Daily Writing

Thursday, 26 June 2025

But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. Matthew 11:8

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“But what you went out to see? A man having been enrobed in fine cloaks? You behold! Those wearing the fines, they are in the kings’ houses” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus asked the crowds what they went into the wilderness to see. Was it a reed shaken by the wind? Now, He asks again, saying, “But what you went out to see?”

The thought beginning with “but” dismisses the previous thought. “No, it can’t be for that reason. Maybe it was for another reason. How about, ‘A man having been enrobed in fine cloaks?’”

The word malakos is introduced. It signifies soft. By extension, that would carry to the idea of fine clothing, but also of a soft, effeminate person. That is how Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians 6:9. In this case, Jesus is referring to it in the sense of enrobing a person.

If the people were looking for a particular type of person, the garments would be an indicator for them concerning a particular category. Maybe the people were looking for someone who possessed wisdom like a scribe, wealth like a nobleman, or power like a king. Maybe it was someone who could impress the people like a magician.

Each of these would normally have particular clothing to match their lifestyle. The finest of them all at this period would be the king. Therefore, Jesus exclaims, “You behold! Those wearing the fines, they are in the kings’ houses.”

Is this what they went out to see? Because if that were the case, they went to the wrong place. In going out to the wilderness, one would expect someone roughly attired. This is, in fact, how John was dressed, as noted in Matthew 3:4 –

“Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

Indeed, some prophets and wise men of the past lived well while serving the kings. Daniel, for example, was in the king’s court of Babylon and later under Persian kings. However, if the people heard of someone calling out in the wilderness, they would expect something entirely different.

Jesus’ question, therefore, begs another negative answer. “No, not at all. That is not what we went out to see.” He is asking them to think through what would lead them into the wilderness and what it meant that they came to John to hear his message.

Life application: One can generally get an immediate sense of what to expect when walking into a church and seeing the pastor. When you walk into an independent fundamental Baptist church, you will often see a person with a short haircut who is wearing an inexpensive monotoned suit and tie.

If you walk into a charismatic church, you might see someone wearing a suit that is flashier, no tie, and the colors are intended to draw attention to the speaker.

The mega-church style will often have someone wearing skinny jeans, expensive leather shoes with flat-toe ends to make his feet look longer than they are, and wearing a dress shirt with no coat or tie. The sleeves may be rolled up as if he is in a conference, expecting results from those around the table.

Once the individual is seen, you can make a guess as to what his style of preaching will be. These are just generalizations, but the style of clothing attracts people. If you want formal, stuffy religion, you will go to a church with pre-designed robes, maybe poofy hats, etc.

Along with the appearance of the pastor, the style of music is a huge draw for many people. It may even be what keeps people coming back. All of these things are externals and really have nothing to do with the quality of the material to be presented. What should matter, first and foremost, is adherence to the Bible.

Unfortunately, this is often hardly a consideration at all. In some churches, the Bible is all but ignored. When you go to church, what do you expect to see? Jesus asked the people why they went out to see John. He will explain what they received when they did so.

When you go to church, are you sitting under a great teacher of the word? A great orator, regardless of how he explains the word, a flashy person whose message stirs the emotions, a showman who speaks in nonsensical tongues and makes people’s stunted legs grow right in front of your eyes?

What are you going to church for? Evaluate that and consider what it is that motivates you to go at all. The answer should be Jesus. Above all, you should want to learn about Jesus, God incarnate.

The only way you are going to receive that properly is by hearing the word that tells of Jesus explained to you. Go to church expecting to find Jesus. That will be the most rewarding church experience of them all.

Glorious God, forgive us when we make going to church about ourselves. We may want to hear a band give us emotional songs, or we may go in hopes of being told everything will be ok. We may go with the intent of making business connections. Lord, help us to be motivated to learn about You. May You be our desire at all times, particularly when we go to church. Amen.

