The Message

<div class="version vid97 iso6393eng" data-vid="97" data-iso6393="eng">
    <div class="book bkMAT">
        <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="MAT.11">
            <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">John the Baptizer</span></div><div class="m"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="MAT.11.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="MAT.11.1"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v2 v3" data-usfm="MAT.11.2+MAT.11.3"><span class="label">2-3</span><span class="content">John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, &#8220;Are you the One we&#8217;ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2 v3" data-usfm="MAT.11.2+MAT.11.3"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="label">4-6</span><span class="content">Jesus told them, &#8220;Go back and tell John what&#8217;s going on:</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">The blind see,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">The lame walk,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">Lepers are cleansed,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">The deaf hear,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">The dead are raised,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">&#8220;Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6" data-usfm="MAT.11.4+MAT.11.5+MAT.11.6"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v7 v8 v9 v10" data-usfm="MAT.11.7+MAT.11.8+MAT.11.9+MAT.11.10"><span class="label">7-10</span><span class="content">When John&#8217;s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. &#8220;What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That&#8217;s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you&#8217;ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, &#8216;I&#8217;m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.&#8217;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v7 v8 v9 v10" data-usfm="MAT.11.7+MAT.11.8+MAT.11.9+MAT.11.10"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v11 v12 v13 v14" data-usfm="MAT.11.11+MAT.11.12+MAT.11.13+MAT.11.14"><span class="label">11-14</span><span class="content">&#8220;Let me tell you what&#8217;s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God&#8217;s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God&#8217;s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the &#8216;Elijah&#8217; you&#8217;ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v11 v12 v13 v14" data-usfm="MAT.11.11+MAT.11.12+MAT.11.13+MAT.11.14"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="MAT.11.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">&#8220;Are you listening to me? Really listening?</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="MAT.11.15"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v16 v17 v18 v19" data-usfm="MAT.11.16+MAT.11.17+MAT.11.18+MAT.11.19"><span class="label">16-19</span><span class="content">&#8220;How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, &#8216;We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.&#8217; John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don&#8217;t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">The Unforced Rhythms of Grace</span></div><div class="m"><span class="verse v16 v17 v18 v19" data-usfm="MAT.11.16+MAT.11.17+MAT.11.18+MAT.11.19"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="MAT.11.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="MAT.11.20"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v21 v22 v23 v24" data-usfm="MAT.11.21+MAT.11.22+MAT.11.23+MAT.11.24"><span class="label">21-24</span><span class="content">&#8220;Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they&#8217;ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they&#8217;ll get off easy compared to you.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v21 v22 v23 v24" data-usfm="MAT.11.21+MAT.11.22+MAT.11.23+MAT.11.24"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v25 v26" data-usfm="MAT.11.25+MAT.11.26"><span class="label">25-26</span><span class="content">Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: &#8220;Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You&#8217;ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that&#8217;s the way you like to work.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v25 v26" data-usfm="MAT.11.25+MAT.11.26"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v27" data-usfm="MAT.11.27"><span class="label">27</span><span class="content">Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. &#8220;The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I&#8217;m not keeping it to myself; I&#8217;m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v27" data-usfm="MAT.11.27"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v28 v29 v30" data-usfm="MAT.11.28+MAT.11.29+MAT.11.30"><span class="label">28-30</span><span class="content">&#8220;Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you&#8217;ll recover your life. I&#8217;ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me&#8212;watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won&#8217;t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you&#8217;ll learn to live freely and lightly.&#8221;</span></span></div>
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When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:

The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
“Are you listening to me? Really listening?
“How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
“Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Luisteren Matthew 11