Matthew 11:16a - This Generation - Part 1

Matthew 11:16a "But whereunto shall I liken this generation?"

Jesus here is speaking to the multitudes about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was in jail for preaching to Herod that it was unlawful for him to take his brother’s wife as his own.

While in prison he hears of Jesus’ preaching and sends his disciples to ask Christ if He was the one. Two thoughts as to why he asked:

#1 – For his disciples sake, because John himself knew and he wanted them to hear for themselves.

#2 – He began to have some doubt. Maybe he wondered, “If Jesus is the Christ, than why am I in jail for preaching His Gospel…why hasn't he got me out...?” By the way, it is o.k. to ask God why when you go through trials, but you must be willing to accept His answer.

After this, Jesus tells this crowd that is following Him some great things about John the Baptist:

– 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

- 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist...

Then Jesus asks the question – but whereunto shall I liken this generation? He asks this to those who heard the truth from John the Baptist, but did not listen and were still lost, living in their sin. That was a generation that was bound for an eternity in a Christ-less Hell, and we are surrounded by people today in that same generation. People have not changed. Human nature is still the same today as it was when Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden and sent all mankind into the downward spiral of sin.

Are you a part of this generation today?

In the next couple of post, I want to give you 3 things that the Bible says about that generation that are still true today about this generation. Today, we will look at the first one:

#1 - THIS GENERATION IS INDIFFERENT – Matt. 11:16-17

Jesus likened this generation to a group of children playing out on the street. Children are imitators. Jesus said this generation imitates two things: a dance, and a funeral.

Someone played music, and no one came.

Someone had a funeral, and no one cared.

They were indifferent to what was going on around them.

In spite of all the preaching of the Gospel, this generation is indifferent to the Bible. They are not indifferent to religion, which we will talk about in a later post, but indifferent to the Gospel of Grace.

And this indifferent attitude of the lost has rubbed off on many Christians today. They are neither hot nor cold – lukewarm. Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. This attitude of indifference has sent more people to hell than anything else.

You say you don’t care now – but you better start caring before it is too late.

Got to get them in the boat!

Today I was fortunate enough to go fishing with Tim O. and his friend from work Mike. Tim took out his boat to the Detroit River (here is a map...it is the yellow line in between Michigan and Canada. We fished in the lower part.) and we fished for white bass and walleye. Well, the only walleye we saw were not even bigger than your hand, but we had pretty good luck with the bass. Mike caught a really nice one to start off, and later Tim got a nice size Steel Head. I got my fair share of bass, and had many that were "quick releases." (A quick release is when you get the fish to the surface, but he spits the hook before you get him in the boat.)

But one in particular stands out for me. I caught a good size white bass, and Tim decided that he wanted to keep it. Mike had a metal, collapsible "cage" that had a one-way opening on to so that you could put the fish in, and they could not get out. It was tied to some rope and hung over the side of the boat in the water. Well, Tim pulled it up, and I tossed my fish into the cage....only to miss the cage opening and the fish to swim off!

That got me to thinking of how great those fish were...but it did not matter because I didn't get them into the boat. Then I began to think about the Great Commission that Christ gave His church:

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It's great to win people to Christ, but we haven't fully completed the task that the Lord has given us until we, "Get them in the boat." We have to baptize them, then began to train and disciple them.

Let's go out and win the Lost to Christ....and "get them in the boat!"

Proverbs 16:18

Well, its not Monday, but here is what happened on Saturday at our Walk-a-Thon:

We had a group of teens and some adults meet at church, and then we drove to the Garden City Park. This is a large park with a large playground, ice rink, swimming pool, and multiple ball fields. There is a track that goes around the circumference of the entire park, and it totals 1.2 miles from start to finish. Well, one of the teenagers said before we got there that they would walk around 10 times, which if you do the math equals 12 miles. All the others said, "Oh yeah, we will do it too."

As the only adult that was walking around with them, well....I couldn't let a bunch of teens out walk me. Fortunately for me, another man, Al, came along and walked with me and the teens. He was late because that morning he already walked 3 miles at a Walk-For-Life event at the Tiger's ballpark in downtown Detroit. Long story short, as we continue to walk, the kids start quitting one after another until there were only two left - me and Michael, who will be a senior in High School next year. He finished eight laps, then stopped. Al and myself walk one more mile, then I turn to AL and say, "No more...or you'll have to carry me back."

At this point, I should probably back up and tell those who don't know me that I am not in the greatest of shape....well, I'm in shape - round! 9 laps, or approxiamtatley 11 miles was probably more than I've walked all year, so now my shins and feet were killing me. My head wanted to keep going just to prove to the teens that I could, but my body won over. I knew that if I didn't stop, I would not even be able to get out of bed the next day for church. As I was limping...I mean, walking back to the church van, I thought of this verse:

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

One more lap, and I would have fallen! I was letting my pride write a check that my legs were not willing to cash. Yet, so many people around us do this song and dance everyday. Many people know the truth of God's Word and know that Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for the atonement of sinners - yet they will not admit that they are sinners in need of a Saviour. And if they will not before the day of their death....than destruction awaits as they will fall into the everlasting flames of a God-less Lake of Fire for eternity: Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was caast into the lake of fire.