The Pharisees refused to acknowledge both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Himself as messengers of God. Each of them, despite their differences, displeased them in some way...
The Pharisees refused to acknowledge both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Himself as messengers of God. Each of them, despite their differences, displeased them in some way. They disliked John the Baptist because of his asceticism and his call to a renewal of faith. The Lord... the Lord displeased them entirely, in particular because He did not reject the repentance of sinful people, whom the Pharisees considered doomed to perdition. In reality, of course, behind this lay an unwillingness to accept the Good News, primarily because the Pharisees most of all wanted to appear in their own eyes as better than everyone else. The Gospel provides no such opportunity to them, nor to anyone else. It is significant that the Pharisees, as far as can be judged from Gospel and historical accounts, circulated talk that John the Baptist was not what a prophet should be, and Jesus of Nazareth was not either...
The Lord applies to them the image of children who do not weep at sorrowful songs and do not rejoice at joyful ones. God, the Lord is thereby saying, attempts to convey His word, His will, the Good News to the Pharisees in this way and that, through various and disparate paths. But they react to nothing, and this reveals their sheer unwillingness to respond to the call of God. The issue is not what John the Baptist is like or what Jesus Himself is like.
Those who seek the Word of God, however, will one way or another be able to find and accept it, as the Lord concludes with the words, "wisdom is justified of all her children." Some came to Christ through the preaching of the Baptist, others recognized the Savior in Him themselves... He who has ears and desires to hear, will hear.
In our time, this passage of the Gospel remains exceptionally relevant. Often people say: I would believe, but... Something always displeases the one who does not wish to believe. Either there is much that is bad in the Bible (since the truth about history is written there), or Christians are bad, or the commandments are strange... It is precisely to such a stance that the words of Christ apply.
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7:18 Mat 11:2.
7:22 To the poor the Gospel is preached - Which is the greatest mercy, and the greatest miracle of all.
7:24 When the messengers were departed - He did not speak the following things in the hearing of John's disciples, lest he should seem to flatter John, or to compliment him into an adherence to his former testimony. To avoid all suspicion of this kind, he deferred his commendation of him, till the messengers were gone; and then delivered it to the people, to prevent all imaginations, as if John were wavering in his judgment, and had sent the two disciples for his own, rather than their satisfaction.
7:27 Mal 3:1.
7:28 There is not a greater prophet than John - A greater teacher.But he that is least in the kingdom of God - The least teacher whom I send forth.
7:29 And all the people - Our Lord continues his discourse: justified God - Owned his wisdom and mercy in thus calling them to repentance, and preparing them for Him that was to come.
7:30 But the Pharisees and scribes - The good, learned, honourable men: made void the counsel, the gracious design, of God toward them - They disappointed all these methods of his love, and would receive no benefit from them.
7:32 They are like children sitting in the market place - So froward and perverse, that no contrivance can be found to please them.It is plain our Lord means, that they were like the children complained of, not like those that made the complaint.
7:34 But wisdom is justified by all her children - The children of wisdom are those who are truly wise unto salvation. The wisdom of God in all these dispensations, these various methods of calling sinners to repentance, is owned and heartily approved by all these.