God’s will is to prepare for the coming

of the kingdom of God through

true repentance and obedience.

“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?  If not, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, those who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury are in palaces.  Then what did you go out to see?  A prophet?   Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’  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.’  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.  But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John” (Luke 7:24–30).

As I meditate on the following passage, I seek to receive the lessons given through this Word.

(1)   After the two disciples whom John the Baptist had sent (Lk. 7:24; cf. v. 19) departed, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John the Baptist (v. 24).  I would like to meditate on His words by dividing them into four parts (cf. Mt. 11:7–15):

(a)    First, John the Baptist was not “a reed shaken by the wind” (v. 24).

(i)               Jesus said to the crowd, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?” (v. 24).  Here, a “reed” symbolizes an unstable and fickle heart—someone who believes one thing and speaks one way today, and believes something else and speaks another way tomorrow. In other words, Jesus is asking, “Did you really understand John to be someone without firm convictions?”  That is, Jesus was telling the crowd that John the Baptist was not weak and wavering like the common, insignificant reeds that could be seen everywhere in the Judean wilderness at that time (Hochma).

·        At that time in the land of Judea, there were many apostates and traitors who, for the sake of personal wealth and comfort, swayed back and forth like reeds before the wind, even selling their religious conscience depending on circumstances. However, Jesus was declaring that John the Baptist was a man who was not shaken by public opinion or worldly temptations, but who remained faithful to his holy calling (Hochma).

-        John the Baptist’s integrity was clearly revealed through his confrontation with Herod.  Although Herod’s evil deeds were tacitly ignored and no one dared to point them out, John the Baptist openly rebuked this crime according to God’s justice, and as a result he had been imprisoned (Hochma).

(b)   Second, John the Baptist was not “one who wears fine clothes and lives in luxury” (v. 25).

(i)               Jesus said to the crowd, “If not, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are in palaces” (v. 25).  Here, “fine clothes” refers to costly garments that are soft and pleasant to the touch—light, thin, decorative clothing mainly worn by those in royal courts or high positions at that time.  Likewise, “those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury” were people who flaunted their status and authority while enjoying life under royal favor in Herod’s palace (Hochma).

·        In contrast, John the Baptist wore rough and inexpensive garments made of camel’s hair (Mk. 1:6), with a leather belt around his waist (Mt. 3:4).  He lived a hard life in desolate places, eating meager food.  If John the Baptist had flattered those in power and spoken only sweet words to please them, he could have enjoyed fine clothes and good food (Hochma).

-        However, because he was a courageous man who did not succumb to the enticements of the royal court or fear its power, and who boldly rebuked even the king’s shameful sins, and because he was a prophet absolutely faithful only to the Word of God, he suffered all kinds of hardships (Hochma).

(c)    Third, John the Baptist was “more than a prophet” (v. 26).

(i)               Jesus said to the crowd, “Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet” (v. 26).  The phrase “more than a prophet,” when translated according to the original Greek text, means “one who is beyond a prophet” or “one who is more excellent than a prophet” (Hochma).

·        There are two reasons why John the Baptist was greater than any other prophet (Hochma):

-        (1) His ministry was foretold in the Old Testament.  For example, Isaiah 40:3 prophesied, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”  And the “prophet Elijah” foretold in Malachi 4:5 refers precisely to John the Baptist.

-        (2) The greatness of John the Baptist’s ministry. Many prophets in the Old Testament foretold the coming of the Messiah.  However, John the Baptist directly saw the Messiah, bore witness to Him, and prepared the straight path for the Messiah through the baptism of repentance.  He was a great forerunner: “This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you’” (v. 27).

(d)   Fourth, “among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (v. 28).

(i)               Jesus said to the crowd, “Among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (v. 28).  This means that John the Baptist was the greatest figure among all the prophets and people of the Old Testament era, and that Jesus Himself acknowledged John as the one who fulfilled the mission of preparing the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Internet).

·        John the Baptist was a pivotal prophet who closed the Old Testament era and opened the New Testament era.  His mission—to announce the coming of Jesus and to prepare the work of salvation by personally administering baptism—was greater than that of any person ever born into the world (Internet).

(2)   After saying this, Jesus went on to say to the crowd, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (v. 28).  This means that although John the Baptist was the greatest among those born of women, even the least person who enters the kingdom of God opened by the coming of Jesus Christ enjoys a greater spiritual status and grace than John himself and all the prophets of the Old Testament (Internet).

(a)    When Jesus finished saying this, “all the people and the tax collectors” (v. 29) and “the Pharisees and the experts in the law” (v. 30) responded as follows:

(i)               “All the people and the tax collectors”: “When they heard Jesus’ words, they acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John” (v. 29).

·        This statement means that “all the people and the tax collectors” who accepted John the Baptist’s ministry acknowledged their sins before God and repented (Internet).

-        Although tax collectors were regarded as sinners in society at that time, they received John’s baptism of repentance and declared God to be righteous. This indicates that they acknowledged their own sins and moved toward the path of salvation (Internet).

(ii)             “The Pharisees and the experts in the law”: “They rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John” (v. 30).

·        The Pharisees and the experts in the law did not regard God as righteous because they rejected John’s baptism.  By refusing his baptism and asserting their own righteousness, they rejected God’s purpose for them—the message calling them to repentance and God’s summons to prepare for the Messiah.  In doing so, they themselves opposed God’s will (Internet).

-        “Though they appeared outwardly pious, in reality they turned away from God’s will, which was to prepare for the coming of the kingdom of God through true repentance and obedience” (Internet).