stop judging people and the church by our ideas and our waywardness, and begin to give thanks for any person and any church that can bring people closer to God, although their methods are different from ours.

WITH A BROKEN HEART TO SPEAK A CONDEMNATION (Matt. 11:20-24)

At the end of his gospel, John wrote a sentence that shows that it was generally impossible to write a complete account of the life of Jesus: "Jesus did many other things; but if they were written about in detail, then I think that the world itself could not contain the books that were written" (John 21:25). This passage from the Gospel of Matthew is proof of that. Chorazin is, apparently, a city located an hour's journey north of Capernaum; Bethsaida is a fishing village on the western bank of the Jordan, at its confluence from the northern side of Lake Tiberias. It is quite obvious that absolutely amazing things happened in these cities, and we know absolutely nothing about them. There is no information in the Gospels about what Jesus did in these cities and what miracles He performed there, and yet they were supposed to relate to His greatest deeds. This passage shows us how little we know about Jesus. He shows us that in the Gospels we have the most concise summary of the collections of the acts of Jesus. What we do not know about Jesus far outnumbers what we know.

It is important to catch the tone of Jesus in His voice when He spoke this. The Bible says: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" The Greek text uses the word omam, translated as grief[in Barkley: alas] which conveys at least as much bitter regret, how much and anger. This is not the tone of a man who is annoyed that his self-esteem is hurt; this is not the tone of a man who seethes with anger because of an insult caused to him. These words sound the pain and sadness of a man who sacrificed everything dear for the sake of people, and saw that no attention was paid to this. The condemnation of sin is the sacred wrath of Jesus, which comes not from offended pride, but from a broken heart.

So what are the sins of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, which were worse than the sins of Tire and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah? These must be very serious sins, because the names of these cities are repeatedly called for their depravity. (Is. 23; Jer. 25:22; 47:4; Ezek. 26:3-7; 28:12-22), and Sodom and Gomorrah were, and are, a warning example of the consequences of iniquity.

1. This is the sin of a people who have forgotten that to have a privilege means to have a responsibility. The cities of Galilee were granted a privilege that neither Tire, Sidon, nor Sodom and Gomorrah ever received, because the cities of Galilee saw and heard Jesus with their own eyes. One cannot condemn a man who has never had the opportunity to know something better; but if a person who has had the opportunity to know what is right and good, but does wrong or not good, he will be condemned. We do not judge a child for what we judge an adult for. We will not expect that a person who grew up in difficult conditions will live the same way as a person who grew up in a good house with all conveniences and sufficiencies. The more privileges we have been given, the more condemnation we will be subjected to if we do not take on the responsibilities and obligations associated with these privileges.

2. It was the sin of indifference. These cities didn't attack Jesus Christ, they didn't drive Him out of their gates, they didn't try to crucify Him - they just ignored Him. Neglect can kill just as much as persecution. A person writes a book and sends it for review; some reviewers praise her, others condemn and stigmatize - and it is only important that they pay attention to her. But the book will be completely killed if it is not noticed at all either by praise or blame.

One artist painted Christ standing on one of London's famous bridges. He stretches out His hands in call to the crowds, and they pass by without even turning around; only one nurse girl answers Him. Here is the current situation in so many developed countries: there is no hostility towards Christianity, no desire to destroy it, but pure indifference. Christ is relegated to those who are of no importance. Indifference is also a sin and the most difficult, because it kills.

It doesn't burn religion to death, it freezes it to death. It does not decapitate her, it slowly extinguishes the life in her.

3. And here we are face to face with one terrible truth: doing nothing is also a sin. There are sins of actions, but there is also a sin of inaction and lack of deeds and deeds. The sin of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum is that they did nothing. Many people defend themselves by saying, "But I never did anything." Such a defense can actually be a condemnation.

AUTHENTIC TONE (Mt 11:25-27)

Here Jesus is speaking from his own experience that the rabbis and sages rejected him, but the common people accepted him. The intellectuals despised Him, but the common people welcomed Him. We must look carefully at what Jesus means here. He is far from condemning the power of the mind, but He condemns intellectual pride. As one commentator said, "In the heart, not in the head, is the house of the gospel." But it is not his mind that isolates a person, but pride; admits not stupidity, but modesty and humility. A person may be wise, like King Solomon, but if he lacks simplicity, Trust, the innocence of a child's heart, he isolates himself.

The rabbis themselves saw the danger of such intellectual pride; they understood that common people often stand closer to God than wise rabbis. They had such a story. One day, Rabbi Berokakh of Khuza was in the market in Lapet, and Elijah appeared to him. The rabbi asked, "Are any of those who are in this market place worthy of life in the world to come?" First Elijah said there was no one. Then he pointed to one person and said that he was worthy of life in the world to come. Rabbi Berokakh approached the man and asked what he was doing. “I am a jailer,” he replied, “and I keep men and women separately. At night I put my bed between men and women so that it does not get bad.” Then Elijah pointed to the other two and said that they too would be worthy of life in the world to come. Berokah asked them what they were doing. "We are funny," they said, "when we see a person in a depressed state, we try to cheer him up. And when we see two quarreling people, we try to reconcile them." People who did simple things - the jailer who did his duty right, and those who caused a smile and established peace, will enter the Kingdom.

This passage ends with the greatest statement that Jesus ever made, a statement that is at the core of the Christian faith - that He alone can reveal God to men. Other people can be sons of God, He - Son. John put it differently when he gives us the words of Jesus: "he who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Jesus says this: "If you want to see what God is like, if you want to see the mind of God, the heart of God, if you want to see God's attitude towards people in general - look at Me!" Christians are convinced that it is only in Jesus Christ that we see what God is like, and Christians are also convinced that Jesus can give this knowledge to anyone who is humble enough and trusting enough to accept it.

COMPASSIONABLE TONE AND CALL OF THE SAVIOR (Matt. 11:28-30)

Jesus was speaking to people who were desperately trying to find God and desperately trying to be virtuous but found it impossible and now tired and desperate.

Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor." He calls upon those who are weary and tormented by the search for truth. The Greeks said: "It is very difficult to find God, and once you have found Him, it is impossible to tell others about Him." Zophar asked Job, "Can you find God by searching?" (Job 11:7). Jesus claims that in Him this tedious search for God is over. The great Irish mystic poet W. Eats wrote: "Can anyone reach God by labor? He opens himself to a pure heart. He requires only our attention." God cannot be found on the path of mental searching, but only by turning our full attention to Jesus, because in Him we see what God is like.

