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Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.

Messengers from John the Baptist

² When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples ³and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” ⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

Jesus Praises John the Baptist

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; ¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵Let anyone with ears listen!

¹⁶ “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; ¹⁹the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Woes to Unrepentant Cities

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven?

No, you will be brought down to Hades.

For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jesus Thanks His Father

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷All things have 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 anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

26. Undoubtedly, O Father This expression removes every pretense for that licentiousness of inquiry, to which we are continually excited. There is nothing which we yield to God with greater difficulty, than that his will shall be regarded by us as the highest reason and justice. ⁶³⁶³ “Pour la derniere et souveraine raison, et pour Justice parfaite;” — “for the last and supreme reason, and for perfect justice.” He frequently repeats, that his judgments are a deep abyss, (Psalm 36:6;) but we plunge with headlong violence into that depth, ⁶⁴⁶⁴ “Pour sonder ce qui y est;” — “to sound what is in it.” and if there is any thing that does not please us, we gnash our teeth, or murmur against him, and many even break out into open blasphemies. On the contrary, our Lord lays down to us this rule, that whatever God has determined must be regarded by us as right. ⁶⁵⁶⁵ “Que tout ce que Dieu a determine est bon et droict;” — “that all that God has determined is good and right.” This is sober wisdom, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God as alone equal to a thousand arguments. ⁶⁶⁶⁶ “Et cela est estre sage a sobriete, d’acquiescer au seul bon plaisir de Dieu, et nous y arrester paisiblement, plus que s’il y avoit dix mille raisons devant nos yeux;” — “and this is to be wise to sobriety, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God, and to rest calmly upon it, more than if there were ten thousand arguments before our eyes.” Christ might indeed have brought forward the causes of that distinction, if there were any; but he is satisfied with the good pleasure of God, and inquires no farther why he calls to salvation little children rather than others, and composes his kingdom out of an obscure flock. ⁶⁷⁶⁷ “D’une troupe de gens incognus, et de petite estime;” — “from a flock of persons unknown and little esteemed.” Hence it is evident, that men direct their fury against Christ, when, on learning that some are freely chosen, and others are reprobated, by the will of God, they storm because they find it unpleasant to yield to God. ⁶⁸⁶⁸ “Vienent incontinent a tempester, pource quil leur fasche que Dieu ait le dernier mot;” — “come immediately to storm, because it gives them uneasiness that God should have the last word.”

⁶³ “Pour la derniere et souveraine raison, et pour Justice parfaite;” — “for the last and supreme reason, and for perfect justice.”

⁶⁴ “Pour sonder ce qui y est;” — “to sound what is in it.”

⁶⁵ “Que tout ce que Dieu a determine est bon et droict;” — “that all that God has determined is good and right.”

⁶⁶ “Et cela est estre sage a sobriete, d’acquiescer au seul bon plaisir de Dieu, et nous y arrester paisiblement, plus que s’il y avoit dix mille raisons devant nos yeux;” — “and this is to be wise to sobriety, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God, and to rest calmly upon it, more than if there were ten thousand arguments before our eyes.”

⁶⁷ “D’une troupe de gens incognus, et de petite estime;” — “from a flock of persons unknown and little esteemed.”

⁶⁸ “Vienent incontinent a tempester, pource quil leur fasche que Dieu ait le dernier mot;” — “come immediately to storm, because it gives them uneasiness that God should have the last word.”