The deputation from John the Baptist

St Matthew Chapter XI : Verses 1-6

Contents

• Matt. xi. 1-6 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes. The Baptist's motive in sending his Disciples to Jesus.

Matt. xi. 1-6

Lodi. 1598-1616. Met. NYC. Public Domain.

1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and preach in their cities.

Et factum est, cum consummasset Jesus, præcipiens duodecim discipulis suis, transiit inde ut doceret, et prædicaret in civitatibus eorum.

2 Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:

Joannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi, mittens duos de discipulis suis,

3 Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?

ait illi : Tu es, qui venturus es, an alium exspectamus?

4 And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.

Et respondens Jesus ait illis : Euntes renuntiate Joanni quæ audistis, et vidistis.

5 The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Cæci vident, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, surdi audiunt, mortui resurgunt, pauperes evangelizantur :

6 And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.

et beatus est, qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me.

Notes

    Note. — The deputation from the Baptist is given almost identically by St Luke and St Matthew, but the former gives it in another context, and his chronology is generally considered more accurate than St Matthew’s. St John was imprisoned in the first year of our Lord’s Ministry. When the Pharisees had thus silenced the Precursor, they turned their anger against Christ, who having heard that John was delivered up (supra, iv. 12), retired into Galilee. There He began the series of miracles which spread His fame throughout all Judea, notably the cure of the centurion’s servant and the raising to life of the widow’s son. In this year, too. He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. St Luke thus relates the results of Christ’s mighty works : And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and, throughout all the country round about. And John’s disciples told him of all these things (vii. 17-18). Evidently our Lord’s fame aroused the envy of the Baptist’s disciples, who feared that their master’s renown would suffer in consequence, for John did no sign.

    1. And it came to pass when Jesus had made an end. These words occur five times in the first gospel, and are a translation of a Hebrew transitional idiomatic phrase, which is always placed after one of our Lord’s long discourses, namely, at the close of —

    1. The Sermon on the Mount, vii. 28.

    2. The charge to the apostles, xi. 1.

    3. The series of parables, xiii. 53.

    4. The instructions to His disciples, xix. 1.

    6. Christ’s great prophetic discourse, xxvi. 1.

    he passed from thence. It is not known to what city or place this refers — perhaps Capharnaum.

    in their cities, — i.e. the cities of the Jews.

    2. when John had heard in prison. From his disciples. The Baptist was probably in the fortress of Machærus (the Black Fortress).

    This castle had been in possession of Aretas, father-in-law to Herod Antipas, and emir of Petræa. Probably Herod had seized this castle when his lawful wife, hearing of his approaching marriage with Herodias, fled to her father. Machærus was both a palace and a prison. At this period Herod was doubtless living there with an armed retinue, on account of the war with Aretas in which he was engaged. Herod lost the day, and the Jews considered this defeat as a punishment for the beheading of St John the Baptist.

    two of his disciples. The correct reading is “by or through His disciples ” (διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν). The question was put by the disciples, in the name of their master. The Baptist, though in prison, had a certain liberty of communicating with his disciples (see St Mark vi. 20, 29),

    That this was not unusual in the case of a man arbitrarily detained, is proved also from the example of St Paul, who remained two years in his own hired lodgings, and he received all that came in to him (Acts xxviii. 30).

    3. Art thou he, etc. ? Lit. Art thou the coming (Messias) ? The Coming (One) was a Messianic title.

    Cf. 

1. Till he come that is to be sent (Gen. xlix. 10).

2. Till he came to whom judgment belongeth (Ez. xxi. 27).

3. The desired of all nations shall come (Agg. ii. 8).

    The Messianic kingdom was also spoken of as “ the age that is to come” (ὁ αἰών ὁἐρχόμενος).

    look we for another ? There is no emphasis on the act of seeking ; the real sense is, “ are we to expect anohier ?” ( ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν).

    4. Go and relate. Lit. “ Returning, bear back to St John,” etc.

    what 'you have heard, etc. Lit. “ what you hear and see ” (ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε), namely, our Lord’s words to them, and to those whom He healed in their sight.

    His answer would recall to the messengers the prophecy concerning the Messias ; The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn (Is. lxi.).

    5. The blind see, the lame, etc. St Luke completes St Matthew’s narration : in that same hour, he cured many of their diseases, and hurts, and evil spirits ; and to many that were blind he gave sight (vii. 21). St Matthew presupposes these cures, though he omits mentioning them.

    Jesus gave a double answer to the question : —

    1. He worked the miracles referred to.

    2. He gave a formal reply.

    6. blessed is he, etc. Jesus here warns the disciples of John and His other hearers to lay aside their prejudices and false preconceptions respecting the temporal greatness of the Messias.

    not be scandalized in me. A scandal is a stumbling-block ; metaphorically, it means anything which leads a fellow-creature into sin. In this case, the lowliness of Christ’s social position, which was so opposed to the Jews’ ideas of an earthly prince, led them to reject Him.

    Isaias had prophesied that the Messias should be despised, and Jesus points out that those, who rejected Him, were unconsciously fulfilling these very prophecies, and thus strengthening His claim to be the Messias. He shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Is. viii. 14. See also Is. liii. 3, 4).

Additional Notes

The Precursor’s motive in sending his Disciples to Jesus.

    Various motives have been put forward, e.g. —

1. His faith in Jesus as the Messias was growing weak.

2. He wished to assure himself that the Prophet of Galilee was really Jesus of Nazareth, to whom he had given testimony.

3. Foreseeing his own death, he desired to know if, in limbo, he was to announce that Christ would visit the souls detained there.

4. His object was to bring his disciples into contact with Jesus, that they might accept Him as the Messias.

    Of these various views the first is chiefly put forward by non-Catholic writers.

    The second is very improbable, since St John could scarcely be ignorant of the identity of Jesus with the Prophet of Galilee, the more so that, for a few months, both Jesus and St John were preaching the kingdom of God.

    The third has the support of some of the Fathers (St John Chrys., Ambrose), but the fourth is more generally received, and is in perfect agreement with St John’s character, for our Lord Himself declares him to be no “reed shaken with the wind,” and it is in keeping with the Precursor’s zeal in striving to persuade his disciples to follow Christ.

    5. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, etc.

    1. Jesus worked miracles in proof of His being the Messias (cf. Is. xxxv. 4, 5, and li.).

    2. He taught that charity was to be the law of the Messianic kingdom, and of all true religion.

    3. The miracles He worked had an allegorical meaning, and were typical of the spiritual works of mercy which the Catholic Church was to perform for the souls of men.

    This was not the only occasion that Jesus appealed to facts, when questioned in public concerning His teaching and authority, e.g. —

    1. “ The works which the Father hath given me to perfect : the works themselves, which I do, give testimony of me, that the Father hath sent me” (St John v. 36).

    2. “The works that I do .... they give testimony of me” (St John x. 25).

    3. “Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake” (St John xiv. 12).

    4. “ If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin ” (St John xv. 24).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.