Luke 7:31 And Jesus said, To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? (32) They are like little children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, who say, We have played the flute to you, and you did not dance; we have sung a dirge, and you did not weep. (33) For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, He has a demon. (34) The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Christ and John the Baptist "played the flute" to preach the gospel of the kingdom, but the Pharisees and lawyers "did not dance" for the joy of salvation. John and the Lord Jesus also "sang a dirge" to preach repentance, but these ones "did not weep" for the grief of sin. The righteousness of God required them to repent, but they would not obey. The grace of God afforded them salvation, but they would not receive it. In verse 33 the Lord continues, "For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, He has a demon!" John the Baptist, who came to bring men to repentance and cause them to grieve for sin, had no taste for eating or drinking (1:15-17). Because John the Baptist lived in a strange and peculiar way, not eating and drinking in the regular way, the opposers accused him of being demon- possessed. In verse 34 the Lord says, "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" Christ is not only the Savior, but also the Friend of sinners, the One who sympathized with their problems and sensed their griefs. He came to bring salvation to sinners and cause them to rejoice in it. Hence, He had the joy of eating and drinking with them. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 141-142. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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