Luke 7:18–35

In Praise of John the Baptist

¹⁸Then John’s disciples told him about all these things. ^pSo John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹and sent them to the Lord, asking, “Are You the One ^qwho is to come, or should we look for someone else?”

²⁰When the men reached Him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask You, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?’ ”

²¹At that time Jesus healed many people of diseases, ^rplagues, and evil spirits, ^sand He granted sight to many blind people. ^t22He replied to them, “Go and report to John the things you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, ^uthe deaf hear, ^vthe dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. ^w23And anyone who is not ^•offended because of Me is blessed.” ²⁴After John’s messengers left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ²⁵What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft robes? Look, those who are splendidly dressed ^xand live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet? ^yYes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one it is written about:

Look, I am sending My messenger

ahead of You; ^z

he will prepare Your way before You. ^ab

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, ^cbut the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, ^dbecause they had been baptized with John’s baptism. ^e30But since the Pharisees and experts in the law ^fhad not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves. ^g)

An Unresponsive Generation

³¹“To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:

We played the flute for you,

but you didn’t dance;

we sang a lament,

but you didn’t weep!

³³For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, ^hand you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴The ^•Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ⁱ³⁵Yet wisdom is vindicated ^jby all her children.”