Wisdom is justifed 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 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 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Plain the hearing of the people, 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 tells us that John the Baptist was imprisoned soon after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Although John had 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 particular 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 remarks here that although John was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remained in the period of the old covenant.  It says that the new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greater outside of it.  This doesn't imply that John will not be resurrected to the Kingdom, but simply 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.  See Mark 11:27-33, in which Jesus tests the Pharisees and lawyers regarding the authority of the baptism of John.

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 has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"  Jesus compares the Pharisees and lawyers to children playing a common game in the marketplace.  The children would play this game in two groups.  One group would mimic musicians, either playing music for dancing or lamentations for mourning.  The other group would refuse to respond properly to the music being played.  My study bible comments that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond to and engage the world around them.  So, like the children complaining to their playmates, they condemned John as being too mournful and ascetic, and Christ as being too merciful and joyous.

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"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  My study bible comments that, 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.  

Jesus says, "But wisdom is justified by all her children."  My study bible points out that this expression describes those who would come to believe and be faithful through the ministries of Jesus and of John the Baptist.  Of course that is correct, we can see the outcome of the faithful in those who first follow John and prepare for Christ.  But we can also think of children in yet another metaphorical way, and that would be in a way similar to the way we think of fruits or fruitfulness.  The "children of wisdom" can be all those things that are the products of saintly lives, the outcomes unseen and yet extending so far into history that they continue to have repercussions and make waves around us even now, 2,000 years later.  As each of us reads the Gospel, and the stories of the highly ascetic John, and of Jesus who celebrates in joy with His disciples (including tax collectors), so in our own lives the ripples of the wisdom through these very different men make a difference to us.  They teach us.  In this way, they continue to produce "children."  They influence us.  They cause us to reflect on our own lives.  Even their very unique individualism -- that is, their basic human personae magnified through the presence of God (and in Jesus' case, obviously, this is of an entirely different order than any other human being) -- call us to consider how every saint embodies wisdom somehow in a mysterious synergy with God that magnifies persona, stretches and purifies whatever that person brings to the table or starts with in their lives, to create in them another "child of wisdom."  So, every saint might be considered another child of wisdom, a product of faith and the knowledge of God.  Jesus does us all a tremendous favor by likening the contrast between Himself and John the Baptist, and the varied complaints about them from the religious leadership, to the children playing games -- who both complain that their fellows are on the one hand too somber and serious, and on the other too joyful.  Because in this powerful statement and image, Jesus is giving us an understanding that God works through all.  It doesn't matter the form one comes in, the baggage from home, the way we're born, our quirks or what we consider our failures, our talents, our character:  each individual dynamic effect will be made part of that "child of wisdom" God will make through the mysterious working of faith, prayer, participation in the life of Christ and therefore the wisdom of God.  That outcome that justifies wisdom (in Jesus' words) is not predicted by us, not put together in some abstract form of what we think saintliness is like, but is a product of the completely immeasurable and unpredictable life of God as God works through us.  This will always break our boundaries and expectations because God has a purview that is so far beyond ours.  God has a perspective and plan that is something we can't possibly contain, so we may only find out later what possibilities are developed through our faith life, and the outworkings of God in us.  Just as Jesus and John the Baptist continue to produce children and fruits of faith and wisdom, so we may also enter into that long stream of faithful spiritual children, who go on in turn to influence and possibly illumine others by carrying and reflecting the light of Christ (Matthew 5:14-16).  But the great power of God, far beyond our ability to categorize and dictate, is simply that wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is, all her children, no matter how varied, different, separated by place and time or temperament and training.  We all have this capacity to be children of wisdom.  Let us look to Christ to fashion us in His faith, for He is ultimately the true Holy Wisdom, who fashions so many varied multitudes into one body in His Kingdom of many mansions.  To be capable of embracing the great variety of saints, and the varied ways of Christ, is just one more aspect of how each is blessed "who is not offended because of Me."