What qualifies the warnings and invitation after John’s question?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The answer lists heard and seen works, followed by praise of John, attributed explanations, city warnings and the invitation to the burdened.

Chapter breakdown

After instructing the twelve, Jesus leaves to teach and preach in their cities. John hears of Christ’s works in prison and sends two disciples to ask whether he is the one to come or another is expected. Jesus tells them to report what they hear and see: sight for blind, walking for lame, cleansing for lepers, hearing for deaf, rising for dead and gospel for poor. He blesses those not scandalized in him. The separate note explains taking offense at his humility and the disgraceful cross-death he will endure. The prison’s authority and a psychological motive for John’s inquiry are not supplied here.

As the messengers depart, Jesus asks the multitudes what they sought in the desert: a wind-shaken reed, soft clothing found in royal houses, or a prophet. John is more than a prophet, the written messenger preparing the way. No greater has arisen among those born of women, yet the lesser in heaven’s kingdom is greater than he. An account of that comparison as greater citizenship privilege is not supplied. From John’s days till now the kingdom suffers violence and violent bear it away. The separate note reads this as force upon oneself through mortification, penance and resistance to perverse inclinations. Prophets and law prophesied till John. If received, he is the coming Elias; the separate note says in spirit rather than person, citing Luke 1:17. The hearer with ears should hear.

Jesus compares the generation to marketplace children calling that their piping received no dance and lament no mourning. John came neither eating nor drinking and is accused of having a devil. The Son of man eats and drinks and is accused of gluttony, wine drinking and friendship with publicans and sinners. Wisdom is justified by her children. Additional identification of those children or a specific abstention from wine is not supplied by this wording.

He reproaches cities where most miracles occurred because they did not do penance. Corozain and Bethsaida receive woes: Tyre and Sidon, given those miracles, would long since have used sackcloth and ashes. Their judgment will be more tolerable. Capharnaum is asked whether it will rise to heaven and told it will descend to hell; had its miracles occurred in Sodom, perhaps Sodom would have remained to that day. The qualifier perhaps is retained. Sodom’s judgment will be more tolerable than Capharnaum’s.

Jesus confesses to the Father, heaven and earth’s Lord, for hiding these things from wise and prudent and revealing them to little ones, affirming that this pleased him. All things are delivered to Jesus by the Father. Only Father knows Son, and only Son knows Father, together with those to whom the Son chooses revelation. All laboring and burdened are called to Jesus for refreshment, to take his yoke and learn his meek and humble heart, finding soul rest: the yoke is sweet and burden light. The passage does not redefine wise and prudent as proud intellectuals or limit the invitation by an invented exclusive class.

The story inside

The chapter moves from an embassy to contrasts in reception. Notes explain scandal, violence and Elias separately. The Sodom counterfactual retains perhaps, while the final invitation preserves all the laboring and burdened.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Preserve perhaps in the Sodom comparison.
2
Elias is explained in spirit, not person, without an added date.
3
Little ones and wise/prudent are not expanded into invented social categories.

Test your recall

What does the separate note say about John being Elias?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 111505–111575
Matthew Chapter 11 John sends his disciples to Christ, who upbraids the Jews for their incredulity, and calls to him such as are sensible of their burdens. 11:1. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and to preach in their cities. 11:2. Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him: 11:3. Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another? 11:4. And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. 11:5. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 11:6. And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me. Scandalized in me.... That is, who shall not take occasion of scandal or offence from my humility, and the disgraceful death of the cross which I shall endure. 11:7. And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind? 11:8. But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings. 11:9. But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet. 11:10. For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. 11:11. Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 11:12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away. Suffereth violence, etc.... It is not to be obtained but by main force, by using violence upon ourselves, by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations. 11:13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John: 11:14. And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come. He is Elias, etc.... Not in person, but in spirit. St. Luke 1. 17. 11:15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 11:16. But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place. 11:17. Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned. 11:18. For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil. 11:19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.
Lines 111577–111611
11:20. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance. 11:21. Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. 11:23. And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day. 11:24. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee. 11:25. At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. 11:26. Yea, Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. 11:27. All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. 11:28. Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. 11:29. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. 11:30. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.