Read Matthew 11:16–24
Questions from the Scripture text: What does Jesus ask about whom in Matthew 11:16? What are His answer? What are these children doing? To whom are they calling? What do they say they have done (Matthew 11:17)? And what did their companions not do? What else do they say that they have done? What did John come not doing (Matthew 11:18)? How did they respond? What did the Son of Man come doing (Matthew 11:19)? How did they respond? Who is justified by whom? What did Jesus begin to do to whom (Matthew 11:20)? What had been done in these cities? But what had they not done? With which two cities does He begin (Matthew 11:21)? To whom does He compare them? What does He say those cities would have done under what conditions? What does He authoritatively say to Chorazin and Bethsaida (Matthew 11:22)? Whom does He address in Matthew 11:23? What is its condition, as a consequence of the works done there? But what will happen to it? To whom does He compare them? What does He say would have happened to Sodom, under what conditions? What does He authoritatively say to Capernaum in Matthew 11:24?
What should we say about an unbelieving generation? Matthew 11:16–24 looks forward to the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that those who hear the gospel but don’t repent are childishly arrogant and wickedly resistant.
The Childish Arrogance of Unbelief (Matthew 11:16-19). Although there were those who were brought to repentance and faith by the ministries of John and Jesus, the generation as a whole was not. So Jesus now gives a warning to the generation that had the privilege of hearing them. And He calls them children.
And not only children, but petulant children. They are full of folly, desiring the wrong things at the wrong time, but presuming that their demands should be met. They found John too serious, with his insisting upon repentance and that they were unable to produce it themselves (cf. Matthew 3:7–10). They found Jesus too welcoming, with His provision of repentance even to tax collectors and sinners (cf. Matthew 9:10–13).
When they found themselves in direct contrast to the greatest of the prophets (cf. Matthew 11:11, Matthew 11:13) and the Son of Man (Matthew 11:19) Himself, they should have concluded that John and Jesus were right, and they were wrong. But not only did they assume that they themselves were right, but they asserted with exaggerated accusations like “has a demon” and “glutton and drunkard.”
People do that today—though little children with respect to the great questions of life, when they come across the preaching of the gospel, they insult it as not satisfying them rather than humbling themselves before it.
The Wicked Resistance of Unbelief (Matthew 11:20-24). Just as unbelief is childishly arrogant, so also it is wickedly resistant. As the Lord now addresses Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, He highlights how wickedly resistant their unbelief has been.
Despite all they had heard and seen from Christ, they refused to repent. Considering how evil have been the wealthy port towns of Tyre and Sidon, and the quintessential wickedness of Sodom, Jesus’s statements here are extremely strong.
It is more wicked to hear Christ’s preaching and see Christ’s work, but refuse to repent, than it is to be a sodomite! This should alarm everyone who has had opportunity to sit under gospel preaching. If you do not repent, if you are not converted, you will be more guilty and suffer a worse hell than sodomites who have not had the same opportunity.
How True Children Respond (Matthew 11:19c). How, then, must we respond? Happily, the petulant “children” of Matthew 11:16 are not the only children in this passage. Wisdom, too, has children. The wisdom of God, on John’s lips and Jesus’s lips, have children like the (literally) Proverbial “my son” throughout the book of Proverbs. God’s children are also His wisdom’s children.
When God’s wisdom comes by John and urges us to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, true children say, “You are justified in saying this; I am a miserable sinner and must have a new mind and new life!”
When God’s wisdom comes by Christ and welcomes us to Him and to receive repentance from Him, true children say, “You are justified in welcoming this; we praise You for welcoming us to Yourself in Christ!”
God’s wisdom is justified by her children (Matthew 11:19); or, as Matthew 11:25 puts it, the Father has taken to Himself babes to whom He reveals the truth. He does this not only by causing them to hear faithful preaching, but by giving them humility to give their assent to the truth of this preaching. God give you, by His Spirit, to be a true child, dear reader.
What opportunities for hearing and responding to the Word of God have you had? How have you responded to His calls for your conversion? How have you responded to His welcoming you to Christ? Whom are you tempted to think of as being the worst sorts of sinners? How would your sin compare, if your life is unchanged by the gospel preaching that you hear?
Sample prayer: Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for announcing repentance and welcome to us in Christ. Give us light and life from Him, by Your Spirit, to respond to Your Word. Give us humility to understand that we are but children, so that we will justify Your wisdom in Your Word, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Heathen Nations Rage?” or TPH456 “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!”
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