Matthew 11

Matthew 11:5

Mat. 11:5. “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them.” Τυφλοιαναβλεπουσι, καιξωλοι, περιπατουσι, λεπροικαθαριζονται, καικωφοπιακουουσι, νεκροιεγειρονται, καιπτωξοιευαγγελιζονται. By the poor seems pretty evidently to be meant “the poor in spirit.” In the last effect here mentioned the poor are evangelized; the manner of speaking and connection of the words lead us to suppose there is the like relation and opposition between the benefit and character of the subject of that benefit, as in the foregoing effects mentioned, such as between receiving light and darkness, a being raised up and death. The word ευαγγελιζονται, ’evangelized,’ implies not only being the subject of the preaching of the gospel, or the telling the good news, but a being encouraged, refreshed, and revived, and made joyful and happy by it; and between such a benefit and a being poor in spirit, of a broken heart, or heart mourning, humbled, being wretched, miserable, and undone in his own eyes, and despairing in the world and in himself. I say, a being evangelized in the sense mentioned has a like relation to such a qualification of the subject as sight has to blindness, light to darkness, walking to lameness, life to death. The poor’s being evangelized is the last effect mentioned, it being that which crowns all, representing the main thing which Jesus comes into the world for, the blessed effect that He had respect to in all that He said and did, and the great thing of which the other things here mentioned were but types and representations. In these last words Christ has a plain reference to Isaiah 61:1. In Luke 4:18, Christ cites these words thus, “He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.”

Mat. 11:25-26

Matthew 11:25-26

Mat. 11:25, 26, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Christ does not merely praise God, as God might be praised or glorified for his majesty and greatness, sovereignty, or justice, or any perfection or glorious work of his, but he thanks him as one interested, as though it were a work of God, whereby he had received a benefit. And so it was, these persons to whom his Father had revealed these things were his before God had revealed them to them, for they were given him from eternity, and he had set his love upon them before the foundation of the world, and for their sakes he came into the world, and he knew them all by name, their names were written on his heart, and he looked upon them as himself: and therefore he thanks the Father for revealing those things to those who were his, whom he so loved, and for whom he was so greatly concerned, though they were but poor, weak, helpless, and despicable creatures, when he had passed by others more noble, more wise, and prudent; as a loving father, if he had a number of poor children, in themselves very mean and contemptible, might well be the more affected with the goodness of God, and justly have his heart more enlarged with thankfulness, if God should look on his poor children, bestowing infinite blessings upon them, when he saw that the rich and noble, potent and learned, were generally passed by. Persons themselves, that see themselves very weak, and distinguishingly contemptible, have the most cause to thank God for saving mercy to them, when they consider how they are distinguished from many far greater and more considerable than they; and so Christ looked upon it that he had like cause of thankfulness on this account, because they being from eternity given to him, he looked on them as himself, and on himself as they. Christ, the head of the elect church, here thanks the Father, with rejoicing in spirit, as Luke tells us, for that which will be the matter of the most exalted thanksgivings of the church itself to all eternity. Christ thankfully acknowledges God’s kindness herein, because he did it of his own will: “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight;” that is, without regard to their meanness, or others’ greatness. Compare this text with Romans 6:17.

Mat. 11:30

Matthew 11:30

Mat. 11:30. “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” These words have a relation to the words of the invitation. Verse Matthew 11:28 . The invitation is to them that labor and are burdened. A yoke is what is put on the necks of the cattle in order to their laboring, and when Christ says, “My burden is light,” the word ‘burden’ is the noun of the verb or participle translated ‘heavy burden.’

Mat. 12:30