But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

    'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

    Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been preparing the Twelve for their first apostolic mission (starting with Monday's reading).  Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  Jesus is quoting from the prophesy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1).  It is to the prophesy of Malachi Jesus will also refer when He speaks of Elijah returned a little further along in today's reading.  Here Jesus seems to chastise the people for their expectations of John.  He was not an elegant or elite reed shaken by the wind, nor a man clothed in soft garments. Neither was he one who dwelt kings' houses but rather one who was shut up in a king's prison, as many of the prophets were before him.  

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study Bible comments here that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is in fact the greatest prophet of them all.  The New Covenant is of such incomparable value, however, that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.  

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study Bible claims that several interpretations have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  It notes that some say that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel. Still others have said it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently."  In other words, with great power and force.  Still others have said that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will yet suffer the violence of the Cross.  My study Bible also cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who says that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those with such an earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   The prophesy of Elijah's return before Christ is found in Malachi 4:5-6.  My study Bible comments that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  It notes that John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  

At this time John the Baptist remains imprisoned by Herod Antipas, the "king" or tetrarch of Galilee.  The Gospel will tell us of his violent end in Matthew's 14th chapter.  But Jesus here seems to be chiding the people for what might be a negative opinion of John resulting from his imprisonment.  While John was widely revered as a holy man during his ministry, we know that he was far from being a slender "reed shaken by the wind" or one who wore "soft clothing."  John was known as one so totally dedicated to serving God that he cared for nothing of a worldly type of life.  His was a type of radical poverty in devotion to God's purposes alone.  In chapter 3 Matthew tells us that John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4).  John himself would become the model for the early monastic life, those who went out into the desert for spiritual battle of the type we read of in Christ's forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).   John's preaching and baptism took place also outside the cities, possibly at "Bethany beyond the Jordan" (John 1:28; see this UNESCO site).   When Jesus compares John to the ones who live in kings' houses, and asks the people what they went out to see, he seems to be addressing criticisms of John which would perhaps be expected within the context of the criticism we know Christ also experienced for His ministry.  Indeed, in our following reading, He will go on to compare both His and John's critics to those playing a children's game.  Possibly we might say these criticisms, like so much of what we will encounter in the Gospels, come from the religious leadership who now criticize John for his rigorous asceticism and rough life, and at the same time criticize Jesus for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners (which will also be addressed by Jesus in the reading the follows, on Monday).  We might well ask ourselves the same.  What do we expect followers of Christ to be like?  How would we expect to find those who love Jesus?  Would they be simple people or elegant?  Complex and intellectual, or possibly those who work with their hands?  Of course we cannot prophesy what those people look like or will be like who love Christ, for that is a matter of the heart which is devoted to God, and those spiritual "ears to hear" that Jesus calls upon in us.  In truth, God chooses the vessels God uses, and so often in the Bible those are the least expected, defying common assumptions and judgments; for only God can judge the heart.   Both John and Jesus refer to spiritual fruits in their preaching, and it is only this that teaches us about the grace at work in people.  Perhaps the Gospels teach us, however, that sometimes we need spiritual eyes and ears even to perceive those fruits as well.