He says, "Come to Me, burdened ones." For the Orthodox Jew, religion was a burden. Jesus spoke of the scribes and Pharisees: "They bind heavy and unbearable burdens and lay them on the shoulders of people" (Matt. 23:4). For the Jew, religion was a matter of innumerable rules. Man lived in a forest of prescriptions that regulated every act in his life. He had to listen forever to the voice that said, "You mustn't."

Even the rabbis saw it. There is a kind of sad parable put into the mouth of the Torah, which shows how obligatory, restrictive, difficult and impossible the requirements of the law can be. "A poor widow lived next door to me, who had two daughters and a field. When she began to plow, Moses (that is, the law of Moses) said:" You must not plow with an ox and a donkey in the same harness. "When she began to sow, he said: “You must not sow the field with mixed seeds.” When she began to reap and dig the grain, he said: “When you reap in your field, and you forget the sheaf in the field, then do not return to take it” (Deut. 24:19) and "do not wait until the end of your field" (Lev. 19:9). She began to thresh, and he said: "Bring me a sacrifice, and the first and second tithe." She followed orders and gave them all to him. What did the poor woman do next? She sold her field and bought two sheep to make herself clothes from wool and benefit from their young. When they (the sheep) gave birth to their young, Aaron (that is, the demands of the priests) came and said, "Give me the firstborn." She agreed to this and gave them to him. When the time came for shearing the sheep, and she sheared them, Aaron came and said, "Give me the firstfruits of the wool of your sheep." (Deut. 18:4). Then she thought: "I can't stand against this man, I'll slaughter the sheep and eat them." Then Aaron came and said, "Give me the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach." (Deut. 18:3). Then she said: "Even when I slaughtered them: I cannot escape from you. Here, I conjure them." Then Aaron said, "Then they belong entirely to me." (Numbers 18:14). He took them and went, leaving her weeping with her two daughters." This story is a parable about the constant demands of the law on people in all their actions in all areas of life. And these demands were indeed a burden.

Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us. The Jews used the word yoke in meaning fall into obedience. They talked about yoke law, about yoke commandments, yoke kingdoms, about yoke God's. But it may well be that Jesus relied on something more specific in the words of His invitation.

He says: "My yoke good"[in Barkley: easy, simple]. Good (chrestos) - may matter well suited. In Palestine, the yoke for oxen was made of wood. They brought an ox and took measurements; during the manufacture of the yoke, an ox was brought again and tried on. After that, the yoke was carefully adjusted so that it fit well and did not rub the neck of the patient animal. The yoke was made to order individually for a particular ox. There is a legend that Jesus made the best ox yokes in all of Galilee, and that people from all over came to him to buy the finest and most skillfully made yokes. In those days, as today, there were appropriate "brand" signs over the doors of artisans, and it was suggested that the inscription "Unrubable yokes" could well hang over the door of a carpentry workshop in Nazareth. It is possible that Jesus used here a picture of a carpentry shop in Nazareth, where He worked during the quiet years.

Jesus says, "My yoke is easy," and by this He means to say, "The life I give you is not a burden that will rub and bruise your neck; your tasks will be according to your individual abilities and fit you." What God sends to us meets our needs and suits our abilities. Jesus says, "My burden is light." As the rabbis said, "My burden becomes my song." The point is not that the burden is easy to bear, but it is laid on us in love, so that we bear it in love, but love makes even the heaviest burden light. If we remember the love of God, if we remember that our burden is to love God and love people, then the burden becomes a song. There is a story about how a man met a little boy who was carrying on his back an even smaller boy who was paralyzed. "It's too heavy a burden for you," said the man. "It's not a burden," the boy replied, "it's my brother." A burden that is given in love and carried with love is always light.

Commentaries (introduction) to the entire book "From Matthew"

Comments on Chapter 11

In terms of the grandeur of the concept and the power with which the mass of material is subordinated to great ideas, not a single Scripture of the New or Old Testaments, which has a bearing on historical subjects, can be compared with the Gospel of Matthew.

Theodor Zahn

Introduction

I. SPECIAL STATEMENT IN THE CANON

The Gospel of Matthew is an excellent bridge between the Old and New Testaments. From the very first words, we return to the forefather of the Old Testament people of God, Abraham, and to the first great King David of Israel. In its emotionality, strong Jewish flavor, many quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, and position at the head of all the books of NT Ev. Matthew is the logical place from which the Christian message to the world begins its journey.

That Matthew the publican, also called Levi, wrote the first Gospel, is ancient and universal opinion.

Since he was not a permanent member of the apostolic group, it would seem strange if the first gospel were attributed to him, when he had nothing to do with it.

Except for the ancient document known as the Didache ("Teaching of the Twelve Apostles"), Justin Martyr, Dionysius of Corinth, Theophilus of Antioch and Athenagoras the Athenian regard the Gospel as reliable. Eusebius, an ecclesiastical historian, quotes Papias as saying that "Matthew wrote "Logic" in Hebrew, and each one interprets it as best he can." Irenaeus, Pantheinus, and Origen generally agree. in the NT But what is “logic”? revelations God's. In the statement of Papias, it cannot carry such a meaning. There are three main points of view on his statement: (1) it refers to gospel from Matthew as such. That is, Matthew wrote the Aramaic version of his Gospel specifically in order to win the Jews for Christ and instruct Jewish Christians, and only later did the Greek version appear; (2) it applies only to statements Jesus, which were later transferred to his gospel; (3) it refers to "evidence", i.e. quotes from the Old Testament Scriptures to show that Jesus is the Messiah. The first and second opinions are more likely.

The Greek of Matthew does not read as an explicit translation; but such a widespread tradition (in the absence of early controversy) must have a factual basis. Tradition says that Matthew preached in Palestine for fifteen years, and then went to evangelize foreign countries. It is possible that around 45 AD. he left to the Jews, who accepted Jesus as their Messiah, the first draft of his gospel (or simply lectures about Christ) in Aramaic, and later made Greek final version for universal use. So did Joseph, a contemporary of Matthew. This Jewish historian made the first draft of his "Jewish War" in Aramaic , and then finalized the book in Greek.

