Matthew 11:19

19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, 'Look at him! He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' "Yet, wisdom is proved right by its actions."

Matthew 11:19 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 11:19

The son of man came eating and drinking
Meaning himself, who ate and drank as men usually do, lived in the common way of life, was free and sociable, went to feasts, entertainments, and weddings, when he was invited; and was affable, courteous, and friendly in his deportment, to all men;

and they say, behold a man gluttonous,
a voracious man, an epicurean, one that indulges his appetite to a very great degree, and in a scandalous manner;

a winebibber,
a common tippler, one that drinks to excess; whom the Rabbins call F11, (Nrgrg) , who is one, they say, that drinks up his cup at one draught; one that is given to wine, and is greedy of it:

a friend of publicans and sinners;
such as are openly and notoriously wicked; and loves their company, for the sake of tippling with them; and encourages them in their revelling and drunkenness; a very black charge this!

But wisdom is justified of her children;
either the wisdom of God, in making use of ministers of a different disposition and deportment, whereby some are gained, and others left inexcusable: or the Gospel, in which there is such a display of divine wisdom, which is vindicated from the charge of licentiousness, by the agreeable lives and conversations of the children of God: or rather Christ himself, who is the wisdom of God; and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; who, however he may be traduced by ignorant and malicious men, yet will be acquitted from all such charges, as here insinuated, by all the true sons of wisdom; or by such, who are made wise unto salvation. We may learn from hence, that no sort of preachers and preaching will please some men; that the best of Gospel ministers may be reproached as libertines, or madmen; and that they will be sooner, or later, justified and cleared from all such aspersions.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 86. 2. Betza, fol. 25. 2.

Matthew 11:19 In-Context

17 'We played music for you, but you didn't dance. We sang a funeral song, but you didn't show any sadness.'
18 "John came neither eating nor drinking, and people say, 'There's a demon in him!'
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, 'Look at him! He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' "Yet, wisdom is proved right by its actions."
20 Then Jesus denounced the cities where he had worked most of his miracles because they had not changed the way they thought and acted.
21 "How horrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had been worked in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed the way they thought and acted long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
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