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Matthew 11:7

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And these going, Jesus, He began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What you went out into the wilderness to view? A reed wavering by wind?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus finished His words to the disciples of John, saying, “And blessed, he is, who if not he should stumble in Me.” Matthew next notes, “And these going.”

It is referring to the departure of John’s disciples, carrying Jesus’ words back to him. As they are departing, “Jesus, He began to speak to the crowds about John.”

This is specifically noted by Matthew to ensure that we can see what transpired. The words of Jesus about stumbling would have left John with a negative feeling about his ministry and his efforts. He would feel that he had failed the Lord, and prison was his just due because of it.

Likewise, any in the crowd who heard it, including the disciples, might come to an erroneous conclusion about John. They may laugh off his ministry as a failure, shun his message, look down on him for having been so weak, etc.

Any such thing may come to the minds of the people. Jesus, not wanting anyone to assume they were somehow better than John, or that his ministry was a failure, will speak about him to correct such thoughts.

And He is doing it while the disciples are departing. Thus, these would be the last words they would hear and carry to John. As such, Jesus begins with, “What you went out into the wilderness to view?”

It is a probing question. The people went out in the wilderness to see John, but what was the impetus behind it? Curiosity? Looking for enlightenment? Freedom from a day of boredom? Each person went out for his own reasons. Jesus wants them to consider their reasoning.

The word Jesus uses, theaomai, indicates to look closely at, notice, view, etc. It is the root of théatron, a spectacle in a theater, something one carefully sees and contemplates.

The fact that they had gone out into the wilderness to see John and that they were now there with Jesus meant that the connection between the two was likely the reason why they were now with Jesus. As such, Jesus next asks, “A reed wavering by wind?”

Here are two new words. The first is kalamos, a reed. This is a general word for reed which includes a reed such as the one mentioned now, and which would have grown in regularly flooded areas. This would probably include types of reeds from tall grass to stronger reeds like cane.

This can be deduced from other uses of the word where this same word describes a reed used to beat Jesus (Matthew 27:30), to put a sponge doused with vinegar on it to give Jesus a drink (Matthew 27:48), as a pen (3 John 1:13), and as a measuring rod (Revelation 21:15).

The word corresponds to the Hebrew word qaneh, a reed or a cane, which is translated at times as calamus, a sweet-smelling fragrance derived from cane.

The second new word is saleuó, to waver. It is used to describe agitation, something shaken, etc. Figuratively, it can signify being disturbed (shaken) in the mind, such as in 2 Thessalonians 2:2. In this verse, it signifies the wavering of reeds as the wind blows across them.

The intent of Jesus’ question is to alleviate any perceptions by the people that maybe Jesus felt John may have been a vacillator or unsure of his teachings. He did not want such a thought to arise in their minds. This is all the more likely because people in general, including Israel as seen in the Bible, are just like this.

It is a common trait among people to waver and vacillate. Single reeds do not normally pop up. Rather, they come up in clumps or even thick lines. The wind will blow over them and they will all waver. Thus, it would be a common trait possessed by the people that they may have now thought John possessed as well. Jesus will correct this thinking.

Life application: Of this verse, Bengel states, “The world praises to the face, reviles behind the back.” The people went out to see John. They probably felt his words were sound and reasonable. In fact, that idea is seen in the comparable passage to this one in Luke 7:29. After hearing Jesus’ words about John, they “justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.”

But would they have done so if Jesus hadn’t corrected their thinking first? People tend to hear things and then respond according to what the speaker is saying without really thinking things through, especially when gathered in crowds. If Jesus had said, “John was a great guy, but he really let the ball drop,” the people would have agreed and reviled John from that point forward.

Instead of justifying God, they would justify themselves. “Yeah, we left John for Jesus because John was a failure!” This is how fickle humans can be. A great example of this is when Paul and Barnabas spoke to the people in Lystra. In one breath, they were calling them gods. In the next, they were preparing to stone them.