Internal evidence The first gospel is very suitable for a devout Jew who loved the OT and was a gifted writer and editor. As a civil servant of Rome, Matthew had to be fluent in both languages: his people (Aramaic) and those who were in power. (The Romans used Greek in the East, not Latin.) Details of numbers, parables about money, financial terms, and expressive, correct style all fit in perfectly with his profession as a tax collector. The highly educated, non-conservative scholar perceives Matthew as the author of this gospel in part and under the influence of his convincing internal evidence.

Despite such universal external and corresponding internal evidence, most scholars reject The traditional view is that the publican Matthew wrote this book. They justify this for two reasons.

First: if count, that Ev. Mark was the first written gospel (referred to in many circles today as "gospel truth"), why would the apostle and eyewitness use so much of Mark's material? (93% of Mark's Hebrews are also found in the other Gospels.) In answer to this question, let us first say: do not proven that Ev. from Mark was written first. Ancient evidence says that the first was Ev. from Matthew, and since the first Christians were almost all Jews, this makes a lot of sense. But even if we agree with the so-called "Markovian majority" (and many conservatives do), Matthew could recognize that the work of Mark was largely influenced by the energetic Simon Peter, co-apostle Matthew, as early church traditions claim (see "Introduction "to Ev. from Mark).

The second argument against the book being written by Matthew (or another eyewitness) is the lack of vivid details. Mark, whom no one considers a witness to the ministry of Christ, has colorful details from which it can be assumed that he himself was present at this. How could an eyewitness write so dryly? Probably, the very features of the publican's character explain this very well. In order to give more space to our Lord's discourse, Levi had to give less space to unnecessary details. This would have happened to Mark if he wrote first, and Matthew saw the traits inherent in Peter directly.

III. WRITING TIME

If the widely held belief that Matthew wrote the Aramaic version of the gospel (or at least the sayings of Jesus) beforehand is correct, then the date of writing is 45 CE. e., fifteen years after the ascension, completely coincides with ancient traditions. He probably completed his more complete, canonical Greek Gospel in 50-55, and perhaps even later.

Opinion that the gospel should be written after the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), is based rather on disbelief in Christ's ability to predict future events in detail and other rationalistic theories that ignore or reject inspiration.

IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND THEME

Matthew was a young man when Jesus called him. A Jew by birth and a publican by profession, he left everything in order to follow Christ. One of the many rewards for him was that he became one of the twelve apostles. Another is his election to be the author of the work that we know as the first Gospel. It is usually believed that Matthew and Levi are the same person (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27).

In his gospel, Matthew sets out to show that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, the only legitimate claimant to the throne of David.

The book does not claim to be a complete account of the life of Christ. It begins with His genealogy and childhood, then the narrative moves on to the beginning of His public ministry, when He was about thirty years old. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Matthew selects aspects of the Savior's life and ministry that bear witness to Him as Anointed One God (which means the word "Messiah", or "Christ"). The book takes us to the climax of events: the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus.

And in this culmination, of course, the foundation of man's salvation is laid.

This is why the book is called The Gospel, not so much because it paves the way for sinners to receive salvation, but because it describes the sacrificial ministry of Christ that made that salvation possible.

"Bible Commentaries for Christians" aims not to be exhaustive or technically perfect, but rather to provoke a desire to personally meditate on and study the Word. And most of all, they are aimed at creating in the heart of the reader a strong desire for the return of the King.

"And even I, burning more and more heart,
And even I, cherishing the sweet hope,
I sigh heavily, my Christ,
About the hour when you return,
Losing courage at the sight
Flaming footsteps of Your future ones.

F. W. G. Mayer ("Saint Paul")

Plan

Genealogy and the birth of the Messiah-King (CH. 1)

THE EARLY YEARS OF THE MESSIAH-KING (CH. 2)

PREPARATION FOR THE MESSIAN MINISTRY AND ITS BEGINNING (CH. 3-4)

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE KINGDOM (CH. 5-7)

MIRACLES OF GRACE AND POWER CREATED BY THE MESSIAH AND DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO THEM (8.1 - 9.34)

GROWING OPPOSITION AND REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH (CH. 11-12)

THE KING REJECTED BY ISRAEL DECLARES A NEW, INTERIM FORM OF THE KINGDOM (CH. 13)

MESSIAH'S UNTIREAUING GRACE MEETS INCREASING HOSTILITY (14:1 - 16:12)

THE KING PREPARES HIS DISCIPLES (16:13 - 17:27)

THE KING INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES (CH 18-20)

INTRODUCTION AND REJECTION OF THE KING (CH. 21-23)

SPEECH OF THE KING ON THE MOUNT OF ELEON (CH. 24-25)

SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE KING (CH. 26-27)

TRIUMPH OF THE KING (CH. 28)

VII. GROWING OPPOSITION AND REJECTION (Ch. 11 - 12)

A. John the Baptist Imprisoned (11:1-19)

11,1 After sending the disciples to a special temporary service in the house of Israel, Jesus went from there to teach and preach in the cities Galilee, where the disciples had previously lived.

11,2 By this time Herod had concluded John into the dungeon. Lonely and discouraged, John began to doubt. If Jesus is the real Messiah, then why did He allow His forerunner to languish in prison? Like many great men of God, John suffered from a temporary decline in faith. Therefore he sent two of his disciples ask Jesus if He really is the one promised by the prophets, or if they need to wait for another Anointed One.

11,4-5 Jesus answered them, reminding John that He performs the miracles predicted of the Messiah: the blind see(Isaiah 35:5), the lame walk(Isaiah 35:6), lepers are cleansed(Isaiah 53:4, compare with Matt. 8:16-17), the deaf hear(Isaiah 35:5), the dead are raised(The miracle that was not predicted about the Messiah was even greater than those predicted).

Jesus also reminded John that the gospel preached to the poor for the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy recorded in Is. 61.1. Typically, religious leaders more often focused on the rich and noble. The Messiah brought the Good News beggars.

If these words came from someone else, then it would be the boasting of the biggest egoist. In the mouth of Jesus, they were the true expression of His personal perfection. Instead of appearing as a handsome general, the Messiah came as a meek carpenter.

His nobility, humility and modesty did not correspond to the popular idea of ​​a militant Messiah. People driven by carnal desires doubted His claim to the Kingdom. But God's blessing rests on those who, with spiritual vision, saw in Jesus of Nazareth the promised Messiah.

Verse 6 should not be interpreted as a rebuke to John the Baptist. The faith of every person from time to time needs approval and support.

