Luke 7:18–35

A Question from John the Baptist

¹⁸And his disciples reported to John about all these things. And summoning a certain two of his disciples, John ¹⁹sent them^* to the Lord,^c saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” ²⁰And when^* the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ ” ²¹In that hour he healed many people of diseases and suffering and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind people. ²²And he answered and^* said to them, “Go and^* tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear;^d the dead are raised, the poor have good news announced to them.^{* 23}And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”

²⁴And when^* the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are in splendid clothing and luxury are in the royal palaces. ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ²⁷It is this man about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’^e

²⁸I tell you, there is no one greater among those born of women than John, but the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ²⁹(And all the people, when they^* heard this^*—even the tax collectors—affirmed the righteousness of God, because they^* had been baptized with the baptism of John, ³⁰but the Pharisees and the legal experts rejected the purpose of God for themselves, because they^* had not been baptized by him.)

³¹“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, who say,

‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance;

we sang a lament and you did not weep.’

³³For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵And wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”