Matthew 11
COMMENTARY:
: 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. (1344 “justified” [dikaioo] means be freed, be righteous, pronounce one to be just, to put right with, obey righteous commands, put right with, vindicate, show to be right, or innocent.)
DEVOTION: There is a difference in the opinion of the Pharisees regarding how to best represent God and how Jesus represented God. The Pharisees saw themselves as above everyone around them because they thought they were closer to God than most other people. They were God’s representative to the people. They thought they were setting a good example for the people to follow.
Jesus comes along and tells them that they are not a good representative of God in fact they were leading people in the wrong direction. HE tells them that they are obeying traditions of men rather than the commands of God.
What was their reaction to HIS statements? They started calling HIM names. They started accusing HIM of hanging out with the wrong people. They were trying to ruin HIS reputation with the common man on the street.
Jesus told the people just what they were saying and added this little statement at the end. HE wanted them to know that HE was acting according to the way the Father would want HIM to act and that in the end HE would be pronounced righteous. Jesus didn’t want to follow the example of the Pharisees because HE knew it was wrong. They were not reaching the people with the good new but with a burden.
We are to try to watch what people say about us but we need to also realize that the one we are to please is the LORD. HE knows our heart. Jesus was right about what others said about HIM because they wanted the power. HE was taking it away from them.
Watch out for religious leaders who say that they have arrived at perfection or at least close to it and want you to follow them. We are to follow Jesus’ example. We are to compare HIS actions with ours and see if they match up. We are going to be judged by our actions.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to lead people in the right direction. Some will follow but others will just find fault. They did the same with Jesus.
: 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I think you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. (601 “revealed” [apokalupto] means to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to disclose, make bare, to make know information that was previously known only to a few people or that was hidden or meant to be kept a secret, or unveil.)
DEVOTION: While Jesus was on this earth HE took time out of HIS schedule to talk with God the Father. It seems strange for one person of the Godhead to talk to another person of the Godhead but this was revealed back in Genesis 1: 26. They were communicating with each other regarding the creation of the world. They communicated with each other especially at the time of the creation of man and woman.
Jesus is now on the earth for thirty-three years. The last three years HE is involved in public ministry. HE is praying before a group HE is teaching. It is a short prayer but one that reveals more about the relationship between the Father and the Son and those who are being trained.
There are two groups around Jesus at all times. There are those who will listen and those who will not listen. They hear HIM speak but the truths HE is revealing are hidden from those who think themselves too clever to have to learn. This included the religious leaders who thought they had their act together.
The other group is those who come to HIM in childlike faith and trust HIM to teach them the truth that they are to follow. God only reveals truth to those who are genuinely listening to HIM. Some try to fake it but God knows the difference. There are times when I wish I could tell the difference quicker.
CHALLENGE: Discernment is necessary in our world. There are many fakers. There are many who seem to say the right things but their life is not the same as their voice! What we say and do must match!!
: 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (601 “reveal” [apokalupto] means to uncover, disclose, lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to make known, or make manifest.)
DEVOTION: Jesus has just finished giving instructions to HIS disciples for their first mission trip. HE starts preaching and teaching others. As HE is busy doing HIS Father’s business the disciples of John come to him with a question from John. The question is: Are you the Messiah?
Jesus answers by telling them to follow HIS ministry and observe what HE is doing. They observe that HE is fulfilling the prophesies of Isaiah regarding the Messiah.
After the disciples of John leave HE teaches the people about John the Baptist, HIS cousin. John was a prophet who fulfilled the passage in Malachi. HE compares what people said about John and his ministry with what people are saying about HIS ministry.
The children of Israel had been listening to their religious leaders for 400 years. The Bible had been silent since the prophecies of Malachi. There were many groups who where influences the Jewish people. There were the Pharisees with all their legalistic rules. There were the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead or angels. There were the Herodians who wanted to please Rome. There were the Zeolots who wanted to overthrow Rome.
