11When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.G2532G1096G3753G2424G5055G1299G846G1427G3101G3327G1564G1321G2532G2784G1722G846G4172 2John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciplesG1161G2491G191G1722G1201G2041G5547G3992G1417G846G3101 3to ask, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?"G2036G846G1488G4771G2064G2228G4328G2087 4Jesus told them, "Go back and tell John what's going on:G2424G611G2532G2036G846G4198G518G2491G518G3739G191G2532G991 5The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.G5185G308G2532G5560G4043G3015G2511G2532G2974G191G3498G1453G2532G4434G2097 6"Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!"G2532G3107G2076G3739G4624G3362G4624G1722G1698 7When John's disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper?G1161G5130G4198G2424G756G3004G3793G4012G2491G5101G1831G1519G2048G2300G2563G4531G5259G417 8Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot.G235G5101G1831G1492G444G294G1722G3120G2440G2400G5409G3120G1526G1722G935G3624 9What then? A prophet? That's right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you'll ever hear.G235G5101G1831G1492G4396G3483G3004G5213G2532G4055G4396 10He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, 'I'm sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.'G1063G3778G2076G4012G3739G1125G2400G1473G649G3450G32G4253G4675G4383G3739G2680G4675G3598G1715G4675 11"Let me tell you what's going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.G281G3004G5213G1722G1084G1135G1453G3756G1453G3187G2491G910G1161G3398G1722G932G3772G2076G3187G846 12For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God's kingdom.G1161G575G2250G2491G910G2193G737G932G3772G971G2532G973G726G846G726 13But if you read the books of the Prophets and God's Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom.G1063G3956G4396G2532G3551G4395G2193G2491 14Looked at in this way, John is the 'Elijah' you've all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.G2532G1487G2309G1209G846G2076G2243G3588G3195G2064 15"Are you listening to me? Really listening?G2192G3775G191G191 16"How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents,G1161G5101G3666G5026G1074G2076G3664G3808G2521G1722G58G2532G4377G846G2083 17'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.'G2532G3004G832G5213G2532G3738G3756G3738G2354G5213G2532G2875G3756G2875 18John came fasting and they called him crazy.G1063G2491G2064G3383G2068G3383G4095G2532G3004G2192G1140 19I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riff-raff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating."G5207G444G2064G2068G2532G4095G2532G3004G2400G444G5314G2532G3630G5384G5057G2532G268G2532G4678G1344G575G846G5043 20Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.G5119G756G3679G4172G1722G3739G4118G846G1411G1096G3754G3340G3756 21"Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute.G3759G4671G5523G3759G4671G966G3754G1487G1411G3588G1096G1722G5213G1096G1722G5184G2532G4605G3340G302G3819G1722G4526G2532G4700 22At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you.G4133G3004G5213G2071G414G5184G2532G4605G1722G2250G2920G2228G5213 23And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around.G2532G4771G2584G3588G5312G2193G3772G2601G2193G86G3754G1487G1411G3588G1096G1722G4671G1096G1722G4670G302G3306G3360G4594 24At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you."G4133G3004G5213G3754G2071G414G1093G4670G1722G2250G2920G2228G4671 25Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.G1722G1565G2540G2424G611G2036G1843G4671G3962G2962G3772G2532G1093G3754G613G5023G575G4680G2532G4908G2532G601G846G3516 26Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."G3483G3962G3754G3779G1096G2107G4675G1715 27Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.G3956G3860G3427G5259G3450G3962G2532G3762G1921G5207G1508G3962G3761G1921G5100G3962G1508G5207G2532G3739G1437G5207G1014G601 28"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.G1205G4314G3165G3956G2872G2532G5412G2504G373G5209G373 29Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.G142G3450G2218G1909G5209G2532G3129G575G1700G3754G1510G4235G2532G5011G2588G2532G2147G372G5216G5590 30Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."G1063G3450G2218G5543G2532G3450G5413G2076G1645
The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
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