It is one thing to have a temporary decline in faith, and quite another to stumble forever in the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus. One chapter is not the whole story of a person's life. If we take the life of John as a whole, we will find in it records of faithfulness and courage.

11,7-8 As soon as the disciples of John left with words of comfort from Jesus, the Lord turned to people with words of high praise to John the Baptist. This same crowd gathered to John in the wilderness when he was preaching. What for? See weak cane - human, wavering every breath wind human opinion?

Of course not! John was a fearless preacher, a conscience personified, who would rather suffer than be silent, and rather die than lie. Did they go watch to a well-dressed royal courtier enjoying comfort? Of course not! John was a simple man of God, whose harsh life served as a reproach to the immeasurable vanity of people.

11,9 Did they go to see a prophet? Of course, John was a prophet, the greatest of all prophets. The Lord here did not mean that he was superior to others in his personal qualities, eloquence, or ability to persuade; he was more because he was the forerunner of the Messiah-King.

11,10 This becomes clear from verse 10. John was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi (3.1) - messenger, who was to precede the Lord and cook people to His coming. Others foretold the coming of Christ, but John was the chosen one who had to announce that He had indeed come.

It's well said, "John prepared the way for Christ, and then he left the way for Christ's sake."

11,11 Expression "the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" proves that Jesus was talking about John's advantage, not his character. Human, least in the kingdom of heaven, does not necessarily have a better character than John, but he has more advantage. To be a citizen of the Kingdom is a greater privilege than to announce it. John's advantage was great in that he prepared the way for the Lord, but he did not enjoy the blessings of the kingdom.

11,12 From the Beginning of John's Ministry to His Imprisonment Kingdom of heaven experienced onslaught. The Pharisees and scribes resisted him with all their might. King Herod contributed to this confrontation by capturing its herald.

"... It is taken by force." This phrase can have two interpretations.

First, the enemies of the Kingdom are trying their best to take over the Kingdom in order to destroy it. Their rejection of John was a prediction of the future rejection of both the King Himself and His Kingdom. But it can also have such a meaning: those who were ready for the coming of the King responded with energy to the news of this and strained every muscle to enter His Kingdom. This is the meaning of Luke 16:16: "The law and the prophets until John; from that time on the Kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone enters into it by force."

Here the Kingdom of Heaven is depicted as a besieged city, outside of which all classes of people strike at it, trying to get into it. This requires a certain spiritual strength. Whichever opinion is accepted, the implication here is that John's preaching provoked strong opposition, with widespread and far-reaching consequences.

11,13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John." The coming of the Messiah has been foretold throughout history from Genesis to Malachi. When John entered the arena of history, his unique role was not just prophecy, but the announcement of the fulfillment of all prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ.

11,14 Malachi predicted that Elijah would come as a forerunner before the appearance of the Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6). If people wanted to accept Jesus as the Messiah, John would fill the role Elijah. John was not Elijah reincarnated; in In. 1:21 he denies that he is Elijah. But he came before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17).

11,16-17 But genus, to whom Jesus was addressing was not interested in accepting either one or the other. The attention of the Jews, who had the privilege of seeing the coming of their Messiah-King, was not attracted by either He or His forerunner. They were a puzzle. Jesus compared them to quarrelsome children sitting in the markets, who were dissatisfied with whatever was offered to them. (In the Russian Bible, "in the streets" instead of "in the bazaars.") If their comrades wanted to play the flute, so they could dance they refused. If their comrades wanted to stage a funeral, they refused. cry.

11,18-19 John came as an ascetic, and the Jews accused him of being possessed. Son of Man on the contrary, he drank and ate like ordinary people. If John's asceticism was embarrassing for the Jews, then they should be content that Jesus had more ordinary, simple food. But no! They named him food lover and drink wine other publicans and sinners. Of course, Jesus never ate or drank excessively; their condemnation was entirely made up. Indeed, he was other publicans and sinners, but not in the way they thought. He became a friend to sinners to save them from their sins, but he never participated in sin or approved of their sins.

"And wisdom is justified by her children." Of course, the Lord Jesus is wisdom in human form (1 Cor. 1:30). Although unbelievers might slander Him, He was justified by His works and the lives of His followers. Although the bulk of the Jews might have refused to recognize Him as the Messiah-King, His claims were fully supported by His miracles and the spiritual transformation of His faithful disciples.

B. Woe to the unrepentant cities of Galilee (11:20-24)

11,20 Great privileges come with great responsibilities. No cities were in a more privileged position than Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The Incarnate Son of God walked their dusty streets, taught their chosen people, and accomplished most of His miracles within their walls. Seeing all these irrefutable proofs, they in their hardness of heart refused to confess.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Lord had to pass the most severe sentence on them.

11,21 He started with Chorazin and Bethsaida. These cities heard the gracious appeals of their Savior God, and yet consciously turned away from Him. Jesus mentally returns to the cities Tire and Sidon destroyed by God's judgment for immorality and idolatry. If they had such a privilege to see the miracles of Jesus, they must have humbled themselves in the deepest repentance. That's why on the day of judgment to Tire and Sidon will be more tolerable than Chorazin and Bethsaida.

11,22 The words "it will be more pleasant on the day of judgment" indicate that there will be different degrees of punishment in hell, just as there will be different rewards in heaven (1 Cor. 3:12-15). The only sin for which a person will be punished in hell is the refusal to obey Jesus Christ (John 3:36). But the severity of suffering in hell depends on the privileges forfeited and on the sins committed by people.

11,23-24 Few cities have seen as many benefits as Capernaum. It became Jesus' hometown after He was rejected at Nazareth (9:1, cf. Mk 2:1-12), and some of His most remarkable miracles - irrefutable evidence of His Messiahship - were performed there. If sinful Sodom, the capital of homosexuality, had such a privilege, he would have repented and not been destroyed. Capernaum had great advantages. Its inhabitants were to repent and gladly acknowledge the Lord. But Capernaum missed the auspicious day. The sin of Sodom was very great. But there is no greater sin than the rejection by Capernaum of the holy Son of God. Therefore, Sodom will not be so severely punished on the day of judgment as Capernaum. Ascended up to the sky his privilege, Capernaum will be cast down to hell on the day of judgment. If this punishment is just in Capernaum, how much more just will it be in those places where there is an abundance of Bibles, where the Good News is broadcast by radio, and where there are few, if any, who have no justification.

