Matthew 11:18-19
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The critics dismissed John’s austere lifestyle by accusing him of being demon-possessed, showing they weren't looking for truth but for excuses to reject God's messengers. This highlights how people will often twist even the most dedicated service into something negative if they’re determined not to believe.
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is describing how this generation is unreasonable and critical, comparing them to children who refuse to play no matter what game is suggested. He uses John the Baptist as the first example: John lived an extremely ascetic life, and people accused him of being demon-possessed because of it.
Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, someone finds fault? Jesus describes a generation like that, comparing them to children who just can't agree on a game.
Jesus uses a vivid analogy to describe the people of His day, and frankly, it’s a picture that can resonate with us too.
Children in the Marketplace
Jesus says this generation is like children playing in the marketplace. One group wants to play a wedding celebration, but the others refuse to dance. Then, when the first group switches to playing a funeral lament, the others refuse to mourn.
This highlights a deep-seated unreasonableness, a refusal to engage with what's offered, simply for the sake of finding fault.
John the Baptist was an ascetic, living in the wilderness. Jesus was social, eating with people. Both were rejected. How can that be?
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of His critics by showing how they rejected both John and Himself for opposite reasons. It wasn’t about their lifestyles; it was about their hearts.
Criticized for Austerity
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John the Baptist lived an extremely disciplined life. He ate locusts and wild honey, wore camel hair, and preached repentance in the wilderness.
Criticized for Sociability
Jesus, in contrast, engaged with people. He attended meals, associated with 'sinners' and tax collectors, and lived a more outwardly normal life.
The Real Issue: The problem wasn't John's fasting or Jesus' feasting. The problem was the generation's stubborn refusal to recognize God's work in either of them. They had predetermined their judgments.
Even when people refuse to see, Jesus declares that true wisdom always finds its validation. What does this mean for us?
Jesus concludes His analogy with a profound statement about how true wisdom is ultimately recognized. The rejection by the majority doesn't negate the truth.
Wisdom's True Children
Jesus states, 'Wisdom is justified by her children.' This means that genuine wisdom, particularly God's wisdom as embodied in Jesus and John, will always be vindicated by those who truly belong to it—its 'children.'
Even when a generation is unreasonable and rejects God's messengers, their wisdom will shine through in the lives of those who do believe. Their actions and their faith will bear witness to the truth, even in the face of widespread disbelief.
Understand the original words
daimonion · Greek Noun
A person possessing a demon; used in the New Testament to describe someone under the influence or control of a fallen spiritual being, often attributed to those whose behavior or message was rejected by the religious establishment.
ho huios tou anthropou · Greek Noun phrase
A title Jesus used for himself, rooted in Daniel 7:13-14, emphasizing his humanity while also pointing to his messianic authority, divine origin, and role as the future judge of the world.
phagos · Greek Noun
One who consumes excessive food, used in the Gospels as a term of derision by critics to attack Jesus' lifestyle, contrasting his social engagement with the asceticism of John the Baptist.
oinopotēs · Greek Noun
One who consumes excessive wine; a term of reproach used by the religious leaders against Jesus to cast doubt on his character and spiritual integrity.
hamartōlos · Greek Noun
A despised class of people in first-century Jewish society; tax collectors were viewed as collaborators with Rome, and "sinners" were those who flagrantly violated the Torah. Jesus’ friendship with them demonstrated his mission to call the lost to repentance.
sophia · Greek Noun
God’s attribute and gift of divine insight into the right way to live and act, personified in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
dikaioō · Greek Verb
To show or prove something to be right, just, or true; in this context, it refers to the reality of Jesus' divine mission being vindicated by the fruit of his ministry and the integrity of his actions.
c. AD 28
John the Baptist begins ministry
John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, begins his public ministry in the Judean wilderness, calling people to repentance and baptizing them.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
John the Baptist's ascetic lifestyle
John lives an austere life in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey, and wearing camel hair. This distinct lifestyle draws attention and criticism.
c. AD 30
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. His approach is often social and involves eating and drinking with people.
c. AD 30
Criticism of John and Jesus' lifestyles
Different segments of society criticize both John's asceticism and Jesus' social interactions, unable to find fault with God's messengers.
This passage directly parallels Matthew 11:18 by stating, 'For John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, and you say, “He has a demon.”' It highlights the same criticism leveled against John's austere lifestyle.
Matthew 11:19This verse immediately follows Matthew 11:18 and contrasts the criticism of John with the criticism of Jesus. It shows the pervasive unreasonableness of the generation, who rejected both John's asceticism and Jesus' more social approach.
1 Samuel 16:14-15This passage shows King Saul’s soldiers believing that David, who was gifted and favored by God, was 'mad' and possessed by a 'harmful spirit.' It illustrates how people can misinterpret divine favor and unusual behavior as signs of demonic influence, similar to how John was perceived.
John 7:20In this verse, people accuse Jesus of having a demon. This demonstrates that the accusation of demonic possession was a common way for those resistant to God's messengers to dismiss their claims and character, mirroring the response to John.
Matthew 3:4This verse describes John the Baptist's diet of locusts and wild honey, providing context for the 'neither eating nor drinking' remark in Matthew 11:18. His unusual and ascetic lifestyle was a direct reflection of his prophetic calling, yet it led to misunderstanding and accusation.
calvinMatthew 11:16-19: "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,"
- 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. Th…
pulpitMatthew 11:18: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil."
Verse 18. - For John came neither eating (Matthew 3:4) nor drinking (Luke 1:15), and they say, He hath a devil; i.e. he is possessed of strange and melancholy fancies (see Bishop Westcott on John 7:20).
The critics dismissed John’s austere lifestyle by accusing him of being demon-possessed, showing they weren't looking for truth but for excuses to reject God's messengers. This highlights how people will often twist even the most dedicated service into something negative if they’re determined not to believe.
Jesus is describing how this generation is unreasonable and critical, comparing them to children who refuse to play no matter what game is suggested. He uses John the Baptist as the first example: John lived an extremely ascetic life, and people accused him of being demon-possessed because of it.
Jesus is describing how this generation is unreasonable and critical, comparing them to children who refuse to play no matter what game is suggested. He uses John the Baptist as the first example: John lived an extremely ascetic life, and people accused him of being demon-possessed because of it.
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by h…" — The critics dismissed John’s austere lifestyle by accusing him of being demon-possessed, showing they weren't looking for truth but for excuses to reject God's messengers. This highlights how people…
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Last reviewed October 2026
