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§15 Jesus’ Answer to John (Luke 7:1–35)

This section consists of three parts that are loosely related to Jesus’ answer to the messengers of the imprisoned John the Baptist. Another factor uniting these stories together are the parallels with the Elijah/Elisha stories in 1 and 2 Kings. The first of Luke’s episodes is about the healing of the officer’s servant (7:1–10); the second is about the raising of the widow’s son (7:11–17); and the third is John’s question and Jesus’ answer (7:18–35).

7:1–10 / The episode of the healing of the centurion’s servant parallels Matt. 8:5–13 (though there are some differences) and may perhaps be related to the similar account in John 4:46–53. The emphasis of this account lies not on the miracle itself, which is performed at a distance, nor on the centurion’s humility, but on his great faith. Even Jesus was amazed and said to the crowd: “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel” (v. 9). The point is obvious enough: Gentile faith can be just as great, sometimes even greater, than Jewish faith. Hinted at here is Israel’s unbelieving response to the gospel in contrast to the joyous reception among the Gentiles. Perhaps intended as a parallel to the healing of the Centurion’s servant, in which the Gentile shows such great faith, is the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10. Cornelius’ eager acceptance of the gospel contrasts with the rejection and unbelief on the part of so many in Israel.

Brodie (pp. 134–47) detects parallels between Luke’s story of the healing of the centurion’s servant and Elijah’s provision of food for the widow and her son in 1 Kings 17:7–16. He suggests that a major common element concerns the power of the spoken word. (That Luke may have had this OT passage in mind is quite possible in view of the earlier allusion to it in Luke 4:25–26 and the numerous parallels between the Elijah/Elisha narratives and the pericope that follows.) Elsewhere in Luke–Acts the story parallels the account of Cornelius in Acts 10 (Leaney, p. 141; Fitzmyer, p. 650; Tiede, p. 149).

7:11–17 / This story, found only in Luke’s Gospel, reveals several points of contact with the Elijah/Elisha stories as well (Tiede, pp. 151–52). The most noteworthy parallels include: (1) the setting in Nain (Luke 7:11), which may be an allusion to the ancient city of Shunem (2 Kings 4:8; see note below); (2) arrival at the town gate (Luke 7:12; 1 Kings 17:10); (3) a grieving widow (Luke 7:12; 1 Kings 17:9, 17); (4) the death of the only son (Luke 7:12; 1 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 4:32); (5) the speaking or crying out of the resuscitated son (Luke 7:15; 1 Kings 17:22); (6) the expression, borrowed verbatim from the LXX, “he gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:15; 1 Kings 17:23); and (7) the recognition that “a great prophet has appeared among us” (Luke 7:16; 1 Kings 17:24). Although the widow in 1 Kings says, “Now I know that you are a man of God” (RSV), the Aramaic version (i.e., the Targum) inserts the word “prophet,” thus bringing the Lucan and Kings passages into closer agreement. (For further details see Brodie, pp. 147–52.)

Despite the parallels there is a major difference, however. Whereas Elijah must pray to God and stretch himself upon the dead lad three times before he revives, Jesus merely speaks the word of command and the dead one is raised up. Jesus’ demonstration of superior power sets the stage for his response to the messengers of John: the hopeless now have hope, for Jesus, acting as the Lord’s anointed, has begun to fulfill his messianic task, just as he had earlier announced (Luke 4:18–21). In this particular episode Jesus has remedied the worst possible tragedy, for with the death of her only son the widow has been left alone and the family line has come to an end (Ellis, p. 118). This is indeed an example of the Good News of the Lord’s “favorable year.” Such a story contributes significantly to Luke’s theology of messianic blessings being extended to the weak and the outcast.

7:18–35 / This section may be subdivided into: (1) the question of John the Baptist (vv. 18–20), (2) Jesus’ answer, both in action and in word (vv. 21–23), (3) Jesus’ brief discourse about John (vv. 24–28), (4) the response of different groups of people (vv. 29–30), and (5) Jesus’ response to those who have not heeded the Baptist (vv. 31–35).