In the days of our Lord there were four famous cities in Galilee: Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Tiberias. He passed sentence only on the first three, not on Tiberias. And what is the result? Chorazin and Bethsaida were so destroyed that the exact location of these cities is unknown. The location of Capernaum has not been determined.

Tiberias is still standing. This amazing prophecy is another proof that the Savior is omniscient and the Bible is inspired.

C. The Savior's Response to Rejection (11:25-30)

11,25-26 The three cities of Galilee had neither eyes to see nor hearts to receive the Christ of God. He knew that their attitude towards Him was the beginning of complete rejection. How did He respond to their unwillingness to repent? Without malice, cynicism or revenge. Most likely, He raised His voice in gratitude to God that nothing could destroy His lofty goals. "I praise Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes."

We must avoid two possible misunderstandings. First, Jesus did not express his pleasure at the inevitable punishment of these Galilean cities. Secondly, He did not mean to say that God with His hand withheld this light from the wise and prudent.

These cities had unlimited opportunity to welcome the Lord Jesus. They absolutely deliberately chose not to obey Him. When they rejected the light, God withheld it from them. But God's plans never fail. If the wise do not believe, then God will reveal it to humble hearts. He fills the hungry with good things, but sends the rich away with nothing (Luke 1:53).

Those who consider themselves too clever and knowledgeable to need Christ are smitten with the blindness of legalism. But those who agree that they lack wisdom accept the revelation of Him in whom "all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden" (Col. 2:3).

Jesus thanked the Father that, according to His foresight, if Jesus would not be received by some, then others would. In the face of colossal unbelief, He took comfort in the master plan and purpose of God.

11,27 All It was betrayed to His Christ Father. On the lips of anyone else, this would have sounded like an overconfident claim; The Lord Jesus is simply stating the truth. At that moment, because of the growing opposition, it did not seem at all that the Father was leading Jesus, but nevertheless it was so. According to the predetermined plan, His life was steadily approaching the final glorious triumph. "No one knows the Son but the Father." This is the incomprehensible mystery of the Person of Christ. The unity of Divine and human nature in one Person creates problems that frighten the human mind. For example, there is the problem of death. God cannot die. Yet although Jesus is God, He died. At the same time, His Divine and human nature are inseparable. Although we know Him, and love, and believe Him, yet we realize that only the Father can fully understand Him.

But lofty are the mysteries of your name,
They transcend all understanding of Your creation;
And only the Father (what a wonderful statement!)
Can understand the Son.
You are worthy, Lamb of God,
So that every knee
Bow down before You!

(Josia Conder)

"No one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal." The father is also incomprehensible. Ultimately, only God is great enough to understand God. Man cannot know God by his strength or reason. But the Lord Jesus can and does reveal the Father to those whom He chooses. Whoever knows the Son will also know the Father (John 14:7).

Yet, after all that has been said, we must confess that in seeking an explanation of verse 27 we are dealing with truths too lofty for us.

We see dimly, as if in a mirror. And even in eternity, our limited mind will not be able to fully appreciate the greatness of God or understand the mystery of the incarnation. When we read that the Father is revealed only to those whom the Son chooses, we may be tempted to think of arbitrarily choosing a few favorites. The next verse serves as a warning against such an interpretation. The Lord Jesus proclaims a universal invitation to all who are weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest. In other words, He chose those who trusted Him as Lord and Savior to reveal the Father. As we examine this infinitely tender invitation, let us remember that it was given after the cities of Galilee, to which so much mercy had been shown, shamefully rejected Jesus. Human hatred and stubbornness could not quench His love and mercy. A. J. McClain said:

"Though the people of Israel are approaching God's heavy judgment, their King in His last word opens the door wide for personal salvation. And by this He proves that He is a God of mercy even on the eve of judgment."(Alva J. Gospel McClain, The Greatness Of The Kingdom, p. 311.)

11,28 Come. To come means to believe (Acts 16:31), accept (John 1:12), eat (John 6:35), drink (John 7:37), turn (Is. 45:22), confess ( 1 John 4:2), listen (John 5:24-25), enter through the door (John 10:9), open the door (Rev. 3:20), touch His clothes (Matt. 9:20- 21) and receive the gift of eternal life through Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23).

To me. The object of faith is not the Church, not the creed or the priest, but the living Christ. Salvation in the Person. Whoever has Jesus is saved in the way that only God can save.

All who labor and are burdened. In order to come to Jesus in the right way, a person must recognize that he is burdened with the weight of sin. Only he can be saved who recognizes himself as lost. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is preceded by repentance before God.

And I will comfort you. Note that peace here is a gift, not earned or deserved. This is the peace of salvation that comes after realizing that Christ has done His work on the cross of Calvary. It is the peace of conscience that follows the realization that the payment for sin was paid once for all and that God will not require this payment twice.

11,29 In verses 29 and 30 the invitation to salvation is replaced by an invitation to service.

Take My yoke upon you. It means to submit to His will, to give Him control over your life (Rom. 12:1).

And learn from Me. When we acknowledge His authority over us in all areas of our lives, then He teaches us to walk in His ways.

For I am meek and lowly in heart. In contrast to the harsh and proud Pharisees, the true Teacher is meek and humble. Anyone who takes His yoke will also learn to occupy the lowest position.

And you will find rest for your souls. This is not peace of conscience, but peace of mind, which can be found when you take the lowest position before God and people. It is the same kind of peace that a person experiences in the service of Christ when he stops trying to be great.

11,30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Again, a striking contrast with the Pharisees. Jesus spoke of them: "They bind burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on the shoulders of people, but they themselves do not even want to move them with a finger" (Matt. 23:4). The yoke of Jesus is light, it does not chafe the shoulders. Someone has suggested that if Jesus had a sign in front of His carpentry shop, it would read: "My yokes are just right."

His the burden is easy. This does not mean that there are no problems, trials, labors or heartaches in the life of a Christian. This means we don't have to carry them ourselves. We are yoked with the One who gives enough grace whenever we are in need. Serving Him is not slavery, it is absolute freedom. J.H. Jowett says:

“The believer falls into a fatal error when he tries to bear the weight of life in a single yoke. It was never intended in God’s plan for a person to carry his burden alone. Therefore, Christ deals with a person only in a yoke. The yoke is a harness for two, and the Lord asks permission to be the second in it. He wants to share the work of any severity. The secret of peace and victory in the Christian life is to remove the yoke of the burden of your "I" and put on the peace-giving "yoke" of the Teacher.(J. H. Jowett, Quoted in Our Daily Bread.)

