Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

John the Baptist and Jesus - What did Jesus mean by suggesting that the crowds went to see a "reed shaken by the wind"?
Matthew 11:6, Luke 7:23

"⁷ 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?
⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes… " (Matthew 11:7-9a) but also in the Gospel of Thomas:

"Jesus said, "Why have you come out into the countryside? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a person dressed in fine apparel [like your] governors and your members of court, who wear fine apparel and cannot recognize truth?" (Gospel of Thomas 78, tr. Layton)

The reed in biblical thought is mainly positive and would readily have come to mind from John's preaching along the banks of the Jordan. It was the source of paper as papyrus, of pen and brush, of fishing rod and spear. It could grow to more than 12 feet tall and be used as a measuring stick. That said, it could also be slender and susceptible to bowing in the breeze and as such was used as an idiom for humility (Isaiah 58:5) and fasting or even of being the tail rather than the head (Isaiah 9:14; 19:15).

Theologically, Jesus does not seem to be suggesting that John was as fickle as a slender reed in the wind since otherwise he was renowned for his intransigence and criticising Herod's marriage (Matthew 14:1-12) and the Pharisees hypocrisy. John was firm and upright, quite unlike a weak reed. Jewish thought wrote quite highly of the reed and actually praised its sturdiness amidst the waves:

"As a reed (say they) stands in a place of water, its body waves about, and its roots are many; and though all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they cannot move it out of its place, but it goes and comes with them; and when the winds are still, the reed stands in its place." (Babylonian Talmud, Taanith, 20a)

So, perhaps Jesus was suggesting that people were coming out to listen to someone who would sway with each tide of opinion and whose apparel was comfortable and conformist rather than challenging. Yet we know that John was renowned for his preaching of repentance, his humility in directing others to Christ rather than himself, and in addition for wearing camel hair (Matthew 3:4) rather than regal silks.

John was no panderer to public opinion but was at the very least a prophet. Indeed Jesus, having challenged John's apparent doubts, turns his attention to praising John and commending him as a prophet and the people's seeking him as being the right idea but only the beginning of the story for he was more than a prophet-messenger because Jesus was more than just God's message.

More next week...

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KJ Went has taught biblical Hebrew, hermeneutics and Jewish background to early Christianity. The "Biblical Hebrew made easy" course can be found at www.biblicalhebrew.com.

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