CLICK TO LISTEN: 058 The Danger of Indifference (Matthew 11 ,16-24)
The Danger of Indifference
Matthew 11:16-24
July 24, 2011
As you know we are studying Matthew’s gospel
And presently we are in the middle of a section in which
Matthew chronicles the response that Jesus received from the world.
We already learned in Matthew 10
That the response to Jesus would not be favorable.
We’ve heard the promises of hatred and mocking and prison and death.
It seems that those promises from Jesus are coming true all too quickly.
According to verse 1, Jesus has departed from the twelve to go and teach and preach in all the cities of Israel.
He is looking for those lost, distressed, and dispirited sheep.
And a couple of weeks ago we witnessed an event
That really pressed the issue.
John the Baptist sent his disciples to find out if
Jesus really was “the Expected One”
Jesus answered by pointing to His obvious fruit.
Without directly saying it, Jesus reassured John that He was indeed the Messiah John had previously thought Him to be.
Of course this confrontation let the cat out of the bag
And Jesus must deal with the crowd who overheard the scenario.
So (as we saw last week) Jesus turned to the crowd
And introduced the truth about John the Baptist.
• John was no “feel good” preacher who told people what they wanted to hear.
• John was no “prosperity” preacher who told people how to get rich.
• John was a prophet who told people to repent.
Furthermore John was the long-awaited forerunner to the Messiah.
That meant that Jesus is without a doubt the Messiah who was to come.
To which Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And that statement both closes one issue and opens another.
DID THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAVE EARS?
Absolutely.
DID THEY HEAR?
I’m afraid not.
You see their problem has always been ears that don’t hear
And eyes that don’t see.
Way back even in Isaiah’s day God told him:
Isaiah 6:9-10 “He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”
Incidentally no Old Testament passage is more referenced
In the New Testament than that one.
Time and time again the indifference of Israel reared its ugly head.
In fact by Matthew 13 Jesus will quote that passage directly.
Matthew 13:13-15 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING,BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
That passage would be quoted several more times in the New Testament. (At least two more times by Jesus in Mark 8 and John 9)
And several times by the apostle Paul.
The reason of course is because Israel continued to prove it true.
Time and time again those who preached the truth to Israel
Found them not to be ignorant people, nor immoral people,
But indifferent people.
They were a people with ready access to the revelation of God,
But they were a people who refused to hear it or see it.
And that is why Jesus gave the truth about John and ultimately Himself and then said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus knew everyone wouldn’t listen to what He just said.
Everyone wouldn’t believe what He just revealed.
And that is why Jesus continues on in His sermon.
And what He does here is both reveal the presence and the problem
Of the indifference of Israel.
And we can learn a great lesson here.
We live in a world that thinks ignorance is a bad problem.
• We push education…
• We monitor education…
• We proved limitless ways of gaining education…
And certainly ignorance can be a problem.
Perhaps no verse states it more clearly than:
Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”
People who are ignorant of the way of salvation cannot be saved,
And certainly in that sense ignorance is a problem.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
And so ignorance can be a problem.
Our world also thinks immorality is a problem (though that mindset is changing)
And certainly immorality is a problem.
It brings both natural and divine consequences.
Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
And so both of ignorance and immorality are problems.
But according to Jesus, neither is as big a problem as indifference.
HOW DO I KNOW?
Because Jesus says in our passage this morning that the indifferent
Will suffer more in eternity than both the ignorant and the immoral.
The judgment is stricter on the indifferent than on any other person.
And that is who Israel is.
3 things:
#1 THE COMPARISON
Matthew 11:16-19a
“But to what shall I compare this generation?”
That question did not just come off the top of His head as some suspect.
He is building on the comparison He just did with John.
Remember up in verses 7-8 He asked what He should compare John to.
Should I compare John to a reed shaken by the wind?
Should I compare John to a man in a king’s palace?
Ultimately the answer was no, John was a prophet.
Jesus is building on that here.
Now asking, “to what shall I compare this generation?”
Imagine if Jesus entered this morning and asked,
“What can I compare you people to?”
And He wastes no time in settling their curiosity.
“it is like children sitting in the market places,”
John received a favorable comparison from Jesus,
This generation certainly did not.
Their comparison was “it is like children”
And I suppose you could twist that to be a good thing.
You could suppose Jesus was speaking of the innocence of a child…
You could suppose Jesus was talking about the simple faith of a child…
But Jesus is not here speaking of a child’s innocence or faith.
Jesus is here speaking of a child’s selfishness.