Matthew 11:1 And when Jesus finished give instructions to His twelve disciples, He went away to teach and preach in their cities.

Matthew 11:2 When John, being in prison, heard about the works of Christ, he sent his disciples

Matthew 11:3 ask Him: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?”

Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John About what you hear and see:

Matthew 11:5 The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are proclaimed.

Matthew 11:6 Blessed that who does not disbelieve in Me."

About John the Baptist.

Matthew 11:7 When John's disciples left, Jesus began to tell the people about John: “Why did you go to look in the wilderness? A reed swayed by the wind?

Matthew 11:8 What did you want to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Those those who wear soft clothes are found in royal palaces.

Matthew 11:9 But what did you go to see? Prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet!

Matthew 11:10 He is the one about whom it is written: “Behold, I am sending My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.”

Matthew 11:11 I tell you truly, among those born of women, there was no greater one than John the Baptist, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him.

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until this moment, the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use force seize it.

Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied before John.

Matthew 11:14 And if you are ready to receive, he is Elijah who was to come.

Matthew 11:15 He who has ears will hear!

About Jesus' rebuke of the unbelievers.

Matthew 11:16 To whom shall I liken this generation? He is like children who sit in the marketplace and shout to others,

Matthew 11:17 saying: "We played for you, but you did not dance; we sang you sad songs, but you did not weep."

Matthew 11:18 For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say: “There is a demon in him.”

Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they said: “This man is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of toll collectors and sinners.” And wisdom is justified by her works.

About unrepentant cities.

Matthew 11:20 Then He He began to rebuke the cities in which He had done the most miracles because they did not repent.

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the same miracles were performed in Tire and Sidon as in you, then they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 11:22 But I tell you that in the day of judgment Tire and Sidon will be more tolerant than you.

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be cast down to hell! Because if such miracles were done in Sodom as they were done in you, it would exist to this day.

Matthew 11:24 However, I tell you that in the day of judgment the land of Sodom will be more tolerant than you.”

About the Father and the Son.

Mt.11:25 And Jesus continued: “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden this from the wise and prudent, and revealed it to babies.

Matthew 11:26 Yes, Father, it pleased you!”

Matthew 11:27 Everything has been handed over to me by my Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and the one to whom the Son wishes to reveal.

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest!

Matthew 11:29 Lay My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is comfortable and My burden is light.”

1. And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Having finished instructing the 12 apostles, the Savior went to preach in the cities of Galilee, and the apostles, divided into two, went through the villages, “ preaching repentance". St. John Chrysostom specifies: “Having sent the disciples, the Lord himself evaded them in order to give them a place and time to do what he commanded. If He Himself were with them and healed, then no one would want to go to the disciples.

2. John, having heard in prison about the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples

3. to say to him: Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?

4. And Jesus answered and said to them, Go, tell John what you hear and see:

5. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor preach the gospel;

6. And blessed is he who is not offended by me.

St. John the Baptist could not doubt the Divine dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he himself testified “ that this is the Son of God ”(John 1:34) during His baptism in the Jordan River. Nevertheless, he sends two of his disciples, already in prison, to Jesus Christ with the question: “ Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another? The answer to this question was needed not by John the Baptist, but by his disciples, who, having heard a lot about the miracles of the Lord, wondered why He did not openly proclaim Himself the Messiah, if He really is the Messiah. But the Lord does not give a direct answer to this question, for the Jews had hopes for earthly glory and greatness associated with the name of the Messiah. Only those in whom the soul was cleansed of everything earthly by the teachings of Christ could and was worthy to hear and know that Jesus is truly the Messiah-Christ. Therefore, instead of answering, He refers to the prophecy of Isaiah: “ Your God will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. Then the lame one will spring up like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb one will sing... » (Is.35,4-6). He draws their attention to the miracles He performs as evidence of His divine mission and adds: blessed is he who is not offended by me”, - that is, he will not doubt that I am the Messiah, although I am in a humble form.

All this happened shortly before the martyrdom and cruel execution of John the Baptist, probably in the 32nd year of Christ's life, in the second year of His preaching, when He was already glorified by His teaching and miracles.

Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria adds: “Under the beggars who preach the Gospel, or those who preached the Gospel at that time, that is, the apostles, who, like fishermen, were really poor and despised for their simplicity, or those poor who listened to the Gospel, wishing to receive information about eternal blessings and, being poor good deeds, enriched by the faith and grace of the Gospel gospel.

7. When they went, Jesus began to speak to the people about John: what did you go to see in the wilderness? a reed shaken by the wind?

8. What did you go to watch? a man dressed in soft clothes? Those who wear soft clothes are in the palaces of the kings.

9. What did you go to watch? a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

10. For he is the one about whom it is written: “Behold, I send my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”

11. Truly I say to you: of those born of women, no greater than John the Baptist has risen; but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him.

Lest anyone think that John himself doubted Jesus, Christ began to speak to the people about the high dignity and ministry of John as the greatest of all prophets. If John sent his disciples to Him to ask how to verify His identity, this did not mean at all that John wavered in his beliefs and convictions, like some kind of reed on the shores of the Dead Sea or the Lake of Galilee. Since John did not look like a reed, the mind of the listeners could immediately, by association, have an idea of ​​such a tree, which does not bow before any pressure of the wind, does not yield to any storm. The storm would sooner uproot such a man, and he would perish, but he would never be shaken while alive. Everything that is known about the Baptist shows that he was just such a person, and that the words of Christ were a completely clear and accurate description of this great personality.

John himself did not recognize himself as a prophet because of humility. He believed that a prophet in the proper sense is called one who predicts the future, like Isaiah, Jeremiah and other prophets, but he did not predict the future Christ, but pointed to the one who had already come. But the Baptist is greater than a prophet. He himself is none other than the Forerunner, sent to prepare the way of the Messiah. Further, the Savior cites the words of Holy Scripture, according to which John should be considered higher than the prophet. John is not only a prophet, but also a messenger before the face of God, that is, he himself, according to Jesus Christ, is the subject and fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, and precisely the one that refers to the manifestation of God to His people.

The words: " but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than him point to the superiority of Christianity even over the highest Old Testament righteousness.

12. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force,

13. for all the prophets and the law prophesied before John.

