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Luke 7:18-35
Encouraging John the Baptist 18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 24 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? 25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. 26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. 31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? 32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. 34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! 35 But wisdom is justified of all her children. |
Margin notes:
"The disciples of John shewed him of all these things." (7:18) - "The disciples of John the Baptist told him all these things." John was in prison at the time (Matthew 11:2; Luke 3:19-20). So his excited disciples told him how Jesus had healed the centurion's servant and resurrected the widow's son in Luke 7:2-17 (reading 118). "Look we for another." (7:19) - John wants to be sure Jesus is the Messiah. "Tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." (7:22) - When John learns of these miracles, he will know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies recorded in Isaiah 29:18-19, 35:5-6, and 61:1. "Whosoever shall not be offended in me." (7:23) - "Whoever has faith in me." "A reed shaken with the wind?" (7:24) - "A (weak) blade of grass blown with the wind?" "A man clothed in soft raiment?" (7:25) - "A man dressed in lavish clothes." John lived an austere life, his clothes were made from "camel's hair" (Matthew 3:4). "Live delicately." (7:25) - "Live luxuriously." "Much more than a prophet." (7:26) - John was a "prophet of the Highest" order (Luke 1:76). "It is written, Behold I send my messenger..." (7:27) - Written in Malachi 3:1. See also Isaiah 40:3. "All the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God." (7:29) - "All the people who heard him, even the tax collectors, agreed with God's way" (Matthew 21:32). "Lawyers." (7:30) - "Scribes." Often called "doctors of the law" (Luke 5:17), scribes were experts on Mosaic Law and the Old Testament prophecies. Predominantly Pharisees (one of four Jewish sects), scribes interpreted Mosaic Law, taught Judaism, and helped settle religious disputes. They were highly regarded in Jewish society, to the point where "If a man's father and teacher have lost anything, the teacher's loss should have the precedence - i.e., he must first be assisted in recovering it - the burden of a teacher is to be born in preference to that of a father, a teacher must be ransomed from captivity before one's own father." (From "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; page 981). Because scribes hindered people in their religious journey, burdened them with unnecessary religious legalisms, and tried to entrap Jesus (Luke 11:52-54), He condemned them as hypocrites (Luke 11:44). "Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?" (7:31) - "What can I compare this generation to?" "They are like unto children." (7:32) - "They are childish." "Piped unto you." (7:32) - "Played the flute for you." "John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine." (7:33) - See Luke 1:15. John's meager meals were "locusts and wild honey" (Mark 1:6); still, they doubted his intentions. "And a winebibber." (7:34) - "And a drinker." Jesus doesn't live on locusts and wild honey, yet they doubt His intentions, too. |