It happened again to Paul on Malta, where the people called him a murderer and a few minutes later a god. Jesus is setting the stage to explain the importance of John’s ministry while at the same time getting the people to see that they need to be careful in quick, rash judgments about things.

As we read the Bible, we should allow it to mold us to be people who are steady, clear-thinking, and willing to justify God rather than ourselves. We are the ones who are easily swayed. God’s purposes and plans are unchanging and unwavering. How He presents them (such as in various dispensations) is what we need to learn so that we don’t come to faulty conclusions about what He is doing.

Glorious God, help our minds to be clear and unvacillating as we consider Your word. When we see things that seem contradictory, we can know it is not so because You are God, unchanging and reliable. Therefore, the perception is faulty on our part. As this is so, help us to contemplate and understand what we are unclear about. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Matthew 11:6

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And blessed, he is, who if not he should stumble in Me” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus provided John’s disciples with a list of things the Messiah was prophesied or anticipated to do, expecting them to hear and see if what He was doing matched what was anticipated. Next, he says, “And blessed, he is.”

It is the same word, makarios, that Jesus used nine times between Matthew 5:3 and Matthew 5:11 while proclaiming the beatitudes. As such, it doesn’t appear this is a direct appeal to John’s heart nor a subtle but tender rebuke to him. Rather, it appears to be a general statement intended for anyone who heard the words that discernment concerning Him and His role was needed.

Those things stated in the Beatitudes stand as much as a warning as they do a promise of hope. To say, for example, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy,” implies that those who are not merciful will not obtain mercy. If Jesus’ words here follow that tone, the next words stand as an opportunity for blessing or judgment. Those words are, “who if not he should stumble in Me.”

Again, He returns to a word used twice during the Sermon on the Mount, skandalizó. It signifies to entrap, and thus to trip up. Jesus is saying that a person who is not tripped up because of Him and how He conducts His ministry will be blessed. The one who is tripped up will then, by default, not be blessed.

John was in the process of getting tripped up because he heard of what Jesus was doing for the people while he languished in prison. He assumed that the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the Messiah meant all of the prophecies for all of the people.

However, it is apparent after the fact that this was not the case. For example, Acts 3 refers to a man who was lame and who was left at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. It says he was carried there daily, implying this was an ongoing thing for an extended period. Jesus surely would have walked by him, and yet, he wasn’t healed.

That man’s healing after Jesus’ ascension served its own purpose, though. John was myopically looking at the events around him and comparing them to his own situation, and his mind was not rightly processing how Jesus was conducting His messiahship.

Life application: A similar statement could be made today concerning those in the church in relation to Jesus’ words in this verse. The Bible is written. It has various truths in it which we are to consider immutable. It holds the instruction for numerous doctrines we are to consider inviolate. It presents various theologies we are to understand and consider as infrangible.

For example, the Bible presents the understood theology that Jesus is God incarnate. To accept that would be worthy of blessing. To reject it, then, would not be acceptable. The Bible instructs us concerning the doctrine of end-time events.

If Israel of the tribulation period is the Israel who has returned to the land today, to reject that would mean there is no blessing for holding to such a doctrine.

Likewise, the Bible presents the truth that man is created in God’s image and that all men stem from one man, Adam. This reveals a further truth that Adam was… anyone? Yes, Adam was created. As such, to believe that one race is superior to others or that evolution is true will carry with it no blessing. These things are incompatible with what the Bible presents.

Despite there being a mentally exhausting number of truths, doctrines, and theologies in Scripture, do we want to ignore them and remain uneducated in our Christian lives? Do we want to be inaccurate in what we believe because we trusted a pastor or preacher, or a denomination’s teachings, without checking?

How important is it to you to want to know God more intimately and fellowship with Him more closely? Are you happy to stand in a church spewing out gibberish and claiming it is speaking in tongues? Does that satisfy your deepest desires to impress God and others?

