5 Isaiah 35:5-6, 61:1
7-8 Thomas 78
10 Malachi 3:1
11 Thomas 46
12-13 Luke 16:16
14 Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13
18 Mark 3:22
2-11 Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 198 & 211
2-11 John L. McKenzie, The Civilization of Christianity, p. 151 f.
2-6 Raymond Brown, John, Volume 1, p. 74 [note]
John
Some have suggested that this scene in John is an adaptation of the Synoptic scene where John the Baptist sends his disciples to question Jesus (Mt xi 2; Luke vii 19). There are very few similarities between the two scenes.
Luke 7:18-23 Matthew 11:2-6 John 1:29-39
John (the Baptist) John John
“Who are you?” (x2) Question Did not recognize (x2)
Sent 2 disciples Sent disciples 2 disciples when to follow Jesus
John, “Shall we look for another?” Same Jesus, “What do you seek?”
Jesus, “Tell them what you have Jesus answers Jesus, “Come and see.”
seen and heard.” They came and saw …
In that hour … … and stayed with him
2-6 Helmut Thielicke, “How Does One Cope with Unresolved Questions?” Faith: The Great Adventure, p.108-115
2-6 Helmut Thielicke, “When Nothing Makes Sense,” How to Believe Again, p. 182-193
7-15 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 26-29, 146f.
7-11 John Dominic Crossan, “Into the Desert,” The Historical Jesus, p. 236-238
16-19 George A. Buttrick, “Earnestness to Translate Hearing into Doing,” The Parables of Jesus, p. 50-59
16-19 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 259 f.
16-19 John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, Excavating Jesus, p. 153-156
16-19 Joachim Jeremias, Rediscovering the Parables, p. 127 f.
16-19 John Shea, “A Prayer for New Music,” The Hour of the Unexpected, p. 65
“A Prayer for New Music”
19 John Perceval, “Painting — Christ Dining in Young and Jackson’s,” Imaging the Word, Vol. 3, p. 146
1 And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses. 9 Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.’ 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, 17 ‘We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 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, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
11:1 και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους διατασσων τοις δωδεκα μαθηταις αυτου μετεβη εκειθεν του διδασκειν και κηρυσσειν εν ταις πολεσιν αυτων
11:2 ο δε ιωαννης ακουσας εν τω δεσμωτηριω τα εργα του χριστου πεμψας δυο των μαθητων αυτου 11:3 ειπεν αυτω συ ει ο ερχομενος η ετερον προσδοκωμεν 11:4 και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες απαγγειλατε ιωαννη α ακουετε και βλεπετε 11:5 τυφλοι αναβλεπουσιν και χωλοι περιπατουσιν λεπροι καθαριζονται και κωφοι ακουουσιν νεκροι εγειρονται και πτωχοι ευαγγελιζονται 11:6 και μακαριος εστιν ος εαν μη σκανδαλισθη εν εμοι
11:7 τουτων δε πορευομενων ηρξατο ο ιησους λεγειν τοις οχλοις περι ιωαννου τι εξηλθετε εις την ερημον θεασασθαι καλαμον υπο ανεμου σαλευομενον 11:8 αλλα τι εξηλθετε ιδειν ανθρωπον εν μαλακοις ιματιοις ημφιεσμενον ιδου οι τα μαλακα φορουντες εν τοις οικοις των βασιλειων εισιν 11:9 αλλα τι εξηλθετε ιδειν προφητην ναι λεγω υμιν και περισσοτερον προφητου 11:10 ουτος γαρ εστιν περι ου γεγραπται ιδου εγω αποστελλω τον αγγελον μου προ προσωπου σου ος κατασκευασει την οδον σου εμπροσθεν σου 11:11 αμην λεγω υμιν ουκ εγηγερται εν γεννητοις γυναικων μειζων ιωαννου του βαπτιστου ο δε μικροτερος εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων μειζων αυτου εστιν 11:12 απο δε των ημερων ιωαννου του βαπτιστου εως αρτι η βασιλεια των ουρανων βιαζεται και βιασται αρπαζουσιν αυτην 11:13 παντες γαρ οι προφηται και ο νομος εως ιωαννου προεφητευσαν 11:14 και ει θελετε δεξασθαι αυτος εστιν ηλιας ο μελλων ερχεσθαι 11:15 ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω
11:16 τινι δε ομοιωσω την γενεαν ταυτην ομοια εστιν παιδιοις εν αγοραις καθημενοις και προσφωνουσιν τοις εταιροις αυτων 11:17 και λεγουσιν ηυλησαμεν υμιν και ουκ ωρχησασθε εθρηνησαμεν υμιν και ουκ εκοψασθε 11:18 ηλθεν γαρ ιωαννης μητε εσθιων μητε πινων και λεγουσιν δαιμονιον εχει 11:19 ηλθεν ο υιος του ανθρωπου εσθιων και πινων και λεγουσιν ιδου ανθρωπος φαγος και οινοποτης τελωνων φιλος και αμαρτωλων και εδικαιωθη η σοφια απο των τεκνων αυτης
20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
