Title What To See? (Matthew 11:7-9)
Contents
An Apache chieftain was old and could no longer serve as a chieftain. So we had to choose a successor. The chief thought of the future of the Apache people. They wanted a young chieftain who excelled in all respects: physical strength, wisdom, leadership. Finally, through a difficult gate, three young men were chosen. Chief Noh tells them.
"Proud warriors of Apache! Do you see the highest peak of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains over there? I will now ascend to the top without any equipment and hand over my chieftain to the one who arrives early with the mark of that place."
After a tough battle, the three young men climbed to the top and returned with evidence that each reached the top. There was a young man who brought a flower that only blooms on the top of the mountain. One hero presented a piece of red stone at the top of the mountain as evidence. But the last hero was empty-handed. The chief looked at the third warrior with an angry face and asked why he had returned empty-handed. Then he said.
"Chief, I must have climbed that mountaintop. And I saw fertile land and wide rivers and numerous buffalo herds beyond that mountain. I don't care who our chieftain is. But... ...." "We Apaches must cross that mountain."
How do you think the ending would have been? What kind of young man could have been a patriarch?
It was a young man who saw the mountain beyond the mountain and saw the dream beyond the dream.
In today's text, Jesus' question, "What did you go out to see?" was a question asked to those who returned after seeing John the Baptist.
Jesus asks the question, "What did you go out to see?" three times. Verse 7 says, “What did you go out to see?” In verse 8, “What did you go out to see?” And in verse 9, “Why did you go out?”
Ultimately, what you see is a matter of what you are trying to see. And it soon becomes a matter of practice what you are going to do. People see what they want to see and do what they see. So, "What did you go out to see?" The question the Lord asks is important.
This question from Jesus is a lesson in having a clear purpose in doing something. You need to clarify that "what" in your question, What did you go there to see?
Otherwise, you will not see what you really want to see and only see what you don't need to see. You only see useless things.
A ship drifting without direction or purpose is said to be drifting. We say that we sail a ship that moves with a clear purpose and direction. A drifting ship increases the risk of sinking. A ferociously heading ship will see its destination port approaching closer and closer. Are you saints drifting right now? Or are you sailing?
You came to see John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, and he asked, "What have you really seen?" Why did Jesus ask this question? That is, when John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness, many people went out there to hear the cry, were moved and received a baptism of repentance, but more people simply came out of curiosity and went back after seeing other things.
So many people were focusing on things that were far from the core. Jesus pointed this out.
What is the core of John the Baptist's message? “Jesus Christ, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” You must look at the tip of the finger that John the Baptist is pointing to. “He must increase, I must decrease.” “I have come to prepare his way, to make straight his path.” We must look to him.
If you came to see John the Baptist's clothes or to see the reeds in the wilderness, what good would it be?
Everyone sees and lives. Humans see (sight), hear (hear), smell (smell), eat (taste), and touch (tactile). But what you see and how you see it matters.
So the Lord said, "What do you want to see?" That's what you asked. And he told those cases and gave the answer himself.
1. Is it a reed swaying in the wind? You did.
There was a swaying reed in the wilderness where John the Baptist was standing. In Jordan Bay, downstream of the Jordan River, there were so many reeds that even a reed festival could be held. Reeds grow by 3 to 4 meters in length. However, it is so thin and hollow that it vibrates even in the slightest wind and makes a sound. And it hurts well. That is why, in the Bible, it is said, “A bruised reed will not be broken (Isaiah 42:3). Reeds are easily shaken, bruised and brittle.
There were many people like reeds in the wilderness. If you've seen them, you'll probably be disappointed.
What about believers like reeds? It is weak and vibrates well. It sways even in the slightest wind. If even a typhoon is called, the entire reed field will be destroyed. I don't have the strength to endure. Too much external influence. So sometimes he seems like a person full of faith, but sometimes he turns into a devil.
Saints, are you a swaying reed? Are you weak? In Isaiah 26:3 it is written, "You will keep the steadfast in peace in peace, for he trusts in You." I hope that you will become a person with a strong heart and a person who will not be shaken until the end.
There are many people in the world who are like swaying reeds. Even in the church, there may be people who are like swaying reeds. You have to look at Jesus, not the swaying reed.
If you went to the wilderness to see John the Baptist, you must see John the Baptist.
If you went to see John the Baptist and came to see a reed, you have missed the point.
2. Do you wear soft clothes?
What would a person in soft clothing symbolize? It's a wealthy movie. The culmination of worldly values is expressed in soft clothes. I want you to know that the Greek word 'malakos' used for 'soft' here has the meaning of 'luxurious, prodigal, weak' in addition to the meaning of soft. So Jesus' use of this word must have been in a satirical sense. The Lord's words that follow, "He that are clothed in soft robe are in the palace," makes this even clearer.
When we first put our faith in Jesus, what the gentle robe symbolizes could be the reason for our initiation. However, as your faith grows and matures, those things are invisible and only "you must see Jesus."
John the Baptist was not a man in soft clothes. And Jesus, who John the Baptist refers to, had nothing to do with the one in soft clothing. 'The One who forsook equality with God and rose from the throne and came to this earth in the form of a servant as a savior.'
3. Are you a prophet?
Jesus himself answered this question. He said, "That's right. He is greater than the prophets."
The reason people went out into the wilderness was not because of a swaying reed, nor was it because of wealth or glory. It was to see the prophet of God and hear the word of God from him.
Jesus' question
It tells us what we should see today.
It clearly states what we must see and go to when we leave the church today.
What do you want to see when you come to church today? Would you like to see a swaying reed? Do you want to see people in soft clothes?
Are you a prophet? I believe you should go see something bigger than that.
Jesus, who died on the cross for us, who shed His precious blood for us, must be resurrected to see the Lord helping us today while sitting at the right hand of God.
When you go to the wilderness to see John the Baptist, you will see the animal hair that John the Baptist is wearing, or the leather belt around his waist, and the stone blue he is eating, or the locusts he is eating, or the reeds swaying by the river. It won't be. If we are obsessed with vain things like reeds swaying in the wind, if we are preoccupied with veneers like people in soft clothes, if we live a miserable life like people who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury, it's really bad. We believe that we should turn our gaze away from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and fix it on the kingdom of God and the will of God.