For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The accusation that John had a demon wasn't just about his ascetic lifestyle, but about his "unartificial" approach to life, a stark contrast to the ordinary social customs and even the very bread and wine that symbolized human connection and celebration. This highlights how deeply people could misinterpret even the most earnest messengers of God, projecting their own judgments onto them rather than engaging with their message.
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is addressing the stubborn refusal of the Pharisees and scribes to accept either his ministry or John the Baptist's. He uses the analogy of children playing games in the marketplace, where one group plays joyful music and the other refuses to dance, and then plays mournful music and they refuse to weep. This highlights how these religious leaders rejected both John's austere, prophetic call to repentance and Jesus' more communal approach to ministry. Their consistent rejection, despite God sending two vastly different messengers, reveals their hardened hearts.
Why would people outright dismiss God's messengers, even when they saw His power at work?
Jesus uses a striking analogy from common childhood games to highlight the stubborn refusal of the people to accept His message or John the Baptist's message.
An Unplayable Tune
Children playing in the market would mimic adult celebrations and sorrows. They'd play joyful tunes, expecting others to dance, or sing sad songs, expecting tears. But their playmates, representing the generation Jesus spoke to, refused to respond.
Both prophets were sent by God, yet their God-given missions were met with scorn and accusation. Their rejection wasn't just of the messenger; it was a rejection of God's very attempts to reach them.
What happens when people become so entrenched in their own views that they can't recognize God's work?
Ask a follow-up
The leaders of the day, the Pharisees and scribes, were particularly resistant to John the Baptist's ministry. While the common people and even tax collectors (people often on the fringes of society) saw the truth in John's baptism and glorified God, the religious elite rejected God's counsel.
Blinded by Pride
This highlights a critical danger: when we believe we already have all the answers, we become incapable of seeing truth, even when it's presented by God Himself.
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 ascetic lifestyle and Jesus's more inclusive approach highlights the religious and political sensitivities of the time, with many Jewish leaders quick to demonize anyone who didn't conform to their expectations.
c. AD 27-28
John the Baptist begins his ministry
John the Baptist starts preaching a message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea, calling people to prepare for the coming of the Lord.
c. AD 28
Jesus begins his public ministry
Jesus begins his own public ministry in Galilee, performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God. He also receives baptism from John.
c. AD 29— this verse
John the Baptist's disciples question Jesus
John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod Antipas, hears about Jesus's ministry and sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the expected Messiah.
c. AD 29
Jesus contrasts his ministry with John's
Jesus responds to John's disciples by pointing to the miracles he is performing and then critiques the generation's rejection of both John's austere message and his own more social approach.
c. AD 30
John the Baptist is beheaded
Herod Antipas, influenced by his wife Herodias, executes John the Baptist in his prison at Machaerus.
This passage directly parallels Luke's description of John the Baptist, highlighting the contrasting reactions to both John and Jesus, who are criticized for their different approaches to life and ministry.
Luke 7:34This verse immediately follows, presenting the other side of the same coin: Jesus' own ministry, also criticized despite its different style, further illustrating the unreasonable nature of the generation being addressed.
Matthew 11:19This verse offers Jesus' conclusion about 'Wisdom being justified by her children,' explaining that true understanding and acceptance come from those who recognize God's work, regardless of outward appearances or criticism.
1 Corinthians 1:25This passage resonates with the theme that God's 'foolishness' (like John's austere life or Jesus' seeming unconventionality) is wiser than human wisdom, and His 'weakness' is stronger than human strength, offering a theological framework for why the critics missed the point.
John 10:20This passage shows the same accusation of demonic possession being leveled against Jesus later in His ministry, demonstrating a consistent pattern of rejection and misinterpretation from those unwilling to accept God's messengers.
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…
The accusation that John had a demon wasn't just about his ascetic lifestyle, but about his "unartificial" approach to life, a stark contrast to the ordinary social customs and even the very bread and wine that symbolized human connection and celebration. This highlights how deeply people could misinterpret even the most earnest messengers of God, projecting their own judgments onto them rather than engaging with their message.
Jesus is addressing the stubborn refusal of the Pharisees and scribes to accept either his ministry or John the Baptist's. He uses the analogy of children playing games in the marketplace, where one group plays joyful music and the other refuses to dance, and then plays mournful music and they refuse to weep. This highlights how these religious leaders rejected both John's austere, prophetic call to repentance and Jesus' more communal approach to ministry. Their consistent rejection, despite God sending two vastly different messengers, reveals their hardened hearts.
Jesus is addressing the stubborn refusal of the Pharisees and scribes to accept either his ministry or John the Baptist's. He uses the analogy of children playing games in the marketplace, where one group plays joyful music and the other refuses to dance, and then plays mournful music and they refuse to weep. This highlights how these religious leaders rejected both John's austere, prophetic call to repentance and Jesus' more communal approach to ministry. Their consistent rejection, despite God sending two vastly different messengers, reveals their hardened hearts.
"For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’" — The accusation that John had a demon wasn't just about his ascetic lifestyle, but about his "unartificial" approach to life, a stark contrast to the ordinary social customs and even the very bread an…
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Last reviewed October 2026