Think! We have the word of God written and ready to be studied. Is it more important to watch a second movie in the evening, or will one suffice so that you make time for the word? Where are your priorities? Put God first by learning about Him and His wonderful message of love and life guidance for you.

Lord God Almighty, surely Your word is big, complicated, and will require a lot of our time and mental exertion to grasp. But China built a great wall, the Egyptians built humongous pyramids, and we have sent men to the moon. Can’t we expend our efforts on searching out Your word? What value is human endeavor if You are not included in it? Help us in our pursuit of You through the study of Your word. Amen.

Monday, 23 June 2025

The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Matthew 11:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Blind – they up-look, and lame – they walk, lepers – they are cleansed, and deaf – they hear, dead – they are roused, and poor – they are evangelized” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told John’s disciples to report what they heard and saw. Now, He gives a description of some of those things beginning with, “Blind – they up-look.” This is a new word, anablepó, coming from ana, up, and blepó, to look at, behold, see, etc. Thus, it literally says up-look, but with the intent of the blind seeing once again.

This was something prophesied in the Hebrew writings, such as –

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened.” Isaiah 35:5

Verses such as this indicate that there would be a time when the blind would see. Jesus is attributing this to His ministry without explicitly saying it. He merely asks John’s disciples to report what they see. He next says, “and lame – they walk.”

This was also an anticipated event –

“Then the lame shall leap like a deer.” Isaiah 35:6

Isaiah excitedly pronounced more than just walking, but jumping like a deer. The disciples might not have seen that, but they would have witnessed them at least walking after being lame. Jesus continues with, “lepers – they are cleansed.”

This is not a specific prophecy, but it is something that was accomplished in 1 Kings with the healing of Naaman the Syrian. The healing was at the word of the prophet Elisha. As Jesus was accomplishing this same healing by His own power, it is an implicit reference to the power of the Lord working through Him. Next, He says, “and deaf – they hear.”

This is found in the second half of Isaiah 35:5 –

“Then the lame shall leap like a deer.”

Jesus states these things as a matter of fact. They had heard of them or personally seen them. The confirmation of Jesus fulfilling the role of the Messiah is clearly being explained to them. Understanding this, He continues with, “dead – they are roused.”

As with the leprous, this is not explicitly prophesied (except in the resurrection) as something the Messiah would do. However, like the example with Naaman, both Elijah and Elisha restored the dead to life.

In both cases, the prophets prayed to the Lord for restoration, and it came to pass. In Jesus’ case, He healed under His own power and authority, demonstrating that He is the anticipated Messiah. Lastly, Jesus notes, “and poor – they are evangelized.”

This includes another new word, euaggelizó. It is a verb indicating to announce the good news and thus evangelize. This was referred to in Isaiah 61:1 –

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound” Isaiah 61:1

Due to the words about preaching the good tidings, which come from the same verse as proclaiming liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison for the bound, Jesus is surely hinting at the fact that ending John’s imprisonment is not beyond His ability to change.

As such, John will have to grasp this and accept that God’s will for him is being worked out through his imprisonment. This is the point of Jesus’ carefully stated words. John’s disciples would return and report what they heard and saw. John would then have to understand that another was not coming. If his imprisonment continued, it was for a purpose that he was not privy to.

Life application: John did not understand his situation and asked for clarity as to whether Jesus was the right person to deliver him from it or not. It doesn’t seem that he even clued into the fact that maybe his imprisonment was meant to be, and even meant to continue.

Therefore, his words were essentially, “Hey, I’m in prison and the doors aren’t opening up. When will this end?” Jesus responded with His capabilities, revealing that He was doing exactly what the Messiah was expected to do, even if not all of it for all people everywhere.

The lesson is just as valid for us today as it was for John. God can heal the lame. He can bring sight to the blind. He can cure maladies and diseases. The question from us should never be, “God, are you limited in Your care for me?” Such is not the case.