While children can be innocent and children can demonstrate great trust,
Children also have a propensity to be selfish.
And that is what Jesus references here.
(possibly even pointing out some children doing this very thing)
“it is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”
Now this isn’t a hard comparison.
We all know children love to play games which emulate grown-up activity.
Kids love to play “store”
Kids love to play “house”
Little girls have “tea parties” and little boys “work with their tools”
In Jesus’ day kids played the same types of games,
Only then they played “funeral” and they played “wedding”.
And with good reason.
Funerals and weddings were about the most excitement
Children saw on a regular basis.
Each lasted about a week, and each involved large numbers of people.
But because they were kids, you know there were times when one kid wanted to play funeral and the others wanted to play wedding.
To which a kid says, “I’ll take my ball and go home”
“If you aren’t gonna do it my way, then I’m not playing”
And any adult watching those kids understands that it is merely selfishness, and you go and talk to the child and say, “You are going to have to do what others want if you want to be able to play.”
We’ve all seen this incident before.
And Jesus says, “That is what you are like”.
You are like a bunch of spoiled children
Who are only interested in doing what you want,
But unwilling to change in order to take part with everyone else.
You try to force everyone to do things your way,
And yet you are unwilling to adapt your desires for someone else.
Specifically Jesus referred to the kingdom.
Remember last week back in verse 12?
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.”
And we talked about how men were trying to force their way into the kingdom by changing the kingdom.
• They were maligning the righteous standard of God.
• They were seeking to omit certain truths.
• They were trying to force God’s kingdom to conform to their standards instead
of the other way around.
And Jesus say, you are just like a bunch of spoiled selfish kids,
Unwilling to change in order to enter the kingdom.
Well that is obviously a pretty harsh rebuke.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF THIS JESUS?
(18-19) “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
The evidence is that you don’t listen to anyone.
John came abstaining from all worldly desires (some see this as “playing the funeral game”) and commanding you to repent.
But you wouldn’t listen to John, and wrote him off as demon possessed.
Jesus came befriending sinners (some see this as “playing the wedding game”) and calling for you to love one another,
But you didn’t want to do that so you wrote Him off as being a drunkard.
Jesus and John both preached about entering the kingdom.
Both came and told you how to play the game God’s way.
But because of your selfishness…
Because of your spoiled nature…
You would listen to neither of them.
You wouldn’t listen to John and you won’t listen to Me.
You are like spoiled kids who would rather John and I
Change our standards to fit your desires.
Jesus exposed a people who were utterly unsubmissive
And unwilling to enter the kingdom according to God’s standards.
Jesus would give another parable of this later in Matthew’s gospel.
TURN TO: MATTHEW 22:1-13
It is the same issue, unwilling to listen, unwilling to change.
So first we see The Comparison
#2 THE CORRECTION
Matthew 11:19b
“Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
And this is a very harsh but accurate statement.
DO YOU KNOW WHY THESE PEOPLE REFUSED TO CHANGE?
They were certain they were correct.
They were sure that they were right and could not possibly be wrong and therefore unwilling to listen or yield.
I run across this all the time as I witness to people
And hear them tell me about all their far-fetched beliefs.
After I listen to what all they believe I often ask them this question,
“If what you believed was wrong, would you want to know?”
Most say, “Yes” to that question,
But very few ever listen to anything I have to say after that.
They are certain they are correct, they are certain that they are wise.
They are unwilling to listen.
That was certainly Israel’s mindset.
Remember what Paul said about them in Romans 2?
Romans 2:17-20 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,”
The Jews were certain they were wise.
And that certainty even led them to refuse John the Baptist
And argue with the Son of God Himself.
They were so wise in their own estimation
That they wouldn’t even listen to God in the flesh.
Instead they tried to force God to alter His kingdom
To fit their understanding.
They thought themselves to be wise.
Jesus says, “No” – “wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
• In other words saying you are wise doesn’t cut it.
• Assuming you are wise doesn’t cut it.
• Pretending you are wise doesn’t cut it.
WHAT DOES VINDICATE WISDOM?
“deeds”
When you do what is wise then you can be called wise.
James 3:13-18 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
True wisdom is shown through its “good behavior” and its “deeds”.
Claiming to be wise means nothing if you do not do what is wise.
Now let me ask you a question.
WHAT COULD THESE PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT WOULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED WISDOM?
They could have listened to John the Baptist and repented.
They could have listened to Jesus and followed Him.
But these people didn’t do that.
They called John a demoniac and Jesus a drunk.