14. And if you want to receive, he is Elijah, who is to come.

15. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Here “the law and the prophets,” that is, the Old Testament Church, is contrasted with the New Testament Church of Christ. With John the Baptist, who stood at the boundary of the two testaments, the Old Testament, which had only a temporary preparatory significance, ended, and the Kingdom of Christ was opened, which includes all who make an effort for this.

St. John Chrysostom notes that with these words the Savior points to faith in Him as the coming Messiah-Christ: “Indeed, if everything was fulfilled before John, it means that I am the one you are waiting for. Do not stretch your hopes far and do not look for another Messiah. That I am the One who is to come is evident both from the fact that the prophets have ceased to appear, and from the fact that faith in Me increases every day; but who delighted her (unexpectedly received)? All those who come to Me with diligence."

The prophets foretold the kingdom of the Messiah-Christ, and, moreover, the law, that is, the whole of Holy Scripture, testified to the same thing. But when John came, the prophecy ended and the fulfillment of all the prophecies began.

Based on the words of the prophet Malachi: Here, I will send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the day of the Lord, the great and terrible ” (Mal. 4.5), which undoubtedly refers to the second coming of Christ, the Jews were waiting for the coming of the Messiah the prophet Elijah. The angel, who predicted to the priest Zacharias the birth of John from him, said that he would go before the Lord. in the spirit and power of Elijah ”, but will not be Elijah himself. John himself to the question of the Jews: “Are you Elijah?” answered: "No." The meaning of Christ's words about John is as follows: “If you literally understand the prophecy of Malachi about the coming of Elijah before the coming of the Messiah, then know that the one who should come before the Messiah has already come: this is John. Pay special attention to this testimony of Mine. Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria explains: “To show that He (Christ) allegorically calls John Elijah here and that reflection is necessary to understand this, he says: “ Who has ears to hear, let him hear". But they, "as foolish" did not want to reason, and therefore the Lord compares these people with capricious and unreasonable children.

16. But to whom shall I liken this generation? He is like children who sit in the street and, addressing their comrades,

17. they say: “we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang sad songs to you, and you did not weep."

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: “Here is a man who loves to eat and drink wine, a friend to tax collectors and sinners.” And wisdom is justified by her children.

What kind of people are we talking about? About the scribes and Pharisees. The Lord likens them to capricious wayward children who cannot please their comrades. The Pharisees and scribes, who were waiting for the Messiah as a great Conqueror-King, could not be pleased by the great fasting John, who called them to sad repentance and contrition for their sins. But Jesus Christ could not please them either, Who, in contrast to John, did not refuse to share a meal with them in order to save sinners. People of this type have ears to hear and do not hear. They do not understand and do not accept what they are told, they are capricious, like children playing in the markets, and full of prejudices.

According to St. John Chrysostom, the Savior, comparing the Jews with capricious children, shows that not a single necessary means was rejected for their salvation. He writes: “Leaving John to shine with fasting, Christ chose a different path: he participated in the meals of publicans, ate and drank with them. Now let us ask the Jews: what do you say about fasting? Is he good and commendable? If so, then you should have obeyed John, accepted him, and believed his words. Then his words would lead you to Jesus. Or is fasting heavy and burdensome? Then you should have obeyed Jesus and believed Him as one who walks in a different way. Both paths could lead you to the Kingdom. But they, like a wild beast, rebelled against both. So, one cannot blame those who were not believed. But all the blame falls on those who wanted don't believe them. That is why Jesus said: we played the flute for you, and you did not dance, — i.e. I did not lead a strict life, and you did not submit to Me; we sang you sad songs, and you did not cry, — i.e. John led a strict and harsh life, and you did not heed him. However, Jesus does not say that John led one way of life, and I another way of life. But since both of them had one goal, although their deeds were different, he speaks of both his own and his deeds as common. So what excuse can you have? That is why the Savior added: and wisdom is justified by her children. That is, although God does not see any fruit from His care for us, nevertheless, on His part, He fulfills everything so that shameless people do not leave the slightest reason for reckless doubts.

Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria notes that with this parable the Lord points to the rudeness and waywardness of the people of that time: “They, as wayward people, did not like either the strictness of the life of John, or the simplicity of Christ. The life of John is likened to weeping, because John showed great severity both in words and in actions; and the life of Christ is likened to a flute, since the Lord was very friendly to everyone, indulgent. John, as a preacher of repentance, should have imagined the image of mourning and weeping, and the Giver of the forgiveness of sins should have been cheerful and joyful. However, Christ did not leave a strict life; because he lived in the wilderness with the beasts and fasted for forty days, as was said before, and even participating in meals, he ate and drank reverently, temperately, befitting the saints.

Therefore, the life work of John and the Savior justifies their behavior, and this already justifies the wisdom of God, which sent them and guided them.

20. Then He began to rebuke the cities, in which His might was most manifested, because they did not repent:

21. woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if in Tire and Sidon the powers manifested in you were manifested, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes,

22 But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tire and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

23. And you, Capernaum, who ascended to heaven, you will fall down to hell, for if the powers manifested in you had been manifested in Sodom, then it would have remained until this day;

24 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

From the general denunciation of the Jews, the Savior now turned to the denunciation of them individually, living in cities where He performed especially many miracles, but who did not repent. In the word " grief mourning is heard, as well as indignation.

The city of Chorazin was to the north of Capernaum, and Bethsaida was to the south of it. The Lord compares these cities with the pagan cities of Tire and Sidon in neighboring Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean coast, and says that the position of the latter will be better at the Last Judgment than the position of the Jews, who were given the opportunity to be saved, but they did not want to repent. Since idolatry flourished in Tire and Sidon and, at the same time, pagan debauchery flourished, then in Chorazin and Bethsaida, one must think, even greater debauchery was widespread.

Tire and Sidon are here not directly reproved for their depraved lives. But even they would repent if they had the same sermon as the sermon on the streets of Chorazin and Bethsaida. All the more, therefore, was the sin of the condemned Jewish cities, in which not only was preaching, but many were committed. strength ”, i.e. wonders and signs. Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria adds: “The Lord calls the Jews worse than the inhabitants of pagan Tire and Sidon, because the inhabitants of Tire and Sidon transgressed only the natural law, and the Jews - both natural and Moses; those did not see miracles, but these saw and only blasphemed them.

« sackcloth ” is a sackcloth woven from coarse hair, which the Jews put on according to custom during grief and repentance. As a sign of deep contrition, they also sprinkled ashes on their heads and sat in it.

