Luke 7:33
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus highlights the utter unfairness of his generation by pointing out they couldn't even agree on whether John the Baptist was righteous or possessed. They declared his ascetic lifestyle, which was a sign of his prophetic calling, as proof he was demon-possessed, showing their biased hearts shut out any possibility of recognizing God's work.
Jesus is explaining why people rejected both John the Baptist and himself, comparing their stubbornness to children who refuse to play any game. He points out that their accusations against John—calling him demon-possessed for his ascetic lifestyle—and against Jesus—calling him a glutton for being sociable—showed their unwillingness to accept God's message, no matter the messenger. Even though the common people and tax collectors recognized God's work through John's baptism, the religious leaders dismissed God's plan and remained unconvinced by both John's austerity and Jesus' more approachable manner.
Why did Jesus compare this generation to children playing a game that no one would join? He wasn't just telling a story; he was highlighting a profound spiritual blindness.
Jesus uses a vivid analogy from everyday life to expose the stubbornness of the religious leaders of his day. They rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus, no matter what they did.
John's Austere Call
John the Baptist lived an extremely disciplined life, filled with fasting and preaching repentance in the wilderness. His lifestyle was severe, and his message was a call to mourn over sin. But how did the people respond? They accused him of being demon-possessed!
Jesus' Inclusive Feast
Jesus, on the other hand, lived a more public life, eating and drinking with people from all walks of life, including tax collectors and sinners. He offered grace and fellowship. But his response from the same crowd? They called him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of sinners.
The Unfruitful Response
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No matter what approach God took – the stern call of John or the welcoming feast of Jesus – this generation refused to engage. They were like children who wouldn't dance when the music was joyful or mourn when the music was sad. They simply wouldn't respond.
When we're quick to judge or dismiss God's messengers, we might be dismissing God himself. This generation’s harsh labels reveal their own spiritual condition.
The leaders' accusations against John and Jesus weren't just about the individuals; they were a profound rejection of God’s own work and wisdom.
'He has a demon!'
Accusing John the Baptist of having a demon was a way to dismiss his radical message of repentance. His austere lifestyle, so different from their own comfortable religious practices, was seen not as devotion but as madness. They couldn't comprehend that God might use such a stark figure.
A Pattern of Rejection
This wasn't a one-off accusation. As the commentaries note, they later leveled the same charge against Jesus himself (John 7:20, John 10:20). When people are set in their ways and unwilling to change, they often resort to labeling anything that challenges them as demonic or evil.
The True Diagnosis
Jesus flips the accusation back on them. Their inability to discern God's work in both John and himself reveals their own spiritual sickness, not John's or Jesus’s. They were blinded by their own traditions and pride.
Understand the original words
Iōannēs ho baptistēs · Greek Proper Noun
An ascetic prophet who lived in the wilderness and prepared the way for the Messiah, characterized by his rigorous lifestyle and call to repentance.
daimonion · Greek Noun
A spiritual being, often a fallen angel, under the authority of Satan, capable of possessing humans or exerting negative influence to oppose God's purposes.
The stark contrast between John the Baptist's asceticism and Jesus' more approachable ministry highlights the people's stubborn resistance to God's messengers, accusing both of demonic influence when their expectations weren't met.
c. AD 27-28
John the Baptist's Ministry Begins
John the Baptist begins preaching a baptism of repentance in the wilderness of Judea, calling people to turn from their sins and prepare for the coming of the Messiah.
c. AD 27-28
Jesus Begins Public Ministry
Jesus also begins His public ministry, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. His ministry is marked by joyful fellowship and engagement with people from all walks of life.
c. AD 28
John Questions Jesus
While Jesus is ministering, John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod, sends his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah or if they should expect another.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus' Response to John
Jesus responds to John's disciples by pointing to His miracles – healing the sick, raising the dead, and preaching the good news to the poor – as evidence of His identity. He then sends them back to John with a message about his own ministry and John's contrasting austerity.
c. AD 28
Jesus Criticizes Unresponsive Generations
Following John's inquiry, Jesus laments the spiritual blindness of His generation, comparing them to children in the marketplace who couldn't be pleased by either festive or mournful music.
c. AD 30
John the Baptist's Execution
John the Baptist is executed by beheading on the order of Herod Antipas, a tragic end to his prophetic ministry.
This passage is the parallel account where Jesus uses the exact same comparison of John the Baptist's reception to children playing, highlighting the perversity of those who reject God's messengers.
Luke 7:34This verse immediately follows, showing the other side of the coin: how Jesus himself was criticized for being too accommodating, illustrating the same theme of people finding fault regardless of the approach taken.
1 Corinthians 1:23This verse speaks to the 'offense' of the cross and the 'foolishness' of preaching God's message, resonating with how both John's austerity and Jesus' social engagement were met with rejection by the 'wise' of the world.
Romans 10:16This verse echoes the idea of people not obeying the 'message' or 'report' brought by messengers of God, which is precisely what the generation in Luke 7 was failing to do with both John and Jesus.
calvinLuke 7:29-35: "And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."
- But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children, who sit in the market-place, and call out to their companions, 17. And say, We have played on the flute to you, and you have not danced; we have sung mournful airs to you, and you have not lamented. 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19. The Son of man came ea…
pulpitLuke 7:33: "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil."
Verse 33. - For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. Referring to his austere life spent in the desert, apart from the ordinary joys and pleasures of men, not even sharing in what are usually termed the necessities of life. He was, in addition, a perpetual Nazarite, and as such no wine or fermented drink ever passed his lips. And ye say, He hath a devil. Another w…
Jesus highlights the utter unfairness of his generation by pointing out they couldn't even agree on whether John the Baptist was righteous or possessed. They declared his ascetic lifestyle, which was a sign of his prophetic calling, as proof he was demon-possessed, showing their biased hearts shut out any possibility of recognizing God's work.
Jesus is explaining why people rejected both John the Baptist and himself, comparing their stubbornness to children who refuse to play any game. He points out that their accusations against John—calling him demon-possessed for his ascetic lifestyle—and against Jesus—calling him a glutton for being sociable—showed their unwillingness to accept God's message, no matter the messenger. Even though the common people and tax collectors recognized God's work through John's baptism, the religious leaders dismissed God's plan and remained unconvinced by both John's austerity and Jesus' more approachable manner.
Jesus is explaining why people rejected both John the Baptist and himself, comparing their stubbornness to children who refuse to play any game. He points out that their accusations against John—calling him demon-possessed for his ascetic lifestyle—and against Jesus—calling him a glutton for being sociable—showed their unwillingness to accept God's message, no matter the messenger. Even though the common people and tax collectors recognized God's work through John's baptism, the religious leaders dismissed God's plan and remained unconvinced by both John's austerity and Jesus' more approachable manner.
"For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’" — Jesus highlights the utter unfairness of his generation by pointing out they couldn't even agree on whether John the Baptist was righteous or possessed. They declared his ascetic lifestyle, which w…
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