ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki ‘Epeleli 17, 2021 

Go and tell … what you hear and see

Mo ō ‘o fakahā …‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku mo fanongo mo mamata ki ai

Matiu 11 (Matthew 11)

(v. 4-6) 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

(v. 4-6) 4 Pea tali ‘e Sīsū ‘o ne pehē kiate kinaua, Mo ō ‘o fakahā kia Sione ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku mo fanongo mo mamata ki ai: 5 ‘oku ‘ā ‘a e kui, pea ‘eve‘eva ‘a e heke, ‘oku fakama‘a ‘a e kilia, pea ongo ‘a e tuli, pea fokotu‘u ‘a e mate, pea malanga‘aki ‘a e ongoongo lelei ki he masiva: 6 pea monū‘ia ā ka ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai tūkia ‘iate au.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Matthew*

Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: Jesus wanted to assure both John and his disciples that He was the Messiah. But He also reminded them that His power would be displayed mostly in humble acts of service, meeting individual needs, and not in spectacular displays of political deliverance.

We might phrase John’s question like this: “Jesus, why aren’t You doing more?” Morgan answered this: “To all such restless impatience, He utters the same warning…For the most part, the way of the Lord’s service is the way of plodding perseverance in the doing of apparently small things. The history of the Church shows that this is one of the lessons most difficult to learn.”

“Why is it that, in these days, it is said that the miracles are rather a trial of faith than a support of it? An unbelieving generation turns even food into poison.” (Spurgeon)

Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me: Jesus knew that the focus of His ministry was offensive to the expectation of the Jewish people, who longed for political deliverance from Roman domination. But there was a blessing for those who were not offended because of the Messiah who came against the expectation of the people.

“A friend has turned these words into another beatitude – The blessedness of the unoffended.” (Meyer)

“Blessed is he who can be left in prison, can be silenced in his testimony, can seem to be deserted of his Lord, and yet can shut out every doubt. John speedily regained this blessedness, and fully recovered his serenity.” (Spurgeon)