Matthew 11:16-19

¹⁶ “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Commentary

The Lord Jesus Christ now declares the dissatisfaction of that generation. A generation who could not be made pleased with either John or Himself for they had their own ideas and expectations about the Messiah’s arrival. Just as there are people in every generation who cannot be satisfied with them, who instead have their own ideas and desires of what our Lord and Savior (essentially what God) should look and be like. And so, with John the Baptist they found fault not only with his radical declarations, but specifically with his radical austere lifestyle, which to the unbelieving, complacent, vain, worldly and carnal caused them only to say of John “he has a demon.” Conversely the Lord Jesus Christ came eating and drinking, living just like them in every way except Jesus kept Himself from all sin, but in seeking to reach sinners Jesus ate and drink with them, just as He did when He called Matthew (see Matt.9:9-13), something which the devout religious Jews totally shunned doing and took great offense at their Messiah doing. Therefore, when they saw Jesus doing so they only said of Him, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Which is not only an absolutely blasphemous and slanderous remark but what they did is just what those who do not believe and will not receive the love of the truth always do, they always blasphemy and defame the Holy One of God. Just as they will always find a way to not believe the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ, for they will not receive Him or His Words into their hearts, persons and lives. Therefore, in the face of such evil the Lord Jesus Christ say’s: “But wisdom is justified by her children.” That is through God’s perfect plan, ways, and means not only is the Kingdom of heaven come, but everything that John and the Lord Jesus Christ said and did not only vindicates them, but also vindicates everyone in every generation who repents and believes in Him, who will be not only be transformed by the Holy Spirit of the Lord, but we will be saved from the wrath to come by our faith in Him.  Something that is available to you as well to become a partaker of the Divine Nature by Holy Spirit birth the moment you believe (Eph. 1:13-14). and thus, you too can have remission of all your sins and everlasting life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore don’t delay be reconciled to God today!

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.