24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If 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. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I 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. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) 31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (Luke 7:24-35)
Here Jesus talked about John the Baptist, saying that he was much greater than the prophets, that is, he was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament, Old Testament prophesied that he was the forerunner of Jesus’ coming, preparing the way for Jesus. (Malachi 3:1) Jesus continued, “I 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.” John, under the Old Testament law, was the last and greatest prophet. However, under the New Testament, the least in God’s kingdom is greater than him, and the least in God’s kingdom has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, enjoying a higher spiritual blessing than John.
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)
Here, Jesus said to his disciples: “What you see and hear is what many prophets and kings of the Old Testament longed to see but did not see, and to hear but did not hear,” meaning that the disciples are more blessed than them.
The people and tax collectors accepted John’s baptism of repentance and acknowledged that God’s way was right; the Pharisees and lawyers, not accepting John’s baptism, were self-righteous and rejected God’s will. Jesus then used a parable to refer to the people of this generation. People in this generation are like children in the marketplace, saying, ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.‘ Playing the pipe is for joy, and singing a dirge is for mourning. People have no response to both joy and mourning; they are indifferent. They have no response to John the Baptist or the Lord Jesus. When John the Baptist came, he neither ate bread nor drank wine, which was morning; people said he was possessed by a demon. When the Lord Jesus came, he ate and drank, which was joyful; people said he was a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is proved right by all her children. But the children of wisdom, they respond to God, confessing their sins, repenting, turning to the Lord, following the Lord, and doing God’s will, they prove that God’s wisdom, God’s way is right.
May God bless you and your family!
