Luke 7:18–35

A Deputation from John

^18aThe disciples of John reported to him about all these things.

¹⁹Summoning ¹two of his disciples, John sent them to ^athe Lord, saying, “Are You the ²Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”

²⁰When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the ¹Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’ ”

²¹At that ¹very time He ^acured many people of diseases and ^bafflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

²²And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the ^ablind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the ^bpoor have the gospel preached to them.

²³“Blessed is he ¹who does not take offense at Me.”

²⁴When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

²⁵“¹But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft ²clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!

²⁶“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.

²⁷“This is the one about whom it is written,

‘^aBehold, I send My messenger ¹ahead of You,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

²⁸“I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is ¹least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they ¹acknowledged ^aGod’s justice, ^bhaving been baptized with ^cthe baptism of John.

³⁰But the Pharisees and the ^1alawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by ²John.

³¹“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?

³²“They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

³³“For John the Baptist has come ^aeating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

³⁴“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a ¹drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ²sinners!’

³⁵“Yet wisdom ^ais vindicated by all her children.”