Many leaders were teaching the people what they believed they were supposed to be doing here on this earth. Along comes Jesus and HE is teaching the people who God the Father is. HE is teaching that HE is the Lord of heaven and earth. HE is teaching that the poor were to have the gospel preached to them. HIS teaching and preaching was very different from the teachings of their present religious teachers. HE wanted people to know who the Father was. HE stated that HE was the only one who knew the Father. HE stated that the only one who knew HIM was the Father.
Now comes the good part. There is a select few who receive the revelation as to who Jesus really is. There are very few who understand who the Father is. The truth of the matter is that the majority of the people who hear about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit don’t understand their relationship to each other. That is why the Holy Spirit is a teacher. Those who don’t listen to the ministry of the Holy Spirit will NEVER become true followers of the LORD. They just think it is foolishness.
An invitation is given to those who are receiving the revelation of who Jesus and the Father really are. The invitation is to let the LORD handle their burdens. They are to rest and let HIM do the work in every trial. It is a light thing for the LORD to handle our problems. We have to let HIM have them instead of handling them ourselves in our own strength. Who is stronger?????
We need to spread the good news of the gospel across our land. We need to reveal the truth of the Word of God to the people in our world. Most don’t know what the Bible teaches about the Godhead. Are we learning? Are we teaching? Are we just following the religious leaders of our time instead of the Biblical teachers of our time? Christ made known the Father to the people in HIS world. We need to do the same.
CHALLENGE: Be open to learn what the LORD wants you to know at your present stage of growth in HIM. HE doesn’t want us to be non-learners. We can be slow and steady learners for HIM.
: 30 For MY yoke is easy and MY burden is light. (5543 “easy” [chrestos] means good, kind, benevolent, not harsh or stern or severe, manageable, or loving.)
DEVOTION: Jesus gives an invitation to those who are listening to HIS message. HE wants them to understand that what HE is teaching is simple. It is not to be burdensome like the 365 laws the Pharisees made up for daily living. The religious leaders were so busy making up more rules for the people to follow they forgot to take time to get to know the LORD in a genuine way.
HE wanted them to understand that when they became a genuine follower of HIM that HE was going to be there by their side to help them along the way to eternal life. HE wanted them to know that HE was carrying the heaviest part of the load.
In those days there were two animals in the yoke. There were an older ox and a younger ox. The older ox was training the younger. Jesus represented the older ox. HE was right alongside someone who was willing to be trained.
CHALLENGE: Many who call themselves believers are not willing to be trained.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jesus communication with the Fatherverses 25-27
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
It is written (Malachi 3: 1)verse 10
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Fatherverses 25-27
Lord of heaven and earthverse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 1, 4, 7, 25
Commanding disciplesverse 1
Works of Christverse 2
Christverse 2
Jesus answers John’s disciplesverses 4-6
Son of manverse 19
Gluttonousverse 19
Winebibberverse 19
Friend of publicans and sinnersverse 19
Upbraid the citiesverse 20
Sonverse 27
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverse 18
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Chorarinverse 21
Tyreverse 21
Sidonverse 21
Sodomverses 23, 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Gluttonous verse 19
Winebibberverse 19
Publicansverse 19
Sinnersverse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Teachverse 1
Preachverses 1, 5
Hearverse 15
Wisdomverse 19
Justifiedverse 19
Repentverses 20, 21
Prayer verses 25, 26
Babesverse 25
Father revealedverse 27
Come to Jesus all laborersverse 28
Come all those who are heaven ladenverse 28
Rest verses 28, 29
Learnverse 29
Meekverse 29
Lowly verse 29
Yoke is easyverse 30
Burden is lightverse 30
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Twelve disciplesverse 1
John –prison & prophetverses 2, 7-15, 18
Two of John’s disciplesverse 2
Two disciples question Jesusverse 3
John the Baptistverse 12
Elijah – Eliasverse 14
Capernaumverse 23
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of heavenverses 11, 12
Day of judgmentverses 22, 24
Hellverse 23
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.