Matthew Chapter 11 Verses 16 – 19

• To the religious elite, to the political leaders, to the people that have come out to hear Him…really to whomever has ears to hear, Jesus is saying, “You’re missing the point.” Has anyone ever said that to you? “You’re missing the point.” In terms of a life lesson, or in terms of what they’re trying to tell you? Of course you have, probably especially when you were a child…man my kids miss the point much much more than they perceive the point…the important part of whatever it is that is happening…and what’s odd is that they start out and they got it bad…then a flicker of light around 8 or 9 or 10…then…GONE AGAIN! HA!
• Lincoln misses almost every point there is to miss! He’s kinda just there (and that’s ok). Last week passing mini-golf in Orlando, he says to me from the back seat, “Dad, drop me off!” HA! But Madison is in an age where she is catching mostly everything. Perceiving very well what I’m trying to show her or tell her or what is really going on…and then they lose it again around 12 to 14 and miss almost everything again…it’s a vicious cycle! But sadly, some never recuperate! How tragic to hear this from the Lord…how horrific to miss the point not only on life but man on all of eternity!
• Jesus says, “The music is playing, but you can’t hear it. I’ve taught you the depths of the Kingdom of Heaven and the extent of the condition of man and yet you wander.” He says, “I have shown you, mourned to you but it didn’t affect you (kopto).” “I’ve put heaven on display and the very power of God through the grace of a loving God…and yet you wander,”…I wonder, have you surveyed your life, your attitude, your situation, your track record…and ever asked yourself, am I missing the point?
• I’ve had many “awakenings” in my life around “missing the point.” If you haven’t, then you should start….Probably my most regretful is my grandfather. I called him Papa. His name is Jerry Lawrence. My earliest memories are of him dressing up like Santa Clause during his Christmas visits with us in Bowling Green, KY with my grandmother. As a young man, around 10 years old he started to take me golfing and fishing…at around 12 he took me to the peanut fields of Kentucky and showed me his boyhood home and quaint country town…

• He was in the stands at my little league games and came to as many wrestling meets as he could. He worked hard as an insurance salesman and made a good life for himself and my grandmother. He would often leave bags of food on our doorstep when we didn’t have any…he was the President of the local Christian Business Men’s Association and always called people on their birthday and sang to them over the phone. He was a horrible singer. He had a stroke when I was 18 and it took his ability to speak. He died when I was 20…years after I had become a drug addict. There’s not a day that I don’t wish I had one more day with him on this earth…just to appreciate him…to not miss the point.

• Glory unto God that I will spend life with him again…when life has no expiration…thanks to the cross of Christ. That’s just one of many…many pieces of the pathetic part of my past in which I entirely missed the point. But today I listen for the music…I heed the word of God…My heart is to be on guard every day in my life to not miss the point (what utter weakness!)…especially and intentionally intense when it comes to the things of the Lord…Oh this is major! Jesus says, “I’ve spoken to you, called out to you, explained things to you and yet like a child, you choose to remain blind.” Is that what you have chosen?

• How do you know? Well Jesus gives us a clue here when He says, “Wisdom is justified by her children.” What does your life look like? What does your heart look like? Both of those things are exactly what you have wrought them to become. If you have lived wisely then the product of that wise living, “children” or offspring as Jesus puts it, will be strength, joyfilled and multiplying that all around…if not, then the opposite will be observable. You’ll be weak in character, not too joyful and life doesn’t tend to spread from you but rather is kinda sucked up by you…as you just live…(cruising? – Bro, the Titanic was a cruise ship!)

• One last thing here…so interesting…this word that Jesus uses here when He says, “To what shall I liken this generation? It is like children…” That word for children is paidarion and it’s used only twice in the Bible. Here to describe folks that completely miss the point and once more in John 6:9 to describe the little lad who had the five loaves and two fishes….isn’t that interesting? Because that is us…you’re either living your life as one or living your life as the other…

• On the one hand, missing the point and heading to a series or maybe even a life filled with regretful awakenings as you miss the point, man…or you have taken what little you have, placed it in the service of God…to help and to feed and to nourish others at the command of the Lord Himself…and because of that your tiny provision has multiplied a thousand thousands fold…and many eat and are satisfied…which are you? It’s not hidden…wisdom is revealed by her offspring….

Matthew Chapter 11 Verses 20 – 24

• The result of missing the point? Woe. And very interesting what Jesus is saying here…He is implying that indeed what Uncle Ben said is the truth. Not that your rice cooks in one minute! Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben! That with great power comes great responsibility! It’s the truth! Several scriptures touch on this spiritual fact that ultimately you will be held accountable for what you have been given!
• If you’ve been given greater light then you will be held to a greater level of responsibility! That is exactly what Jesus is saying here! Sobering isn’t it? Well it should be! Think about what the Western World has comparably speaking! And yet who is in need of the greatest repentance? The Western World! The west has had an access to the gospel that no other society has, yet remains in desperate need of repentance!

Matthew Chapter 11 Verse 25

• Answered whom? His own heart! Answered with truth as He Himself became overcome with emotion and grief and we need to take notes! When we’re in the grip, we ought to answer our own hearts with truth! And this grief turns to gratitude towards God because Jesus acts in true wisdom and power and His comments are revelational…to be wise and prudent in your own eyes is to almost guarantee that you will not come to the knowledge of the truth…at least not the fullness that you’re capable of…why? Because in light of God…we know nothing…continually.

• A baby is dependent. A baby is a know-nothing and a need-everything…if that’s you in the presence of God then get ready for real relationship and revelation! Be a babe! HA! That’s right relationship with God by the way! Wholly trusting in Jesus and His Word! (Just like my kids on vacation! At no time did they really know where we were going…they just got in the car! They never asked the plan for the next day…they just vacay’d!) Now Jesus isn’t saying, “Yes, some won’t see!” No. He is simply thankful that some will…

Matthew Chapter 11 Verses 26 – 30

• You see there it is. If we think on the things of God in terms of the flesh, everything is hard, everything is heavy...but a babe in the arms of a Father, everything is easy, everything is light…Jesus says, “Take My yoke,” and why is that awesome? Because His is the only one that is finished, worthy, and entirely accomplished already!