Wisdom is justified by all her children

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things that you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned for you,

And you did not weep."

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread not drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by all her children."

- Luke 7:18-35

In yesterday's reading, Jesus healed the servant of a centurion and the only son of a widow was brought back to life from death. Two stories: both of people on the margins of this particular society -- one a man of wealth and power and many servants and men he commands, the other a woman who has lost everything and is facing destitution. The centurion is a man of great virtue: humility and compassion and faith, the woman moves Jesus' compassion for her. The crowds with Jesus and with the woman all marvel: "God has visited His people."

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" John the Baptist was put into prison shortly after he had baptized Jesus, and therefore has not been a witness to His ministry. The expectations of the Coming One are many, defined by prophets: see for example these passages from Micah, Zechariah and Malachi. My study bible says that John "probably has not heard Jesus teach, nor seen His many miracles. John also anticipates that Jesus will judge at His first coming, whereas Jesus comes to save and heal. John's question indicates either a desire to obtain secure knowledge or an intent to guide his own disciples to Jesus." Many of Jesus' disciples (including among the Twelve Apostles) were first disciples of John; in a sense they were prepared for discipleship with Jesus having followed John first. John's question reflects the expectations concerning the Messiah, or the Coming One. The reiteration of the question in this passage underscores its great importance.

And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things that you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." Jesus responds to John's question -- posed by John's disciples -- with a display of His healing power. These are "miraculous messianic deeds" as my study bible puts it. His words back to John also reflect prophecy about the Messiah, the Coming One: see these passages from the prophet Isaiah.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'" Jesus speaks to the crowds who now follow Him everywhere, as His reputation has grown so great. He chastises them regarding John the Baptist -- a man of tremendous humility and holiness, who practiced a kind of radical poverty, and is now in prison. He is a prophet in the mold of a prophet, and Jesus claims him to be the messenger referred to in prophecy (see these passages from Isaiah and Malachi). Again, we are in the realm of expectations and of prophecy -- and there is more to this: Jesus settles the question of any rivalry between them with the seal of union. John was the great messenger of the prophets; there is no division between them despite their seeming differences.

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. My study bible says, "Christ recognizes John as the greatest prophet. John belongs to the period of the Old Covenant; the Kingdom of God is inaugurated through Christ. The New Covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than John." John's baptism of repentance, then, in preparation for the Coming One, was -- in the eyes of the Evangelist -- a part of the will of God for His people, of opening up their eyes to what was coming. In such a declaration, we again have a seamless picture given us of transition from the Old to the New, with John the Baptist serving in harmony with Jesus in the context of the One who is to come, the correct expectations of prophecy. There is no division; rather there is fulfillment, with each playing his role in God's great spiritual economy. And this "economy" includes "all the people" who heard, "even the tax collectors" who had received the baptism of John. The only ones excluded are those who have rejected this for themselves, who believe they knew better and have their own "roles" and positions to secure: the Pharisees and the lawyers. The Evangelist tells us flatly here that John's baptism was by the grace of God, and those who rejected it are out of step. It indicates, according to my study bible, a "hardness of heart and no receptivity to the grace of the Kingdom of God."

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned for you, And you did not weep." For John the Baptist came neither eating bread not drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by all her children." Jesus is referring in the verses of chant to a children's game, in which there were two sides. One group of children pretended to be either musicians playing a tune for a dance or mourners at a funeral, and the other would have to respond properly by either dancing or weeping. He compares the leadership (the Pharisees and lawyers referred to above) to such children, who commanded one thing or another, and complain that the other group did not respond properly. Their criticisms of John referred to his austerity, and their criticisms leveled at Jesus and His disciples refer to lack of fasting (see again this previous reading in Luke). And once again, Jesus unites what appear to be diverse teachings and teachers -- a diversity between Himself and John the Baptist, by using the phrase: "Wisdom is justified by all her children." We cannot put limits on the mind nor the manifestation of God in the world: this "wisdom" is that of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit may work in each of us in seeming contradiction and in our uniqueness but for the true spiritual economy of the world in united purpose. We can see the same in the diverse lives of the saints and holy people who've come before us: a radical uniqueness in the abundance of life and personality as developed through holiness -- but each serving the same ultimate purpose in the divine economy of God.

So here we have a mingling of prophecy and expectations, and those who accept or reject the new -- and even the greatest of the old, because they cannot accept it and cannot perceive the spiritual reality at work. What does it mean when the holy appears and defies expectations? How can we keep from that critical mind that only finds fault because it secretly does not want to accept the radically new and unique appearance of the holy that may defy our personal or worldly expectations, and disappoint our hopes in terms of position for ourselves? How do we keep our hearts and eyes and ears open to the work of the holy in our midst? This is the great question here, and Jesus continually invites us to open our eyes to the work of the Spirit, to the manifestation of the holy, by posing these questions here, and pointing out the great economy of God in the work of both John the Baptist and Himself. God may appear to us in rags, in radical poverty -- or perhaps in the form of a Teacher who eats and drinks and celebrates with His students. But both work for the same purpose, and are doing their part. How do we get to the place where we participate and accept likewise? How do we see the union rather than the seeming contradiction? Where do we go to escape the critical mind that blinds us to our own self-centeredness, and vaunted expectation? Perhaps it is as simple as the question of John the Baptist: we hold our minds open, and ask in prayer to the One. Jesus' ministry of grace was not exactly what was expected -- judgment deferred. But John has his mind open to the purposes of God. Can we do the same without setting our own limitations on God? Can we see God's united purpose in seeming diversity and uniqueness of the expression of the holy?