Capernaum ascended to heaven as a result of the activity in this city of Christ Himself. His teachings and miracles did not have the proper impact on the inhabitants of this city. Expression: " you will fall to hell ” means: “since you have ascended to heaven due to My stay with you, you will fall down to hell, because your inhabitants reacted very arrogantly to My preaching.” The Lord compares the depravity of the inhabitants of Capernaum with the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were punished by God with a fiery sulfur rain that burned them along with all the inhabitants, among whom not a single righteous one was found. In their place is now the Dead Sea.

All these cities, which Christ denounced, really soon suffered the punishment of God: they were completely destroyed by the Romans in the 60-70s of the 1st century, when Jerusalem was also destroyed.

St. John Chrysostom notes: “And to make sure that the inhabitants of these cities were not evil by nature, the Lord mentions such a city from which the five apostles originated; it was from Bethsaida that Philip and the four chief apostles (Peter, Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee) originated. We will take this into account as well. Not unbelievers, after all, only, but the Savior determined for us a punishment more severe than for the inhabitants of Sodom. We, having sinned after such great care for us, how can we hope to be forgiven when we show great hatred towards others?

25. At that time, continuing his speech, Jesus said: I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes;

26. Hey, Father! for such was thy good pleasure.

27. Everything is delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal.

Proud of their imaginary wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, the scribes and Pharisees did not understand the Lord Jesus Christ and His teaching. It, according to their spiritual blindness, turned out to be hidden from them, as it were, and now the Lord praises His Heavenly Father for the fact that the truth of His teaching, hidden from these “wise and prudent”, turned out to be open to “babies” - simple and unsophisticated people, what there were apostles and His closest disciples and followers, not in their minds, but in their hearts, who felt that Jesus is truly the Messiah-Christ.

“Lord of heaven and earth” is added to the word “Father” in order to show that it depends on the will of God, as the Lord of the world, to hide “this” from the wise and prudent. St. John Chrysostom says that by these words Christ shows that the Pharisees and scribes “not only fell away from Him, but also from the Father. Further words: " Hey Father! for such was thy good pleasure“shows both His original will and the will of the Father; His - when he thanks and rejoices in what has happened; the will of the Father - when he shows that the Father did it not because he was begged, but because he himself willed it, that is, it was so pleasing to him. Chrysostom concludes that the scribes and Pharisees, who consider themselves reasonable, fell away because of their pride.

Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria adds: “God hid great secrets from those who recognized themselves as smart, not because He did not want to give them to them, and was the cause of their ignorance, but because they became unworthy, because they considered themselves smart. For whoever considers himself clever and relies on his own reason no longer prays to God. And when someone does not pray to God, God does not help him and does not reveal secrets to him. Moreover, God does not reveal His secrets to many, most of all out of philanthropy, so that they would not be subjected to greater punishment for neglecting what they have learned.

In words: " Everything is given to me by my Father Our Lord Jesus Christ says that everything is given under His power: both the material (visible) world and the spiritual (invisible) world are given not as to the Son of God, Who has always had such power, but as to the God-man and Savior of people, so that everything They could be drawn to the salvation of mankind. The meaning of these words of His is roughly this: You made the babies understand the secrets and hid these secrets from the wise and prudent. I know these mysteries because both this and everything else has been given to me by my Father. Of these mysteries, the most important is the knowledge of the Son (the understanding of all His activities, all His teachings, and His very being) and the knowledge of the Father. Both are incomprehensible to ordinary people. From the words of the Savior it is clear that knowledge of the Father (as well as of the Son) is possible, but is given only to those to whom the Son wishes to reveal. Here is a certain mystery, understandable only to people who love the Son of God, and to whom the Son responds with the same love.

St. John Chrysostom explains: “The Son, revealing the Father, reveals Himself. Since the Pharisees (enemies of Jesus Christ) were tempted by the fact that He seemed to them an opponent of God, He refutes this idea by all means.

28. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest;

29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls;

30. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

St. John Chrysostom explains these words of the Savior in this way: “Come not one or the other, but come all who are in worries, sorrows and sins; come, not that I may torment you, but that I may set you free from your sins; come, not because I need glory from you, but because I need your salvation.”

Bliss. Theophylact of Bulgaria remarks about the last words of the Savior: “The yoke of Christ is humility and meekness; therefore, he who humbles himself before every man has peace, always remaining without embarrassment, while the vain and proud are in constant anxiety, fearing to lose something, and striving to become more famous and annoy their enemies. This yoke of Christ, that is, humility, is easy, because it is more convenient for our lowly nature to be humbled rather than exalted. However, all the commandments of Christ are also called the yoke, and all of them are easy because of the future reward, although at the present short time they seem heavy.

Synodal translation. The chapter was voiced according to the roles by the Light in the East studio.

1. And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2. John, having heard in prison about the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples
3. to say to him: Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?
4. And Jesus answered and said to them, Go, tell John what you hear and see:
5. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor preach the gospel;
6. And blessed is he who is not offended by me.
7. When they went, Jesus began to speak to the people about John: what did you go to see in the wilderness? a reed shaken by the wind?
8. What did you go to watch? a man dressed in soft clothes? Those who wear soft clothes are in the palaces of the kings.
9. What did you go to watch? a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10. For he is the one about whom it is written: “Behold, I send my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
11. Truly, I say to you, of those born of women, no greater than John the Baptist has arisen; but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him.
12. But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force,
13. for all the prophets and the law prophesied before John.
14. And if you want to accept, he is Elijah, who is to come.
15. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16. But to whom shall I liken this generation? He is like children who sit in the street and, addressing their comrades,
17. they say: “we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang sad songs to you, and you did not weep."
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: “Here is a man who loves to eat and drink wine, a friend to tax collectors and sinners.” And wisdom is justified by her children.
20. Then He began to rebuke the cities, in which His might was most manifested, because they did not repent:
21. woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if in Tire and Sidon the powers manifested in you were manifested, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes,
22 But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tire and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
23. And you, Capernaum who ascended to heaven, you will fall down to hell, for if the powers that were manifested in you had been manifested in Sodom, he would have remained until this day;
24 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
25. At that time, continuing his speech, Jesus said: I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes;
26. Hey, Father! for such was thy good pleasure.
27. All things are delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal.
28. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest;
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls;
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.