Matthew 11: Comparing the Invitations of John the Baptist and Jesus
Matthew 11: Comparing the Invitations of John the Baptist and Jesus
9 Or what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: 'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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."
Among those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. This is a high praise from Jesus for John. However, Jesus added, "yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (v. 11). Father Jung Yang-mo interprets this part as the viewpoint of the editor of Matthew's Gospel. The editor, while elevating the highly respected John the Baptist, intends to present Jesus as even greater. The interpretation that 'the least in the kingdom of heaven' refers to Jesus' disciples rather than Jesus Himself fits the editor's purpose more suitably. The distinction between the great and the least on earth is irrelevant in the kingdom of heaven. In the kingdom of heaven, under the one God, all creation coexists equally. Thus, the kingdom of heaven is indeed a new heaven and a new earth. Even though all prophets, with John the Baptist at their culmination, stand closest to Jesus, they cannot surpass Him. This is an unyielding faith for the editor.
The editor introduces Jesus' invitation to the kingdom of heaven. According to biblical scholars, Jesus' simplification of the approximately 600 laws into the Golden Rule and the commandment of love contrasts with the existing regulations. Therefore, the yoke and burden of those who accept Jesus' invitation are not complicated but easy and light. John the Baptist presented the baptism of repentance as the minimum requirement to receive Jesus' invitation, thereby preparing the way for Jesus’ coming. Let's ask once more: Does Jesus really impose a yoke upon us? There are no conditions written on Jesus' invitation. There are no requirements to be met by the recipient. Only the sender's ultimate decision remains. Our forebears in faith, unable to pinpoint God's ultimate decision, vaguely identified it as love, unable to find a concept beyond it. Following the editor's intent, Jesus' invitation should naturally be more moving than that of John the Baptist.