The Baptist and Christ.
I. When John appeared to Israel, and made his voice heard from the wilderness, the stern reality of such a life struck all imaginations; the hope he held out of a teacher who should subdue all hearts, and lift off the weight of sin, his own short, well-defined teaching kindled men with the hope of peace, and all classes streamed into the desert to hear his tale. Only a few remained; the rest streamed back again, untouched or angry. But all the same, they could not get rid of the religious impulse in their heart. The leaven of the time still worked, and when they got back to their homes in Jerusalem they were charmed to hear of a more liberal teacher than John. (1) The religion of the Baptist had been too hard for them, because of its stern morality. It demanded outward purity domestic, social, political, and mercantile purity. We shall be better off with Christ, they thought. "He will not be so hard on us." Alas! they found themselves worse off than before. It was bad enough to hear that the whole of the outward life had to be reformed; it was ten times worse to hear that the inward life had to be reformed. (2) The religion of the Baptist had been too hard on them, because of its demand for self-sacrifice. And, lo! Christ was ten times more severe on this point than John. To relieve their conscience they turned to abuse and vilify Him who had shown them a vision they could not bear. They were piped unto, and they had not danced.
II. Another class of men turned from the Baptist to look at the religion of Christ. These were the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. John had treated them with no gentle terms. Serpents, generation of vipers these were the soft words ho used. No doubt there were sleek hyprocrites and bigots among them, and the bitter words were well deserved. But there must have been others who were really moral men among them, and who strove to follow righteousness. So far as the religious pride and persecuting and exclusive spirit was concerned, they were not much better than the hypocrites. The Pharisees were disappointed in Christ. No sharper or more indignant language was ever used by man against other men than the words with which Christ denounced them words which cost Him His life, and which He knew would do so. He would have nothing to do with them unless they came to Him humbly, and confessed themselves sinners. Not among their ranks, but among unlearned fishermen and villagers, He chose His special followers; He dined with the publicans, even at one of their houses He admitted the sinful women to salvation. Let the Pharisees say what they will, "wisdom is justified of her children."
S. A. Brooke, The Fight of Faith,p. 19.
References: Matthew 11:16-19. H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit,Nos. 2,248, 2,251; Preacher's Monthly,vol. vi., p. 75; G. Salmon, Sermons Preached in Trinity College, Dublin,p. 249; Pulpit Parables,p. 207. Matthew 11:16-20. A. B. Bruce, Expositor,1st series, vol. v., p. 257. Matthew 11:16-29. R. C. Trench, Studies in the Gospels,p. 153.