Luke 7:18-35
Jesus and John the Baptist
18John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
20When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?' "
21At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
24After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is the one about whom it is written:
" 'I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.' 28I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
29(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
31"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
" 'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.' 33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, if He was the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else... Jesus does not say yes, I AM...Instead He tells John's disciples, what God has done through Him...How He has done God's will...Jesus answers the disciples that John had sent by saying, "Go back and report and tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor...Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."...
John's disciples leave and Jesus takes the time to tell the crowd about John...He tells them John is more than a prophet...He is the messenger that the prophet Malachi wrote about who was to come to prepare the way for the Anointed One...Of all men and women born of women no one is greater than John...If we think about this statement, only three people were born in absent of two parents...Adam was created from dust, and Eve was created from Adam's ribs...Jesus was born of woman, but His Father is God...These three Adam, Eve, and Jesus do not have two parents, a mother and father...These three were conceived differently than all the rest of us, who were born of woman and man...John the Baptist is greater that all these traditional born children, yet anyone who is gets into the Kingdom of God, is greater than John...As great as John is as a prophet, nothing compares to getting into our Father's kingdom...
All the people listening to Jesus, including the tax collectors, acknowledged that God's way is the right way, because they had been baptized by John...But the Pharisees, and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John the Baptist...Jesus tells the crowd that some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law quarrel like children out playing...Some children just want to play, sing, and dance...While other children did not want to sing, dance, or play...They just want to be mean and not let the others play..They want the others to be unhappy...Some Pharisees wanted the traditions, and the law to be followed so strictly it was a burden and not the true meaning of God...John taught this strictness to his disciples...Jesus ways were much different than anyone had ever seen...Some seemed to simple, and to sensible and weren't strict enough...What were the Pharisees and experts of the law really trying to teach and tell us...What was their message?...In the end wisdom is made visible by what we do unto others...And true wisdom comes from God...
God comes to us in different ways...It maybe a strict lesson from a friend...It might be from another acquaintance who is free and seems to have few rules...He may come to us in a daily reading in the Bible...God may come to us from an act we see, read about, or hear about from someone we don't even know...But we cannot be like children, who just sit and watch and are mad, because we want to set up our rules and own game on how it is God comes to us, or how we are to receive Him...
Many people, including the Pharisees, want to be in control...It maybe something in us that want to be in control of our relationships, our jobs, our time and our lives...Doing things our way is not the right way...We should want and try to do things God's way...We would like to think we are in control of our present and future...This is our will and not God's will...We are not in control, God is...
If Jesus were doing His ministry today, I am sure there are parts of it we would like and parts we would not like...He would have a group of complainers...If He became popular enough today (and I am sure He would be very Popular and interesting to listen to), He may even have a group of protesters following Him around with signs...He seemed to have a few protesters when He walked the earth...I think we all would like to pick the parts of His teachings we like and parts we would not want to follow (the hard ones)...I wonder if we would like the idea of Him finding and hanging out and teaching sinners, outcasts, and people who have not followed our own man-made laws...We may not like Him telling us to love our enemies...We might not like His views on how we care for material things, and what we truly treasure...The Pharisees and experts in the law were doing their own picking and choosing of what they wanted to hear from Him and what they did not like Him saying...They were His opposition (of His time)...We might learn from the Pharisees...In every decision and in all our decisions that we make, we must choose that decision to believe or not believe not because we like it or don't like it, but because it is the truth...Jesus is the Truth...He is also the way and the life...Since He is the truth we must follow Him...When picking a religion or choosing to follow God, and in doing His will (as Jesus teaches us), we must do not because we like it (or don't like it), but because it is the truth...