78.Mt11.25-30_TheQuestionRemains

S1-Author Maureen Johnson writes in her book, The Madness Underneath, “I try to shake it loose-but these ideas, they cling! It’s like I’m shackled to them with an iron chain. They rattle along behind me, dragging against the ground, always reminding me of their relentless, lingering presence.” Some things gnaw at you. They just don’t easily go away.

It’s that way with Christ’s question in vs 16: “what shall I compare this generation?” It has a way of lingering in our thoughts, anchoring in the deep folds of our mind. There is the unshakeable sense that there is more to it.

S2-Denouncing Unrepenting Cities: Jesus just finished denouncing three cities. Cities that had the advantage of hearing most of Jesus’ teachings, seeing most of his powerful miracles, and having him constantly present in the vicinity. These cities, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are nestle in close proximity to one another on the northern shore of Galilee. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were Jewish populated cities. The “chosen” people of God. This important tidbit is more astounding when Jesus said that for the gentile cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom who suffered the judgment of God because of their wickedness would had been spared if they had the advantages they had with Jesus among them. Furthermore, even now, these three gentile cities will have it easier in the coming judgment than these Jewish cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Several times Jesus said, I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom than for you! (22,24). Why? Because it is firmly implied that those who have greater revelation have greater responsibility.

S3-Now we come to Christ’s Declaration by prayer: the revelation of God is greater and far more superior that the wisdom of the humanity. Jesus connects this section with the previous with the phrase, “at that time Jesus declared.” It parallels how verse 20 begins, “then he began to denounce…” In other words, Jesus is not finished with the question in vs 16: “what shall I compare this generation?” Jesus has more to say! S4-And, Christ says it in prayer-form: I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All 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.

A. S5-First, and it is powerful, Jesus states that his people, his church, as modeled by Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum have demonstrated their dependence on their intelligence and wisdom instead of God’s revelation. This is why Christ declares, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding…”

Imagine how mentally abrasive this was to the learned of Israel: the religious leadership? Envision how intellectually stinging this may have been to Israel? They were the recipients of the wisdom of God in the Torah, the first 5 books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Also, they looked upon themselves as God’s wisdom among the other nations.

And, Jesus says there are things hidden from them. They are hidden from them because they look for wisdom in all the wrong places. It is hidden from them because they believe their intellectual capacity is greater than God’s revelation.

We see it today in some churches and among many believers, don’t we? Some wholly rely upon their own intellectual abilities as the basis for decisions disregarding God’s revealed wisdom in the Scripture. We see it today in some churches and believers who endorse politically correct ideology. We see it in some within the church who embrace what is culturally called permissive sexually but what the Bible calls perverting God’s created order of human sexuality. Moreover, we see it today within the rank-n-file of so-called professing Christians with accepting that there is no such thing as absolute truth, so God’s truth is often trumped by feelings and sacrificed on the altar of personal wisdom. Also, we see it within many seminaries that have more courses on philosophy than biblical studies. The list is endless on how the yeast of this world’s wisdom is expanding its influence within churches, religious colleges, and seminaries.

S6-It is no wonder then that the Scripture echoes that “the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish” (Is 29:14). Those who are so enamored with their own intellectual superiority are given over to ever-increasing depraved mind because they have slaughtered God’s truth on the world’s altar of self-sufficient wisdom. For the god of this world, satan, has “blinded their minds…” the Bible says. Jesus’ prayer then is the prayer for today: “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding…”

It's not that Jesus is playing games. Growing up my mom used to play the game “hot or cold.” She would hide a sewing thimble somewhere in the front room. Then my siblings and I would return to that room looking for the thimble. When one of us would get closer to where she hid it, mom would say, ‘you’re getting warmer. Jesus is not playing “hot or cold” with us about finding his wisdom. Rather, even if his wisdom stood right before us we wouldn’t see it.

It is because satan is blinding us to it. Not only are we blinded to it, but satan exchanges God’s truth with lies. S7-The Bible tells us that satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies”(Jn 8.44). This is an extension of satan’s simple strategy against Eve, “did God really say…”(Gen 3:1). Satan’s exchange program is evident in our culture, within some churches, with some believers, and religious educational organizations. There is the exchange of lies for God’s revelation. That is, human philosophies for God’s truth is taught, decisions based on political correctness instead of God’s truth, and feelings are substituted for decisions instead of God’s revealed will in the Scripture. Jesus says then that God has hidden his wisdom and understanding from them. And, they will be held accountable because they have heard and read God’s truth but still choose in various ways not to heed it.

B. S8- His church that chooses to be child-like, receiving God’s truth as the absolute authority, and not wisdom of this world or understands human intellect is not superior but always a servant of God’s truth these things are revealed. This not to say that one’s faith is anti-intellect. Rather, it is saying that believers’ reasoning capacities and intelligences are surrendered to and submitted to God’s revelation, called the Bible. To those churches and believers seeking to be child-like fully receiving and embracing God’s truth, God’s wisdom is given. These are the kind of individuals who desire and hunger after God’s word in the Scripture. They would recognize the truth before them.

Why? Because they are authentic followers of Christ. In vs 29, Jesus says, “learn from me.” The word learn is the verb of the noun, disciple. S9-We could say vs 29 this way, “take my yoke upon you and be discipled from me.”

Let’s hold onto this. At the moment, we in child-like faith willfully surrender and submit our intellectual abilities to Jesus, Jesus enters our lives through Holy Spirit and begins to disciple us. That is, we place ourselves in position to be under his tutelage. Christ is our master-teacher teaching us, and we are his student learning from him when we in child-like faith surrender to him.

This is not true of those who are living out their understanding or feelings at the disregard of the teaching of the Scripture. Christ is not the master. We are not his student when we think we know differently or better than what the Bible says. In fact, Jesus said to those like this, your master is not God but satan. You are his students. You are his because you are substituting other things, ideas, not in harmony with God’s word. You master, Jesus says is the devil because you are buying in to exchanging his lies for God’s truth.

For authentic disciples, the opposite is true. S10- What is a disciple? Simply, a disciple of Christ is one who follows Jesus. Not only does he/she follow Jesus but ingest his words without flinching. And, being a follower who fully embraces all his words, the Bible leads to practicing all that he/she knows and embraces the Bible as one’s daily act of devotion to Jesus. After denouncing these cities, and those like them and Jesus declares the wonderful things of God that are hidden from those like these cities, now…

S11-Christ delivers the invitation only to his disciples to come to him and find rest: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Let’s take the last phrase first. How is that Jesus can say his yoke is easy and his burden is light?

Let’s start with Judaism. Judaism taught that the Torah (first 5 books of the O.T.) identified 613 commandments, known as the mitzvot. To unite one’s soul with God, it is taught that good Jews needed know the entire Torah and its respective details. To the Mitzvot (613), the Pharisees added what are known as 1500 “fence laws” for a good Jew to obey. To earn God’s grace was through keeping all the Torah and laws, and they did all on their own. If my addition is correct, that’s 2113 yokes. This is why Jesus’ invitation says “all who labor and are heavy laden.” There are too many yokes. And, you are on your own to plough through life.

But, not with Christ. Jesus says that I have one yoke. The word for yoke here is one that describes a “double-yoke” where two oxen are paired. Jesus says when you take my yoke it is easy, or more descriptive, “well-fitting” so as not to wear us down. It is easy because I am the way the truth and the life. It is well-fitting because I am with you in the yoke. Together we plough through life. And, we are ploughing straight through to a God-filled eternity, heaven.

S12-Will you accept Christ’s invitation? Are you wearing Christ’s yoke, well-fitted and made for two? Is Christ beside you as you plough through life?