So they rejected the forerunner and they rejected the Messiah.
I think I can go on record as stating, that was not wise.
It is not wise to cling to the sin God commands you to let go.
It is not wise to reject the only Savior this world will ever have.
In fact Jesus even appeals to this sort of logic later:
Matthew 16:25-27 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
DO YOU HEAR JESUS ASKING FOR WISDOM?
These people weren’t wise.
They were selfish, naïve, foolish children
And they proved it by their rejection of both John and Jesus.
And friend that is too obvious an application to pass up.
John the Baptist came to prepare a man for his encounter with Jesus.
That preparation included taking value of all you have and all you are,
And realizing that none of it was as important as entering God’s kingdom.
He then called you to lay aside anything that might hinder you
From following Jesus when He called.
If it is your pride – lay it down
If it is your money – give it away
If it is your family – leave them behind
John was preparing you to make it easier for you
To follow Jesus when He called.
Jesus then came asking men to follow Him.
He told men to lose this life.
He told men to choose Him over family.
He told men to choose Him over fortune.
IT IS WISE TO FOLLOW
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
Let me encourage you not to just claim wisdom, but to prove it.
Forsake this life and follow Jesus.
Turn from sin and embrace righteousness.
Prove yourself a wise man.
The Comparison, The Correction
#3 THE CONDEMNATION
Matthew 11:20-24
And here comes one of the most jaw-dropping statements
Jesus ever made to the crowds of Israel.
He started “to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done”
He denounced them “because they would not repent”
In other words He denounced them for their foolishness.
He denounced them because they wouldn’t do what was wise.
And that is bad enough.
But Jesus takes it to the extreme.
(21) “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
Now we don’t have time to go into a full sketch of Tyre and Sidon.
Just let me remind you that they were pagan port cities.
(that should paint a pretty good image for you)
They are continually condemned by God throughout Scripture.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, and Zechariah
All pronounced judgment on them.
There was no mistaking that God was not pleased with these pagan cities.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE MAIN PROBLEM OF TYRE AND SIDON WAS?
Ignorance.
“if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon…”
They never saw all the miracles of God.
They didn’t have near the access to truth that Israel had.
Now, this didn’t stop their judgment.
They had the testimony of creation and this is enough.
But compared to Israel their problem was ignorance.
Jesus even goes on to say, if they had had all the knowledge Israel had, “they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
So doing the math we can say:
• Tyre and Sidon were more ignorant than Israel.
• Israel was more indifferent than Tyre and Sidon.
And:
(22) “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”
They were ignorant, but you are indifferent and therefore
Your judgment will be worse than theirs.
And then Jesus has another comparison.
(23) “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.”
Notice first of all that Jesus corrects their misconception about going to heaven.
Now again, we know Sodom.
That vile city in which the men tried to have homosexual sex with God’s angelic messenger and ultimately had fire and brimstone rained upon them.
THEIR PROBLEM WAS IMMORALITY
(24) “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
Sodom was immoral, but Israel was indifferent
And so Israel’s judgment will be worse.
Now the ignorant are judged…
And the immoral are judged…
But the most severe judgment is reserved for the indifferent.
Luke 12:42-48 “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
And here is vitally important truth.
God isn’t just looking for you to have knowledge.
Hell will be filled with knowledgeable people.
In fact the worst punishment in hell will be on those most knowledgeable.
God is looking for you to exercise wisdom.
He is looking for you to act on what you know.
He is looking for you do what He says.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
Knowing Jesus is Lord is nothing.
Obeying Jesus as Lord is everything.
And I think it is vitally important that we all understand this.
Aside from Israel, can you think of a nation
that has had more access to the truth of God than us?
America is an educated nation.
• We have access to the gospel.
• There are churches scattered throughout this land.
• There are numerous Christian radio stations.
• There are numerous Christian television stations.
• Most of us have several copies of God’s word.
But America has grown indifferent to that truth.
And indifference is far more dangerous than ignorance.
And the same is true for immorality.
We imagine that God is angry with abortion doctors
And homosexuals and greedy lawyers and politicians.
And certainly God judges those things.
But the hottest parts of hell won’t be reserved for those people.
The hottest parts of hell is reserved for the church crowd
Who had full access to the truth but who never obeyed it.
The most lashes are reserved for those
With eyes but who refused to see
And for those with ears but who refused to hear.
The point is, don’t be indifferent to the truth of God.
Be wise and prove it by doing what Christ says.
Turn from your sin, and follow Jesus.
“wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
