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Luke 7:24-30

After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’

I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”

When they heard this, all the people — even the tax collectors — agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

Reflect

John the Baptist’s disciples visited Jesus to ask him if he was the Messiah, and after they had left, Jesus turned to the crowd and asked what seemed like cryptic questions. The big question hanging in the air was whether Jesus was ‘the one’ — Israel’s true and final king, and Jesus asked the crowd whether, when they went to see John, if they were expecting to see a weak reed blown by the wind or a guy dressed in royal robes? A weak reed. What did that mean?

Well, the self-appointed royal king of the Jews at the time was Herod Antipas and he was what we call a ‘puppet king’ in that he was really under the control of the Romans. They gave him some free rein as long as he didn’t cause any trouble, and Herod was pretty corrupt.

Now, Herod chose as his emblem a palm branch or an upright reed and this featured on one side of his coins. The other side of his coins had the Roman emperor on it. Herod probably chose a reed because the Romans had their laurel wreath and he wanted something of a similar design, after all, reeds were tall, prolific in the region, and symbolised growth and vitality. Therefore, when Jesus mentioned a reed, everyone listening would have clicked that Jesus was talking about Herod, and on top of this, Herod was very wealthy and lived in a palace. Jesus asked the people, when they went to see John, if they expected to find a king like Herod?

Jesus then asked the crowds whether they expected John to be like one of the prophets of old, like the great prophets that had pronounced God’s blessings or curses on the nation of Israel. Yes, he was like that, Jesus replied, but way more than that, because John was preparing the way for the true king of Israel — a king that wouldn’t be at all like Herod.

The sting in the tail of this section is the contrast between those who accepted John’s and Jesus’ message and those who rejected it, for not everyone accepted John’s message or Jesus’ explanation. The ‘tax collectors’ (people you would expect not to get it) got it, but the religious leaders (the people you’d expect to get it) didn’t.

The ministries of John and Jesus remind us that we should never be surprised who comes to faith in God.

Do

Today, who do you have in mind that will ‘never get it’? Pray for this person and ask for forgiveness that you doubt that they will ever find Jesus.

Pray

Holy God
Forgive me when I have written people off,
or doubted that they will ever turn to you.
Remind me that you welcomed me
— a sinner — into your kingdom,
and that no-one is beyond the grasp of your love.
Thank you for your super-abundant grace and mercy,
that is big enough for me and for the whole world.
This day and forever.
Amen.

Think

Why do you think Jesus didn’t just come out and say ‘Herod’? Why use the reference to the weak reed swayed by the wind and the man in expensive clothes found in palaces?