Uncommon Wisdom—Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 6A/Proper 9A (Matthew 11)

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

¹⁶ “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

    we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; ¹⁹ the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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                When Jesus of Nazareth and John the Baptist appeared on the scene not everyone was pleased. In fact, these two figures whose lives and ministries are intertwined (whether or not they were related) were considered to be embarrassments to many of their peers. They just didn’t fit the norm when it came to religious leaders (not that the prophets of old fit the mold either). You might say that their peers were fickle. They were like children who “played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” In other words, they criticized John for being a dour stick in the mud, who wouldn’t dance when they played the flue. As for Jesus, he didn’t mourn. In other words, he was too loose, acting as he did like a glutton and drunkard who hung out with the wrong kinds of people (sinners and tax collectors). Although John and Jesus are connected, they’re criticized for opposite tendencies.

                In the preceding verses, Jesus had praised John for being a prophet of God. In fact, no one was greater than John, though the least of those in the kingdom of God is greater than him. As a prophet, John fulfills and embodies the mission of Elijah (Mt. 11:7-15). In other words, though he was now in prison (Mt. 11:2-6), he is the final prophet before the coming of the Messiah. Nevertheless, the people have rejected his ministry, along with that of Jesus, but for different reasons.

                What we know from the Gospels about John is that he was a prophetic preacher who, like the prophets of old, condemned the misbehavior of the religious folk. It’s this message that got under the skin of the powers that be and led to his arrest. His asceticism is expressed in his diet (he ate bugs) and his attire (animal skins). Most likely he didn’t smell very good. As for Jesus, he definitely wasn’t an ascetic, severe or not. For one thing, Jesus went to parties and spent time with tax collectors and other riffraff. In response to these two critiques, Jesus accused the critics of being game-playing children.

                Every generation can be a bit fickle. Jesus’ generation surely was. I’ve concluded that ours is as well. We can’t make up our minds as to what is right and good. We separate ourselves along ideological lines, even if those ideologies aren’t well constructed. In the end, nothing gets done because we are content to play party games.

                What we need, it appears, is some uncommon wisdom—not common sense, that’s too common—but wisdom from above. When it comes to the power of wisdom, Jesus says: “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” (Mt. 11:19). While this wisdom is needed, we tend to resist the wisdom of God. Thus, Paul can write in the second reading for the day: ^“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15).  Even when we know the right thing, we fail to do it. Thus, the messages of both Jesus and John are rejected as embarrassments.

                The creators of the Revised Common Lectionary omit verses 20-24, which include Jesus’ words of judgment on the cities that failed to repent when they heard the messages of Jesus and John. We then pick up Jesus’ prayer thanking the Father for revealing the truth not to the “wise and intelligent” but to “infants.” No one, Jesus notes in his prayer, knows the Father except the ones to whom the Son reveals the Father. 

                While many in his generation resisted the things of God as revealed by John and Jesus, Jesus did offer a word of welcome to the weary. Yes, Jesus calls out to all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, inviting them to come to him so he can provide them with rest. Those whom Jesus reaches out to are the infants, that is, the innocent and the marginalized, those whom the world doesn’t consider wise and intelligent. That is, those whose minds and hearts are not closed to the things of God. To this group, Jesus offers a word of welcome.

                This is all good news, except that it’s likely that my place in life is not among the weary but the “wise and intelligent” of this world. I might not be one of those cultured despisers that Friedrich Schleiermacher addressed in his speeches on religion, but I’m hardly weary and carrying heavy burdens. After all, I’m fairly well educated (I have a terminal degree in theology). I may not live in a mansion, but I do live in a nice home in an upscale suburban community. Oh, and I’m not a fan of anti-intellectual rants (especially when the ranters have law degrees from Ivy League universities and sit in Congress). Whatever our station in life, Jesus invites us to put our trust in God rather than ourselves. That can be disturbing, especially to an American psyche that prizes individualism.

                The word we hear is one of graciousness. It is extended to all who recognize their need for rest for their souls. There is a catch, however, they must accept Jesus’ yoke. This yoke, a contraption used to hook up oxen to a plow or wagon, is a sign of submission. This is, in other words, an invitation to discipleship.  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it:

Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it?  What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure.  Discipleship is joy [Discipleship (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4), p. 40.]

For those who have already lost control of their lives, this invitation may be quite appealing. Those who believe that they can continue to be in control of their lives, who trust in their own wisdom, might find this to be a more difficult decision.  

                This word that Jesus offers in this passage is not unique to him. It has its roots in Jewish tradition, as seen in this word from Sirach.

Put your neck under her yoke,

    and let your souls receive instruction;

    it is to be found close by.

 See with your own eyes that I have labored but little

    and found for myself much serenity.  (Sirach 51:26-27). 

In Jewish tradition, the yoke spoken of in Sirach is the study of the Torah. This word of wisdom insists that when we study the Torah, we can experience serenity. The word from Jesus is similar in that it serves as an invitation to join him in learning the ways of the realm of God. In doing this, we find rest for our souls.  It is as Mihee Kim-Kort suggests in her interpretation of this passage:

When Jesus says, “Learn from me,” he is calling us not just to read further or to mull over theological ideas, but to incarnate and embody for ourselves the kingdom that he exhibits in his speech and actions. Once again, Jesus upends these social structures around lineages and the relationships between teacher and disciples, parent and child, ancestors and descendants, to show us that wisdom is shared, it knows no bounds or lines, it is healing, and most importantly, it is given and received. [Connections, p. 327 Kindle edition].

This is truly uncommon wisdom that provides rest for our souls. So we can sing:

 What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!  —Joseph Medlicott Scriven

Image Attribution: Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002. Jai Krist, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59245 [retrieved July 1, 2023]. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, http://www.frankwesleyart.com/main_page.htm.