Luke 7:18-35

Messengers from John the Baptist

18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John,

19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one ¹who is to come, or ²shall we look for another?"

20 And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one ³who is to come, or ⁴shall we look for another?'"

21 In that hour ⁵he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and ⁶on many who were blind he bestowed sight.

22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: ⁷the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, ⁸lepers^[a] are cleansed, and ⁹the deaf hear, ¹⁰the dead are raised up, ¹¹the poor have good news preached to them.

23 And blessed is the one who is ¹²not offended by me."

24 When John's messengers had gone, Jesus^[b] began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out ¹³into the wilderness to see? ¹⁴A reed shaken by the wind?

25 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts.

26 What then did you go out to see? ¹⁵A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27 This is he of whom it is written, ¹⁶"'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

29 (¹⁷When all the people heard this, and ¹⁸the tax collectors too, they declared God just,^[c]19having been baptized with ²⁰the baptism of John,

30 ²¹but the Pharisees and ²²the lawyers ²³rejected ²⁴the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

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

32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'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 ²⁵eating no bread and ²⁶drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'

34 The Son of Man has come ²⁷eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ²⁸a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

35 Yet ²⁹wisdom is justified by all her children."

Cross References

• 1. John 4:25; John 6:14; John 11:27
• 2. [Luke 3:15]
• 3. [See ver. 19 above]
• 4. [See ver. 19 above]
• 5. Mark 1:34
• 6. Luke 18:42; Matthew 9:30; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 15:31; Matthew 20:34; Matthew 21:14; Mark 8:25; John 9:7
• 7. Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5, 6; Matthew 15:30
• 8. Luke 17:14
• 9. Mark 7:35
• 10. See ver. 14
• 11. Luke 4:18; [Matthew 5:3; James 2:5]
• 12. Isaiah 8:14, 15; John 6:61
• 13. Luke 1:80; Luke 3:2
• 14. [Ephesians 4:14; James 1:6]
• 15. Luke 1:76; Luke 20:6; Matthew 14:5
• 16. Mark 1:2; Cited from Malachi 3:1; [Luke 1:17, 76]
• 17. [Luke 20:6]
• 18. Luke 3:12; Matthew 21:32
• 19. Luke 3:12; Matthew 21:32
• 20. Acts 18:25; Acts 19:3
• 21. [Matthew 21:25, 32; Matthew 23:13]
• 22. Luke 10:25; Luke 11:45, 46, 52; Luke 14:3; Matthew 22:35
• 23. See Mark 7:9
• 24. Acts 2:23; Acts 13:36
• 25. Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6
• 26. Luke 1:15
• 27. ver. 36; Luke 14:1; Matthew 9:10; John 2:1; John 12:2
• 28. Luke 15:2; Luke 19:7; Matthew 9:11
• 29. [Luke 11:49; Proverbs 8:1-36]

Footnotes

• [a]. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
• [b]. Greek he
• [c]. Greek they justified God