But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?

 

John the Baptist icon (detail), attributed to Theophanes, 1535-1546

 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 after Jesus finished preaching the Sermon on the Plain (see readings of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), 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 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 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, my study bible continues, was undoubtedly strengthened by the signs performed by Jesus, the Patristic writers universally see this encounter as a means used by John to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was truly the Coming One.  Jesus enumerates in His response the many signs expected of the Messiah envisioned by the prophets (see, for example, Isaiah 29:18, 42), which are fulfilled in His ministry.  In His final statement, there is also an indication of His authority and power.

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 into the wilderness 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.  Jesus quotes from the prophecy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1), indicating that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  It is Malachi who also prophesies the return of Elijah before the Christ (Malachi 4:5-6).  My study bible says that although John the Baptist was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remained in the period of the old covenant.  It explains that 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 that John will not be resurrected to the Kingdom, but rather that his life on earth came before something far superior.

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!' "  Here Jesus references a children's game, which was played in two groups.  One group would mimic musicians, while the other group refused to respond appropriately to the type of music which was played.   My study bible explains that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond to and engage the world around them.  Therefore, they reject John as being too mournful and ascetic, and Christ as being too merciful and joyous. 

 

"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Although both are rejected by the Pharisees, both John and Christ are justified, not by the opinions of other people, but by their spiritual children.  That is, by those who would come to believe and be faithful. 

I am always struck deeply by the loyalty Christ displays in the Gospels.  He defends the disciples when they need defending, and in keeping with this loyalty, He corrects them in private.  Here, the loyalty He displays in His defense of John the Baptist is also touching.  One of the clearest displays of this loyalty is simply in the apparent great diversity between Himself and the Baptist.  Jesus points out the difference -- in the seemingly opposite characterization by the religious authorities -- in the criticisms leveled by the Pharisees:  "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!'"  What the religious authorities (and possibly a worldly viewpoint) see as opposite extremes is united within the faith of Christ, and Christ Himself says that both He and John serve the same purpose of God the Father, and are united in that love and loyalty.  For "wisdom is justified by all her children."  (Wisdom, in Greek, is sophia, a feminine word.)   Let us listen, and picture ourselves as hearers of Jesus' stirring words defending His friend, John the Baptist:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out into the wilderness 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."  John's radical asceticism and humility are no doubt being attacked, now that he himself is under guard and in prison in a king's castle -- and will be beheaded in that king's court (see Mark 6:14-29).   John lived and ministered in the wilderness, clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist (like Elijah's), and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6).  We're told that he baptized in what was called Bethany or Bethabara beyond the Jordan:  that is in a wilderness on the east side of the Jordan river.  So Jesus' words here address the multitudes who are seemingly scornful of John's "wild" appearance and ministry, perhaps in response to the criticism of the Pharisees.  But His defense is every bit as strong and biting as any we'll hear.  Although John was highly revered and followed by multitudes who went to be baptized by him, now he is imprisoned by Herod Antipas.   Jesus asks if they expected a man clothed in soft garments living in luxury (possibly like some of the Pharisees), or one weak like a reed which would be shaken by the wind.  But those types are found in kings' courts -- and John was a prophet and more than a prophet.  What we find in Christ's definitive defense of John is a deep affirmation that God's saints come in all varieties, and none need resemble another as carbon copy drawn within certain lines and profiles.  Each one who serves the Lord, if we look closely, is definitive in strong persona -- and perhaps defined even more sharply and vividly through the action of the Holy Spirit upon personality and character.  But one needs the mind of the discernment of the Church to know that, to understand where love and service to God is found, behind widely varying appearances, circumstances, times, and places, and in unique personalities and characters.  This is what Jesus teaches, and His protective fierce loyalty tells us a story about love and protection:  that He is the One who will never let go of His own, no matter where they are found (John 6:39).  We must take comfort in this deep love and loyalty of Jesus, for all the children of wisdom are those in His flock and among His sheep who hear His voice -- and place our love and trust in Him, who is worthy of such loyalty in return.