Appearances – Luke 7:24-35

“6’4”, lean in flesh, weighing on an average 180 lbs., dark complexion, with coarse black hair and gray eyes, nose was prominent and slightly askew, heavy eyebrows overhung deep eye-caverns, cheekbones high, mouth wide, lips thick, a solitary mole on his cheek, skin wrinkled and dry, giving him a leathery, weather-beaten look, projecting–some said flapping–ears, overall an awkward, ungainly appearance. Physically, until the end of his life, a remarkably strong man, clean-shaven until his 51st year, growing a beard at the suggestion of an 11-year-old girl who told him that with whiskers he would “look a great deal better for your face is so thin.”  Description of Abraham Lincoln.

When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

   “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

   “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”  (Luke 7:24-35 ESV)

Despite John’s doubts about whether Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus praises him to the crowd.  He was no weakling or priss, not wealthy or soft, but the most important prophet of all time, the one who prepared the way for Yahweh.  And yet, only the real “sinners” responded to him by being baptized for forgiveness of sins.  The self-righteous Pharisees and other religious leaders would not be baptized by him.  As great as John was, however, Jesus declares that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he because, we may presume, that person connects to the fulfillment of what John only tasted in part.

Jesus must then challenge his generation of Israelites because as a whole they were fickle and wanted their messengers from God to play their tune, not God’s tune.  They criticized John because he was too austere and criticized Jesus because he was too free.  But wisdom, the wisdom of God, has proven itself by the lives of both messengers.  Both have been faithful and had powerful ministries.

We must not judge God’s messengers by their outward appearance or even personal mannerisms, but by the truthfulness of their message and the holiness of their lives.

 

P.S., I have written a new book, John 1:1 and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is free here to download as a pdf.