Matthew 11:16 says, But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, Verse seventeen adds, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. Jesus asked who He could compare that generation to. He said that they would claim that the people did not become festive when they said they should, nor did they mourn when others told them to. Verse eighteen declares, For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. Jesus said that John the Baptist came and did not eat or drink a lot of normal foods, and the people accused him of being demon possessed. Verse nineteen adds, The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Jesus said He, the Son of Man, came and ate and drank and was accused of being a winebibber and a friend of the publicans and sinners. God's people were attempting to judge John the Baptist and Jesus by their own standards instead of by their actions toward God and His word. We cannot judge people as to their relationship to God by what they eat or drink, nor by whom they eat or drink with, but only by their relationship to Jesus Christ. Verse twenty proclaims, Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Jesus began to unbraid the cities where His most mighty works were done because they still did not repent. God's mightest work was given to us by providing a way to salvation through faith in Christ, but many people still refuse to accept Him as their Savior and Lord. Verse twenty-one adds, Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus said that if the works done in Chroazin and Bethsaida, two cities of the Jews, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, two cities of the Gentiles, that the people of those two cities of the Gentiles would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, but the cities of the Jewish people did not. Verse twenty-two continues, But I say you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. Jesus said that it would be more tolerable for those in Tyre and Sidon than it would be for those in Chroazin and Bethsaida. We in America call ourselves a Christian nation, and have had access to the gospel for the whole time we have been a nation, so we will be found more responsible for our rejection of Christ if we reject Him than those who have not had easy access to the gospel. Verse twenty-three declares, And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Jesus said that Capernaum, which exalted itself as a city of God, would be brought down to hell, and that if the mighty works done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom that Sodom would still be standing. which implies that the people of Sodom would have repented. Verse twenty-four adds, But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. Though destroyed for its wickedness, Jesus said it would be more tolerable in Sodom on judgement day than it would be in some of the cities that called themselves cities of God. Verse twenty-five states, At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Jesus said that He thanked the heavenly Father for making the way to salvation understandable to even the simplest of people whereas it was often hidden to those who thought themselves to be wise. Salvation can never be based on anything other than a relationship with Jesus Christ by faith in Him as Savior and Lord, and for too many people, this is just too simple for them to accept. Verse twenty-six continues, Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. Jesus said that the plan of salvation was the plan of the heavenly Father. Verse twenty-seven declares, All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Jesus said that the only way to know the heavenly Father was through faith in the Son, and the only way to know the Son was to know the Father. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One God, and we must accept this by faith if we are to be saved. We do not have to be able to fully explain the triune nature of God in order to be saved, Verse twenty-eight states, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Jesus called on those weighed down by the burdens of life to come to Him to find rest. Verse twenty-nine adds, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Jesus said that if people would yoke themselves with Him that they would find rest, and that He was meek and lowly of heart. If we are truly following Christ, we must take on the nature of Christ, which means that we should be meek and not think too highly of our self. Verse thirty concludes, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The burden that Jesus puts on us is simply to put our life in His hands through faith and then to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As long as we live by faith, the problems that we face in life will always be easy, because we are already a part of the kingdom of God through our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.
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