And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Jesus.
Luke 7:24-30 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? …
What.
Matthew 3:1-3,5 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, …
Matthew 21:25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
Mark 1:3-5 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight…
A reed.
Genesis 49:4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
2 Corinthians 1:17,18 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? …
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John
Here, Jesus takes the opportunity to address the crowd regarding John the Baptist's significance. This public affirmation of John underscores his prophetic role and the importance of his ministry. It also serves to clarify any misconceptions about John’s identity and mission, reinforcing his position as the one who prepares the way for the Lord, as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3.
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
The wilderness is a significant location in biblical history, often associated with spiritual encounters and divine revelation. By asking this question, Jesus challenges the crowd to reflect on their motivations and expectations when they went to see John. The wilderness setting also connects to the Israelites' journey and their encounters with God, emphasizing the prophetic nature of John's ministry.
A reed swaying in the wind?
This metaphor suggests instability and lack of conviction, characteristics not associated with John the Baptist. By posing this rhetorical question, Jesus highlights John's steadfastness and unwavering commitment to his prophetic calling. The imagery of a reed may also allude to the political and social pressures of the time, contrasting John's firm stance with the vacillating nature of public opinion and leadership.
- The timing is crucial. John has just sent messengers to ask whether Jesus is “the One who was to come” (Matthew 11:2-6).
- Jesus waits until those disciples are on their way back before turning to the crowd. This protects John’s reputation; Jesus will commend him publicly, but first answers John privately (cf. Proverbs 27:2).
- The scene underscores the continuity between the ministries of John and Jesus—there is no rivalry, only affirmation (John 3:27-30).
- Christ does not allow confusion to grow. He defines who John is before the listening audience can form their own incomplete conclusions (cf. Luke 7:24-28).
- By directing the crowd’s attention to John, Jesus underscores that recognizing John’s role is essential to recognizing the Messiah’s identity (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).
- This move counters any temptation to belittle John because of his momentary doubt; instead, Jesus highlights his prophetic stature.
- The wilderness recalls Israel’s history of meeting God in barren places (Exodus 3:1-2; Hosea 2:14).
- The question is rhetorical, inviting the crowd to examine their motives. They had traveled far, indicating they sensed something extraordinary about John (Mark 1:4-5).
- Jesus prompts self-reflection: did they seek novelty or divine revelation? Their answer shapes how they will respond to Jesus Himself.
- Reeds along the Jordan were common and easily bent by every gust. Jesus implies John is the opposite—firm and uncompromising (Matthew 3:7-12).
- John did not tailor his message to public opinion, even confronting Herod’s sin (Mark 6:17-18).
- The imagery contrasts with leaders who adjust their stance for approval (Ephesians 4:14). John’s steadfastness authenticates him as God’s messenger.
- By dismissing the idea of John as a “reed,” Jesus challenges listeners to value conviction over comfort (1 Kings 18:21).
Matthew 11:7 shows Jesus protecting John’s honor, clarifying his prophetic role, and inviting the crowd to weigh their own expectations. Far from being weak or vacillating, John stands as a steadfast herald of the Messiah. Recognizing John’s unwavering character prepares hearts to recognize and receive Jesus, the One whose coming John so boldly proclaimed.
(7) As they departed.--There was an obvious risk that those who heard the question of the Baptist, and our Lord's answer, might be led to think with undue harshness, perhaps even with contempt, of one who had so far failed in steadfastness. As if to meet that risk, Jesus turns, before the messengers were out of hearing, to bear His testimony to the work and character of John. But a little while before, almost as his last public utterance, the forerunner had borne his witness to the King (John 3:23-36), and now He, in His turn, recognises to the full all the greatness of the work which that forerunner had accomplished.What went ye out . . .?--The tense points to the time when the first proclamation of the Baptist, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, drew out crowds to listen to him. Jesus, by His question, bids them recall the impression which had then been made upon them. Had they gone out to see "a reed shaken by the wind?" The imagery was, of course, drawn from the rushes that grew upon the banks of the Jordan, but the use of the singular shows that it was meant to be understood symbolically. Had they gone out to see one who was swayed this way and that by every blast of popular feeling? No, not that; something quite other than that was what they had then beheld.
Verses 7-15. - Jesus recognition of the greatness of John as herald. Vers. 7-11: parallel passage: Luke 7:24-28. Verse 7. - And as they departed; and as these went their way (Revised Version). Fulfilling his command (ver. 4). It' we may combine the language of St. Matthew and St. Luke ("when the messengers of John were departed"), we may say that they had left the circle immediately round our Lord, but were hardly further than the outskirts of the crowd. What went ye out into the wilderness to see? to behold (Revised Version); θεάσασθαι (cf. θέατρον,). It almost suggests that they went out as though to see a spectacle. They were stirred by no deeper motive. Bengel compares John 5:35. A reed shaken with the wind? If the reed referred to by our Lord was the papyrus, which still grows freely in certain parts of the Jordan valley, the description of this plant in 'Rob Roy on the Jordan,' ch. 17, is specially interesting: "There is first a lateral trunk, lying on the water and half-submerged. This is sometimes as thick as a man's body, and from its lower side hang innumerable string-like roots from three to five feet long, and of a deep purple colour .... These pendent roots... retard much of the surface-current where the papyrus grows On the upper surface of the trunks the stems grow alternately in oblique rows;, their thickness at the junction is often four inches, and their height fifteen feet, gracefully tapering until at the top is a little round knob, with long, thin brown, wire-like hairs eighteen inches long, which rise and then, recurving, hang about it in a thyrsus-shaped head." He also says, "The whole jungle of papyrus was floating upon the water, and so the waves raised by the breeze were rocking the green curtain to and fro." This explained "a most curious hissing, grinding, bustling sound, that was heard like waves upon a shingly beach," as "the papyrus stems were rubbing against each other as they nodded out and in." It is, however, much more probable that the reed referred to was "the Arundo donax, a very tall cane, growing twelve feet high, with a magnificent panicle of blossom at the top, and so slender and yielding that it will lie perfectly flat under a gust of wind, and immediately resume its upright position." It grows especially on the western side of the Dead Sea (cf. Tristram, 'Natural History of the Bible,' p. 4,37, edit. 1889). To our Lord's question no answer was needed. John had rejected the overtures of the nationalists (John 1:19-21), and had not feared to rebuke a king (Matthew 14:4).