Matthew 11

[AmphibianLegend]

Hello,
For this Christmas season, and to celebrate the Advent of Jesus Christ, I have been conducted a personal gospel study on the Gospel of Matthew. I am a bit stuck on Matthew 11. Matthew 11:11 confuses me the most:

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Here you can find 11:11 on Bible.com (btw not sponsored):
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.11.11.ESV

The confusion extends along 11:11-19
Matthew 11:18-19:

' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

Matthew 11:18-19

' 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, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

Link to the verses:
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.11.18-19

Could someone please clarify this for me? I am not understanding much and would really like the help.
Prayers, thank you.

[Athanasius]

Can you talk about what confuses you?

[Titus]

Hello,
For this Christmas season, and to celebrate the Advent of Jesus Christ, I have been conducted a personal gospel study on the Gospel of Matthew. I am a bit stuck on Matthew 11. Matthew 11:11 confuses me the most:

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

I know this is an old post/thread, but I'd be interested in clarification as well.

Here you can find 11:11 on Bible.com (btw not sponsored):
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.11.11.ESV

The confusion extends along 11:11-19
Matthew 11:18-19:

' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

Matthew 11:18-19

' 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, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

Link to the verses:
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.11.18-19

Could someone please clarify this for me? I am not understanding much and would really like the help.
Prayers, thank you.

[EmethAlethia]

Since no one seems to have answered this, John the Baptist was an Old Testament saint who died prior to Christ's death. Jesus says He is the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. I'm not going to argue with Jesus, so I accept that as fact without argument. Jesus also says in that passage that the least of the New Testament saints is greater than John the Baptist. Jesus said it. I'll accept that as well.

The next part:

"' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

When Jesus refuted the lost religious people's beliefs, He primarily used logic and reason. If I cast out Satan by the power of Satan, then his house is divided and will not stand. He's then punching himself in the face so to speak. And oh, if that's how people cast out demons, are you sure you want to say that? By whose power are your sons casting them out? And on healing on the Sabbath. What man among you, if his donkey falls into an open water pit on the Sabbath would not pull him out? You all know you would. So you would free an animal from his misery on the Sabbath, but you have a complaint when I free a man from the bondage of his infirmities on the Sabbath? Do you see how ludicrous you are being?

The answer was, no, they could not see because their minds were made up. They weren't open to reconsidering any of their beliefs, teachings, doctrines ... and they certainly couldn't care less if their conclusions were ludicrous or not when logic, reason, rational thinking were applied. They were happy with their beliefs and closed their eyes and ears lest they see or hear anything that might cause them to reconsider their views. Indeed, they did not go to the scriptures to get the fullness of the truth of all God said and meant, cut everything that pertains to each topic out straight, holding to the context, flow of thought, flow of arguments ... surrounding each passage that might pertain so that every detail that pertained fit perfectly with every other detail with no meaning added, subtracted or distorted to try and force the meaning to fit your beliefs in such a way that it makes God, God's people and God's word 100% consistent in all they say and do and don't say and don't do. They went to scripture for one thing only. To justify their beliefs and actions and prove everything contrary to those things false "using" scripture to back them up. They were completely unwilling to keep subjecting their beliefs to the fullness of all that the Word of God said and meant. They, by their actions, were forcing the word of God to fit and be subject to, what they "wanted to believe" "as" truth:

Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3  For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Since the religious lost don't want to consider logic and reason, nor do they want to reconsider based on other passages that might apply to the topic and would then require them to alter their beliefs and teachings, when logic and reason arguing against their views is presented, or proof that they are violating the context, flow of thought ... surrounding the passages they used, or that they ignored other passages that fit the topic but contradict their beliefs and teachings, they trample these things under foot or get angry that you could ever even question their relationship with God.

Mat 7:6  "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.


This brings us to the reasons for why they said they would not listen to John the Baptist or to Jesus. To be honest they were looking for anything at all that they could find, and they came up with this as one of their reasons:

"' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” '

John they wouldn't listen to because obviously he was demon possessed. Who eats only locusts and wild hone? Who never drinks any wine at all? The man is obviously not in his right mind.

Jesus readily admits that He came both eating without restriction and drinking alcoholic wine without restriction. Just as He states that John the Baptist did neither. But Jesus never sinned, so He never was drunk, nor was He a glutton. He just didn't put any other limits on it.

It is key that Jesus is acknowledging that what the religious leaders and experts were saying about John and His eating and drinking habits was correct. The problem wasn't with their observations, the problem was with their conclusions. But the only reason either of those conclusions was made was because they wanted to have an excuse for responding like dogs and pigs to whatever Jesus shared and to the logic and reason, He was presenting, to refute their conclusions, beliefs and teachings.

I hope that answers your questions. If not, let me know.

[Athanasius]

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