11:20 τοτε ηρξατο ονειδιζειν τας πολεις εν αις εγενοντο αι πλεισται δυναμεις αυτου οτι ου μετενοησαν 11:21 ουαι σοι χοραζιν ουαι σοι αβοτι ει εν τυρω και σιδωνι εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν υμιν παλαι αν εν σακκω και σποδω μετενοησαν 11:22 πλην λεγω υμιν τυρω και σιδωνι ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η υμιν 11:23 και συ καπερναουμ η εως του ουρανου υψωθεισα εως αδου καταβιβασθηση οτι ει εν σοδομοις εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν σοι εμειναν αν μεχρι της σημερον 11:24 πλην λεγω υμιν οτι γη σοδομων ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η σοι
Andrew Greeley, “God’s Love For Us,” When Life Hurts, p. 26-28
John Koenig, Rediscovering New Testament Prayer, p. 14
Rediscovering New Testament Prayer
But if we have begun to follow Jesus’ way of discipleship, even tentatively, we cannot hold his words and the words of his Gospel interpreters at arm’s length. Once we have read them, they work away at our inmost selves, calling us through prayer to a deeper companionship with our Lord.
One Gospel writer furnishes a quite literal picture of this process. Matthew records a prayer in which Jesus thanks God for his vocation as revealer of divine truth to “babes,” that is, those who are thought by society to be lacking in power and wisdom. But then, quite suddenly and without any transitional statement from the evangelist, Jesus turns to us, the readers, with these breathtaking words of invitation: “Come to me …” In effect, Jesus tells us: “You are the infants in my prayer. If you linger a bit to hear me conversing with God, you must be ready to take the next step of entering into the renewal of discipleship that I offer. As I pray, so I teach, and so I call you to myself.”
John Shea, “Paint the Other Side,” The Spirit Master, p. 225
28-30 Isaiah 30:15; Sirach 6:24-30, 51:23-27; Luke 14:21-23; Thomas 90
25-26 Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love, p. 71 185
26 Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 19 f.
Through the Gospel
Today missionaries know the Lord was here before they arrive …
I read a passage from the Gospel to a mixed group of educated people and poor people who don’t know how to read or write. When I invite comments the most apt, the most vivid, the most penetrating ones come more often than not from the illiterates. Then I understand those words of Christ’s: ‘I thank you Father, for hiding these truths from the powerful and learned and revealing them to mere children.’
28-30 Carla De Sola, The Spirit Moves, p. 108
28-30 Mohandas Gandhi, The Essential Gandhi, p. 257
The Essential Gandhi
28-30 Søren Kierkegaard, “The Invitation,” Provocations, p. 154-158
28-30 Vassar Miller, “Paradox,” Divine Inspiration, p. 324
28-30 Petrarch, “I Tire So Beneath This Ancient Load,” Divine Inspiration, p. 323
28-30 Imaging the Word, Vol. 2, p. 234-237
28-30 Fulton John Sheen, “The Cross and the Double Cross,” Lend Me Your Ears, p. 448
“The Cross and the Double Cross”
Why do we live in fear—we who define freedom as the right to do whatever we pleased; we who have no altars in our churches, no discipline in our schools and no sacrifices in our lives? We fear because our false freedom and license and apostasy from God have caught up with us as they did the prodigal. We would not accept the yoke of Christ; so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar. We willed to be free from God; now we must face the danger of being enslaved to a citizen of a foreign country.
29-30 Vladimir Simkhovitch, quoted by Howard Thurman in Jesus and the Disinherited, p. 27
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
11:25 εν εκεινω τω καιρω αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν εξομολογουμαι σοι πατερ κυριε του ουρανου και της γης οτι απεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων και απεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις 11:26 ναι ο πατηρ οτι ουτως εγενετο ευδοκια εμπροσθεν σου 11:27 παντα μοι παρεδοθη υπο του πατρος μου και ουδεις επιγινωσκει τον υιον ει μη ο πατηρ ουδε τον πατερα τις επιγινωσκει ει μη ο υιος και ω εαν βουληται ο υιος αποκαλυψαι
11:28 δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενοι καγω αναπαυσω υμας 11:29 αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων 11:30 ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν