Luke 7:24-35

I’m not sure how many of you watched the Star Wars movie “The Phantom Menace.” If you did, I’m sure there’s one character you can’t forget, Jar Jar Binks. According to those who follow the movies, Jar Jar Binks is the most irritating character in all of the movies. Critics complained about Jar Jar almost as soon as the movie was released. They described the character as over the top, annoying, and obnoxious.

At the 1999 Visual Effects Society seminar, the movie’s effect supervisor, Rob Coleman, was asked about his reaction to the character. He explained that George Lucas intended Jar Jar to appeal to children under age fifteen and said that the character hit its target audience perfectly. The year the movie came out children were dressing like Jar Jar for Halloween and asking for Jar Jar shirts and toys for Christmas.

Coleman went on to say, “When I first read the script, I had a reaction similar to what many of you had when you saw the movie.” The crowd laughed, but Coleman ended with these words: “I only had one audience member to please, and that was George Lucas. If he were happy with what we were doing with Jar Jar, then I was happy.”

In the gospels there is no question about who the star of the show is. The gospels focus on the life and works one primary character, Jesus, with a few supporting characters. Time Bond wrote:

[Jesus] is a man with a mission, to save the world from the consequences of sin. Throughout his gospel, Luke records Jesus doing many great things, like healing the sick and raising the dead, teaching incredible lessons and meeting all kinds of other needs. Jesus is always in the spotlight of Luke’s gospel. However there are some supporting characters that are particularly noteworthy. Among my favorites is a guy who was pretty over the top in his own right, [John the Baptist].

[John] was a Nazarite from birth, which meant he lived according to some pretty strict rules including the food he ate and the drinks he could have. It also meant he couldn’t have his hair cut, so by the time he was in his mid-30’s you can imagine what he looked like. He lived out in the desert by himself. For supper he enjoyed fresh locusts dipped in wild honey. He wore clothes made out of animal skins, and he preached fiery sermons about repentance and the wrath of God. And the amazing thing is that though his messages were harsh and his manner wasn’t refined, people flocked to hear what he had to say.

But you know the thing I like most about John the Baptist? It didn’t matter how many people came to hear what he had to say, he realized that he was playing to an audience of one. It didn’t matter how large his crowd, or how much pressure he got for preaching his message. He never forgot that there was only one audience member he had to please, and that was his boss, the God who called him to live such a profound life.

Turn to Luke 7. I talked several times as we’ve looked at Luke’s gospel about expectations. Our expectations influence how we receive something. If I’m expecting beef and I get chicken or if I think it’s going to be hot but it is cold I might not appreciate it as much. We have lots of expectations. We expect the car approaching us from the other direction to stay on its side of the road. We expect cars to stop when the light turns red. These are all expectations.

The Jews, who were anxiously waiting for the Messiah, had expectations as to what the Messiah would do when he came. Last week read about John the Baptist sending two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah. John thought Jesus was the Messiah. He said as much when Jesus came to be baptized by him in the Jordan. As Jesus approached, John proclaimed:

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

But because Jesus wasn’t doing the things John expected the Messiah to do, he was beginning to have some doubts. So, John asked:

Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? (Luke 7:19)

The two disciples of John travel to Jesus and ask John’s question but Jesus never gave a direct response. Instead, Jesus suggested the two men look at the things Jesus had done.

Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Luke 7:22b)

Instead of defending himself or speaking up for himself, Jesus allowed his actions to speak for him.

When the two men leave, Jesus turns to the crowd and begins talking about their expectations for John. Who did they think he was and why did they go out to listen to him?

24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (Luke 7:24-35)

John had been preaching and baptizing in the Jordan River. Hundreds if not thousands had traveled out to the Jordan to see John. Why? Why had they gone? What had they expected to see and to hear?

