by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Now we explore another passage in the Gospel according to Matthew. Our text deals with the notable question of John the Baptist to our Lord Jesus about his identity as a messiah or the Messiah. This also has a parallel in the Gospel according to Luke. John was now imprisoned by Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. While in prison, he heard about the signs and wonders, miracles, teaching and preaching of the Lord. He then asked his disciples to go to our Lord Jesus with this question (Matthew 11:2-6; cf. Luke 7:18-23 with my formal translation):
3… Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν;
3… Are you the One Coming or do we await/expect another?
Luke records essentially the same question:
… Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἢ ἄλλον προσδοκῶμεν;
… Are you the One Coming or do we await/expect another?
The only difference is one Greek word, used for “another.” Matthew 11:3 uses ἕτερον while Luke 7:19, 20 use ἄλλον. The Greek word used by Matthew comes from ἕτερος (“heteros”) which is an adjective that means another of a different kind or another but of a distinct kind. Luke uses a word that comes from ἄλλος (“allos”) which is also an adjective that means another of the same kind. The difference may just be a matter of nuanced preference or lie in the point of view of the Gospel writer and does not seem to detract from the point of the question.
John the Baptizer may have known the answer himself; after all, he baptized the Lord in the Jordan River earlier. But perhaps he knew that his imprisonment would soon lead to his death, so he wanted to make sure. As recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, the Lord Jesus had already been performing amazing miracles and was already well known all over the countryside when John was imprisoned. John the Baptist was wondering if indeed, he was the Messiah he had been preaching about and pointing to all along. The Lord was speaking with great authority and power, displaying the messianic signs and yet had not seized political power. It was widely expected by the Jews then that the Messiah would come as a Warrior-King from David’s bloodline to liberate Judea from the hated Roman imperial rule. Now that John was in prison, was he having doubts and seeking reassurance of the Lord Jesus’ identity, or maybe even more “liberating” (i.e., political/revolutionary) action from the Messiah? Or perhaps John simply wanted himself and everyone to know for sure that the Messiah was indeed already with them.
The Gospel accounts do not tell us of John’s motives but from the context, I believe that the major event(s) that led John to ask this question were the reports of the raising from the dead of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26; cf. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; cf. Luke 8:40-42, 49-56) and the raising of a widow’s son from the dead at Nain (Luke 7:11-17).
Let us review the other salient parts comprising the context of John’s honest inquiry and the Lord’s reply. The context can be summarized by the following statements based on the common Gospel accounts:
1. The Lord Jesus had already been baptized by John earlier and had gone through his desert temptation (Matthew 3:13 – 17, 4:1-11; cf. Mark 1:9-13; cf. Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-13);
2. As stated earlier, John was now imprisoned by Herod Antipas (Matthew 4:12; cf. Mark 1:14; cf. Luke 3:19-20);
3. The Lord had already started his Galilean ministry of preaching and teaching (Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25, then chapters 5, 6 and 7; cf. Luke 6:17-49); healing (Matthew 4:23-25, 8:1-17, 9:1-8, 27-33; cf. Luke 4:38-40, 5:12-16, 5:17-26); casting out evil spirits (Matthew 8:28-34; cf. Luke 4:31 – 37, 4:41); and raising the dead (Matthew 9:18-19, 23 – 26; cf. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; cf. Luke 7:11-17); and
4. The Twelve Apostles had already been chosen and sent out (Matthew 10; cf. Mark 3:13-19; cf. Luke 6:12-16).
The Twelve were also specifically given instructions related to the focus of our current study. Matthew 10:8 in the Greek uniquely and quite simply emphasizes commands of the Lord (followed by my formal translation):
8ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε.
8Heal (the) ailing, raise (the) dead, cleanse (the) lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.
The commands (grammatical imperatives) of the Lord Jesus to the Twelve are: heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, and give freely (i.e., of the power and authority that the disciples had received freely from God).
Now we can contextually look at the reply of the Lord Jesus to the disciples of John the Baptist as recorded (in Matthew 11:4-6; cf. Luke 7:22-23; with my formal translation):
4… Πορευθέντες ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰωάννῃ ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε· 5τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσιν καὶ χωλοὶ περιπατοῦσιν, λεπροὶ καθαρίζονται καὶ κωφοὶ ἀκούουσιν, καὶ νεκροὶ ἐγείρονται καὶ πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται· 6καὶ μακάριός ἐστιν ὃς ἐὰν μὴ σκανδαλισθῇ ἐν ἐμοί.
4 … After going (back), report to John what you hear and see; 5(the) blind see, and (the) lame walk, lepers (are being) cleansed, and (the) deaf hear, and (the) dead (are being) raised, and (the) poor (are being) evangelized; 6and blessed is (he) who shall not be offended by me.
We will continue next week.
God bless us all.