Messengers from John the Baptist.

(Mat. 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-35).

Saint John the Baptist could not doubt the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 1:32-34). Nevertheless, finding himself in a dungeon, he sends two of his disciples to Jesus Christ with the question: “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Mat. 11:3; Luke 7:19). John did not need an answer to this question, but his disciples did, because in hearing about the Lord’s many miracles, they were baffled as to why He doesn’t openly proclaim Himself as the Messiah, if He was indeed Him? However, the Lord does not give a direct answer, inasmuch as to the Jews, the name Messiah was associated with their aspirations of earthly glory and greatness. Only he, whose soul had been cleansed by Christ’s teachings of everything earthly, was worthy to listen and know that Jesus was indeed Messiah-Christ. That’s why instead of a direct answer, the Lord cites Isaiah’s prophecies (35:2-6), directing John’s disciples’ attention to His miracles as proof of His Divine Representation, adding: “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mat. 11:6; Luke 7:23), or in other words: “Blessed is he who does not doubt in Me, seeing My humble appearance.” And so that people didn’t think that John himself doubted the greatness of the Lord, after the departure of John’s disciples, the Lord began to speak of John’s elevated worthiness and ministry as the highest of all prophets: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Mat. 11:11; Luke 7:28), - these words indicate the superiority of Christianity over the highest Old Testament righteousness.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Mat. 11:12-13). Here, Christ’s Church is placed opposite to the law and the Prophets ie. the Old Testament Church. With John — standing on the border of both laws — the Old Law ended, having only a temporary, preparatory meaning and Christ’s Kingdom opened, into which anybody can enter that has applied effort. Based on the prophecies of Malachi (4:5), undoubtedly concerning Christ’s Second Coming, the Jews were expecting the appearance of Elijah before that of the Messiah. But Malachi prophesied only of an Angel, who will prepare the way for the Lord (3:1). The Angel, foretelling Zachariah about the birth of John, said: “He will also go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17); but it would not be Elijah himself. John himself responded in the negative to the question as to whether he was Elijah. The meaning of the Lord’s words: “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Mat. 11:14) is this: if you understand Malachi’s prophecy on the coming of Elijah before that of the Messiah in a literal sense, then know that he who had to appear before the Messiah, has arrived: it is John; pay particular attention to My witness about John and “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mat. 11:15).

In stating “But to what shall I liken this generation?” (Mat. 11:16; Luke 7:31), the Lord has in mind the Scribes and Pharisees. Like capricious and wilful children, they can never be satisfied by their friends. To them, Pharisees and Scribes that were awaiting the Messiah as a great king-conqueror, the great faster John — calling them toward lamentation and contrition for their sins - could do nothing to convince them: similarly, they could not be convinced by Jesus Christ Himself, Who in contrast to John, did not refuse to share His table with sinners in the hope of saving them. The Lord’s words: “wisdom is justified by her children” (Mat. 11:19; Luke 7:35) are excellently dissertated by Blessed Theophylactus: “When Christ says that neither John’s life nor Mine pleases you, and you reject all paths of salvation, then I — God’s Great Wisdom — appear in the right, not before the Pharisees, but before My children.” These “children of wisdom” — the common Jewish people, penitent tax-collectors and sinners, who have believed in Christ and accepted His Divine teachings with all their hearts; they are the ones who have “justified” God and His wisdom ie. that the Lord had arranged correctly and wisely the salvation of mankind. And it is to them specifically that the wisdom of God was revealed, and not to the proud Pharisees.