A few weeks ago I helped at the ETCHA Golf Tournament. To those who asked if I was going to play I said I’d rather watch the grass grow. Jesus asked the crowd if they’d gone to the Jordan to watch the reeds sway in the wind. The Jordan River is lined with reeds that grow along the bank. Was that why they’d traveled to the Jordan, just to watch the reeds be blown by the wind? Of course not. Those who watch reeds sway or grass grow have too much time on their hands and just do it to relax.

Jesus then asked if they had gone expecting to see someone dressed in fine clothes. At an award show people will line up along the entrance to the theatre to watch celebrities enter. They want to see how they’re favorite star is dressed because they go all out for those shows. Is that what these people had done for John? Did they go, just wanting to see what he was wearing? That wasn’t it either. If that was the case they went to the wrong place. They should have gone to Jerusalem and the governor’s palace.

No, they went to see a prophet. They weren’t going out to the Jordan to waste some time and blow an afternoon. Remember, the last prophet was Malachi who had prophesied more than four hundred years earlier. They were eagerly waiting for the Messiah and desperately wanted to hear from God. That’s why they went to hear John. They went to hear a message from God.

Jesus not only referred to John as a prophet, but that he was more than a prophet. Jesus then quoted Malachi who predicted his coming.

I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. (Luke 7:27b)

And then Jesus says that there had never been born anyone greater than John. That is some endorsement coming from Jesus. Think of all the great people who had come before John. There were great political leaders and great religious leaders. Just among the prophets there was Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah and Daniel. How about David or Solomon or Samuel? There was Moses, Abraham, and Noah. There were great men of faith who served God wholeheartedly but Jesus says that John was the greatest. Why might John be considered the greatest?

When we think about great prophets, what makes them great? I think of the miracles Elijah and Elisha performed. That is often the criteria we use to proclaim greatness on a prophet. What did he do? But John didn’t perform any miracles. In fact, the Bible clearly states that John did no miracles. So, the people were attracted to him for that reason.

Maybe we consider the writings a prophet left behind when considering his greatness. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel left substantial books for us. We don’t think of Moses as being a prophet but the Bible calls him a prophet. Moses left the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. John didn’t write anything. So, why did Jesus call him the great? One commentator put together this list.

John was great because he was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth.

John was great because he was a faithful preacher. He didn’t care who liked his preaching or didn’t like it. He preached for the glory of God.

John was great because he pointed people to Jesus. John didn’t consider himself great. He didn’t consider himself worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. He was all about pointing people to Jesus.

John was great because he was the last Old Testament prophet. We don’t think of John being an Old Testament prophet since he is found in the New Testament. However, the New Testament or new covenant (which is the meaning of the word testament) did not begin until Jesus’ death.

John was great because he prepared the way for Jesus. When John pointed out that Jesus was the Messiah some of his disciples left him to follow Jesus. John didn’t mind. It wasn’t about himself, it was about Jesus. And when some of John’s disciples became worried that the crowds following Jesus were greater than those coming to hear John, John wasn’t worried because that’s the reason he had come. He came to prepare the way for Jesus. John told them:

He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30)

For these reasons and more Jesus declared John to be the greatest person ever born. But then Jesus made an even more surprising statement. He said that the least in the kingdom is greater than John. It’s not by character but by position. John Courson wrote:

John was part of the Old Testament economy. You are a New Testament believer.

John was a herald of the King. You are a friend of the King.

John was a friend of the Bridegroom. You are the Bride of the Bridegroom.

John prepared the way for Jesus and his kingdom but the kingdom is greater than the announcement of it.

Not everyone was real excited as Jesus said these things about who John was. The common people – even the tax collectors and sinners – agreed with Jesus assessment but the religious leaders did not.

John the Baptist was like the continental divide. The continental divide is that place where the rain that falls on the right side eventually makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean but the rain that falls less than an inch to the left flows into the Pacific. I can imagine a rain drop falling to the earth and just before it lands a puff of wind moves its trajectory a fraction of an inch and instead of going west to the Pacific it goes east into the Atlantic. It all depends on which side of the divide it lands. There is no middle ground. John was such a line for the Jesus.

