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 of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things 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 to you,
And you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man haw 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

Yesterday we read that after Jesus concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people (the Sermon on the Plain), He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us;' and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 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 of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things 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."  My study bible explains here:  "John the Baptist was imprisoned soon after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Though John directed his disciples to follow Christ (John 1:29-31, 35-37), some remained with him.  While John's own faith was undoubtedly strengthened by the signs Christ performed, the Fathers universally see this encounter as a means John used to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was indeed the Coming One."

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."   My study bible says, "Though he was a the greatest prophet, John's earthly life and ministry remained in the period of the old covenant.  The new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest outside it.  This does not imply John will not be resurrected to the Kingdom, but merely that his life on earth came before something far superior."

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.  We refer back to an earlier question made to Jesus in order to trap Him:   Elsewhere, the chief priests and elders challenge Jesus' authority to cleanse the temple.  Jesus' response is to confound them with a different question:   "The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  It stumped His inquisitors, because they were then caught in a trap:  if they said John's baptism was of heaven then they'd be asked why they did not believe John.  If they said, "From men," then they'd trap themselves against the opinions of the crowd, for John was universally considered to be a holy man.  See Matthew 21:25, Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:5.

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 to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man haw come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!"   Jesus refers to a children's game of the time.  Children divided into two groups.  The first would mimic musicians, playing either for dancing or to accompany mourning -- it was up to the other group to respond by either dancing or weeping, appropriate to the music.  My study bible says, "The Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond to and engage the world around them.  Thus, they rejected John as too mournful and ascetic, and Christ as being too merciful and joyous."

"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  A note reads, "In spite of being rejected by the Pharisees, both John and Christ are justified, not by the opinions of men, but by their children, those who would come to believe and be faithful."

In the traditions of both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, there are very ancient inclusions of martyred saints:  a mother and her three daughters.  The mother was St. Sophia (meaning wisdom in the Greek, the word used in the passage for today in the Greek of the Gospel); her three daughters were named Faith, Hope, and Charity.  This is a very ancient story, from the earliest beginnings of both Eastern and Western traditions.  But it also gives us a very clear example of the "children" of wisdom we can also construe in today's reading:  the gifts of faith, hope, and charity.  We should also be given to understand that in the early Church, it was frequent that the faithful would take on new names representing Christian virtues at Baptism.  Jesus here gives us a great understanding of what His Church should be like.  Wisdom, at work among us, may take on forms that appear to be very different.  Our "communion" is not in our sameness but in the ways in which God works through each unique person in their lives.  Perhaps we need wisdom to understand that in the great variety of the saints of the Church there is unity, or in the tremendous outpouring of the work of God in the world there is also unity, despite apparent differences in character, talents, and personality.  This is the eyes of wisdom we should all wish to acquire, not judging according to the flesh, but trying to see as Christ sees -- or at least asking for God's guidance in our own discernment in life.  Faith, hope, and charity are gifts of wisdom, and so we should view the gifts of Christ as gifts of wisdom.  Logos, the name for Christ given to us in John's Gospel ("In the beginning was the Word" - or Logos in the Greek) is also known as the Wisdom of God.  It was such an important understanding in the early Church that the great basilica of the early Eastern Empire, built in Constantinople, was named Holy Wisdom (Aghia Sophia in the Greek).  Its full name in the Greek translates as Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God.  I think it's essential that we understand the emphasis by the ancients on the Wisdom of God, and this very important understanding of Christ, as Second Person of the Trinity.  In this context, the phrase, "Wisdom is justified by all her children" becomes even more important, indicating an infinite plenitude of ways in which Christ may be at work in us and through us.  Since John the Baptist is one object of this saying by Jesus, we understand the Baptist's service as included in work inspired by the Wisdom of God.  It opens up limitless possibilities for how Wisdom may bear children in the world, especially when we remember that Christ's mission has revealed to us that we are to be bearers of His Church and His light into the world -- His wisdom.  He has taught us in a recent reading not to judge.  What does this leave us with except to focus on His wisdom and how we may manifest and bear that into the world, and blossom with Wisdom's virtues?  This is truly the proper focus as Christians, becoming more "like Him" and being open to His teachings -- and casting aside the things in us that get in the way of doing so.  If we are truly His children, this is our lifetime mission - even as each of us live unique lives and are blessed with unique personas.  How do you bear the image of Wisdom into the world?  How do you seek Wisdom's teachings for yourself, to be a child of Wisdom as He has taught?  Wisdom (Sophia in the Greek) is a feminine word, and thereby may be the true mother of us all.