If you have something in your life that isn’t right, it isn’t that God is uncaring about it. Rather, it may be there to serve a purpose you never thought of. He may be molding you as He molded Paul in his affliction. He may be using you to get a scientist to invent something that could cure you along with millions of others with a similar affliction.

Whatever the reason, God allows trials in our lives. We should never question His goodness for us, even if we don’t understand why such things have taken place. Let us continue to hold fast to the promises which are sure to come to pass when we are brought to Him forever at Jesus’ coming. Until then, just keep on praising God that we have been delivered because of the shed blood of Jesus, our Lord.

Lord God, the trials we face often seem unbearable, but Jesus certainly went through worse. We will be carried through our trials, and we will be in Your presence forever because of what He has done. Until then, give us the ability to keep praising You, even through our troubles, trials, and afflictions. Amen.

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: Matthew 11:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, answering, said to them, ‘Having gone, you report to John what you hear and you see’” (CG).

In the previous verse, John’s disciples came to Jesus asking on behalf of John if He was ‘the Coming’ or if he should anticipate another. In response to that, it next says, “And Jesus, answering, said to them, ‘Having gone, you report to John.’”

Jesus doesn’t give a word in His own defense, as if He is offended, in need of proving Himself, etc. He merely tells them to return and report “what you hear and you see.”

All they have to do is listen and watch the events around them, and that will be sufficient to alert them to the appropriate answer. Jesus will give details in the coming verse, but He leaves those details up to the hearing and seeing of those who desire to pay heed.

Life application: There is a steady and seemingly unending stream of skeptics out there concerning faith in Jesus. Some are just uninformed or misinformed. Others have set themselves against God and want nothing to do with Him. They will even make up lies to diminish any chance of faith in others out of a hatred of the God that they claim doesn’t exist.

There are those who are adherents to other religions and will stick with the faith they were born into no matter what evidence is presented to show the reliability of the Bible. These and many other such scenarios exist, and they can be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome in some people. We must accept that and let people decide on their own where they will stand.

However, for those who really want to know if the word is true or not, the way they can decide this is… yes? It is… to check out the word. Jesus told John’s disciples to report what they heard and saw. The Bible reports what God has done. This is one of its purposes. It is a testament to the problem in man, how that problem came to be, and what God Himself determined to do to correct it.

He has done it in such a manner that it is a self-validating document if one accepts the timeline of prophecies that have been made. This is why people will purposely attempt to manipulate the facts. For example, if prophecies in Daniel were written later than Daniel’s time, then they weren’t prophecies at all. They were things written as if they were prophecies, but only after the events occurred.

However, with careful attention and research, it will be seen that what Daniel claims is reliable and was written prior to the fulfillment of the prophecies. This is especially so when prophecies in the Bible are being fulfilled even in modern times.

Only a sub-dolt would claim that the Old Testament hasn’t existed for millennia and that the fully compiled New Testament is close to 2000 years old. The evidence for these things is without contestation. If prophecies are still aligning today from books like Ezekiel, Daniel, etc., then why would we question the dating of prophecies that were closer to their own time?

In other words, did they fudge the older prophecies but get the chronologically more recent ones right? It is ridiculous to consider! Therefore, the Bible is still validating itself in these later times that it is a reliable witness. It is reporting to us about the Messiah. Be prepared to explain such things to those who may be in doubt.

From there, they can make their own honest evaluation of the claims made in Scripture. For the one who is honest about what he is reading, he will realize that the Jesus presented in Scripture is the One promised by God to fulfill all of the things set before Him as God’s Christ.

We have a sure and enduring word in the pages of the Bible. Be willing to tell others about this truth!

Lord God, people have a right to question Your word. You have put it forth for us to read and decide if we accept its words as truth. The great thing for those willing to check is that they will find out it is exactly what it claims to be. Thank You for this marvelous word that authenticates itself as it progresses through the span of time and human history. Amen.