Just days before he was arrested, the Pharisees came to Jesus, asking him about his authority. They wanted to know who had given Jesus the authority to teach and to heal. Again, Jesus doesn’t give a direct answer. Instead, he answers with a question. He points them to John and ask where they thought John received his authority. Was it from God or from man? Had God sent him or was he just pretending to be from God? It was a simple enough question but the Pharisees didn’t want to answer it. They didn’t think John had been sent from God but they knew the people did. Since there were lots of people listening to their conversation with Jesus they refused to give an answer.

Those who received John were ready to receive Jesus. Those who were willing to be baptized by John agreed with his description of John. But those who rejected John also rejected Jesus. Many among the religious elite didn’t see any reason for listening to John. They didn’t think they had any sins to repent of. They refused to be baptized in the Jordan River. It reminds of Naaman who didn’t want to dip seven times in Jordan to be cured of his leprosy when he had much cleaner rivers back home. The religious elite didn’t understand why they should be baptized by a backwoods preacher into a muddy river.

John Owen wrote:

He that hath slight thoughts of sin has never had great thoughts of God.

Those who don’t think sin is all that bad will never think that Jesus is all that great. Nor will they see their need for a Savior. The religious elite couldn’t see their need for Jesus because they couldn’t see the depth and depravity of their sin. Next week we’ll look at the story of the woman who anointed Jesus. The lesson we’ll see is that those who understand how much they have been forgiven will love Jesus the most.

Jesus then compared the religious leaders to children playing games. Children used to like to play games. They would invent games. Unfortunately, today they are more likely to play on a phone or tablet. Do you remember the kinds of games you played when you were growing up? My brother and I would play with two boys a year older than me. One lived next door and the other across the street. Our games were limited to football (we made up a game we’d play with a football in the street), baseball (which was a little difficult with our small backyards) war, or king of the hill.

Jesus talks about kids of that day playing pretend. They would pretend to be in a wedding or in a funeral. When they played wedding, all the kids were supposed to dance and be happy. When they played funeral all the kids were to cry and mourn. They went from one extreme to the other depending on which game they were playing.

Jesus says the religious leaders didn’t like John because he didn’t celebrate enough. He didn’t eat bread or drink wine. We’re told by Matthew that John wore clothes made of camel’s hair. In other words, it course, itchy, and not very comfortable. It was inexpensive though. And, he ate locusts and wild honey. There is some debate about what the locusts were. Some insist it was the insect while others say it was a bean. I don’t know so I won’t give an opinion. The point is he lived and ate simply. He wasn’t dressing or eating extravagantly. As a result the religious leaders made fun of him. He was too serious. Something was wrong with this guy. They even accused him of having a demon.

But they didn’t like Jesus either. They said he celebrated too much. They said he ate too much and he drank too much. They even criticized him for being a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

As a result, Jesus said that wisdom was found in children. It wasn’t found in those of high learning but in those with no education. It wasn’t to be found among the religious elite but among the religious outcasts. They understood who John was and from where he received his authority even those who claimed to be close to God did not.

One mother told her child, “When you don’t have an education you just have to use your brains.”

Why are those most educated the least likely to believe? They’ve educated themselves out of their faith in God.

The biggest problem, as I said before and mentioned last week is our expectations. Jesus wasn’t meeting their expectations but neither had John. They especially didn’t like Jesus applying those prophecies to John because they didn’t think John met the requirements of those prophecies. So, they refused to accept him. But it didn’t matter to John. It didn’t matter because he wasn’t there for their approval. He was there to glorify God. He preached in order to turn the hearts of the people to God and prepare the way for Jesus. The opinion of the religious leaders was important to him, only God’s. And what did Jesus say about him?

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John. (Luke 7:28)

Pleasing Jesus, that’s what it is all about.