The question of the Baptist is very significant, for it highlights the differences between John’s expectations of Jesus’ ministry and Jesus’ actual ministry. That John actually understood Jesus to be the Messiah is not at all certain (Fitzmyer, pp. 663–65, does not think so), but from what he said earlier in his ministry he obviously expected the one who followed him to be a fiery reformer (Luke 3:15–18). As Fitzmyer notes, “Jesus … carries no ax or winnowing-fan, cleans no eschatological threshing-floor, and burns no chaff. Instead, he cures, frees, resuscitates; he cares for the blind, cripples, lepers, deaf, and even the dead; and he preaches good news to the poor” (p. 664). John’s growing doubt had to do with his understanding of what the “last days” would bring for the righteous and unrighteous. For John it was to be a “day of vengeance” and house-cleaning. People like Herod and Pilate would have to go. Instead, while John languishes in prison, Jesus ministers to the poor and the sick. In essence, John’s own understanding of what God was expected to do through the return of Elijah or the appearance of the Messiah was quite similar to the understanding of the audience in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:24–29). John had called the people to repentance, to make the nation ready for the Lord to purge out the unrighteous and exalt the righteous.

Jesus’ answer is seen in what he was doing. Verse 21 summarizes the healing ministry and thus sets the stage for his answer: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard …” (v. 22). Jesus then recapitulates his ministry in terms of Isa. 61:2 and the related passages of Isa. 29:18–19 and 35:5 (with the notable addition of the clause, the dead are raised, which refers back to Luke 7:11–15 and looks forward to 8:49–56). Verse 23 provides further evidence that John’s messengers (v. 24) were sent because the Baptist had doubts about Jesus. Brodie (pp. 153–73) believes that Luke intends this controversy between Jesus and John to be understood against the controversy between Micaiah and the false prophets in 1 Kings 22. As he sees it, the main theme in both Luke and 1 Kings is the search for true prophecy. If Brodie’s analysis is correct, then there is more evidence for seeing an essential difference in (the prophet) John’s understanding of what should characterize (the prophet) Jesus’ ministry.

But even if John has not fully comprehended or anticipated the nature of Jesus’ ministry, the following verses (vv. 27–28) show that Jesus regards the ministry of John as fulfilling Scripture. By identifying John with the messenger of Mal. 3:1 (who is later identified as “Elijah” in Mal. 4:5) Jesus acknowledges that the Baptist was indeed his precursor. Because John was his precursor, Jesus declares that he is much more than a prophet. Indeed, according to Jesus, among those born of women there is no one greater than John (v. 28a). But because John is identified with the period of the “Law and the Prophets” (Luke 16:16), as great as he is, the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (v. 28b). This implies that the new era brought about by Jesus is vastly superior to the period of (old) Israel. John is the “prince” among the prophets, the climax of the old era, but in comparison to the new age that has dawned he is a minor figure.

Luke summarizes in vv. 29–30 the differing reactions among the people who had heard the preaching of John (Luke 3:7–17) and had heard and witnessed the ministry of Jesus. Whereas all the people, even the tax collectors recognized God’s righteous demands (see note below) and so had been baptized by John (v. 29; see 3:10–14), the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John (v. 30). In response to this rejection Jesus utters the words found in vv. 31–35, words which are tinged with exasperation and sarcasm. Jesus wonders to what he can compare the people of this generation. What are they like? In answer to his questions Jesus tells the proverb of the children who will neither dance nor cry. The exact meaning of this proverb is elusive (and many interpretations have been offered), but Jesus has applied it to the general lack of response to his and John’s differing ministries (as vv. 33–34 would seem to indicate). But even then there are two possible interpretations. It may be that the people who did not dance are the people who refused to respond to Jesus’ Good News and the people who did not cry are the people who refused to mourn and repent in response to John’s preaching. The problem with this interpretation is that the responses do not correspond to the order of John first, Jesus second. (Although this is not necessarily a major problem.) Another interpretation contends that the children represent the people of this generation (v. 31) who ask John to dance (instead of calling for repentance) and ask Jesus to cry (instead of celebrating the presence of the kingdom). (See Marshall, pp. 300–301.) The second interpretation enjoys the advantage of presenting its components in the proper sequence. Taken either way, the point of the parable is that the people of Israel (particularly the religious authorities) have not been satisfied either with John or with Jesus.

In vv. 33–34 Jesus further clarifies his point by illustrating the obstinate nature of his contemporaries. In response to John’s message and lifestyle they say, “He has a demon.” In response to the alternate style of Jesus’ message and ministry they say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.’ ” Jesus concludes his remarks with the proverb: “But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” The proverb means that God’s purposes in John and Jesus will be vindicated by their results, that is, by the many who come to faith and become part of the people of God. “They see the ‘purpose of God’ at work in John and Jesus” (Tiede, pp. 158–59).