John the Baptist Doubts

11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.^{(A) 2} Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples^{(B) 3} and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ^(C)

⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,^{(D) 6} and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”^(E)

⁷ As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?^{(F) 8} What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.^{(G) 10} This is the one about whom it is written:

¹¹ “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,^[c] but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence,^[d] and the violent have been seizing it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.^{(I) 15} Let anyone who has ears^[e] listen.^(J)

An Unresponsive Generation

¹⁶ “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’^{(K) 19} The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,^(L) a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^(M) Yet wisdom is vindicated^[g] by her deeds.”^[h]

In Praise of John the Baptist

¹⁸ Then John’s disciples told him about all these things.^(A) So John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to the Lord, asking, “Are you the one^(B) who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men reached him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that time Jesus healed many people of diseases,^(C) afflictions, and evil spirits,^(D) and he granted sight to many blind people.^{(E) 22} He replied to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear,^(F) the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,^{(G) 23} and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ²⁵ What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶ What then did you go out to see? A prophet?^(H) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John,^[c] but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ (And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.^{(J) 30} But since the Pharisees and experts in the law^(K) had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.^(L))

An Unresponsive Generation

³¹ “To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:

³³ For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine,^(M) and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^{(N) 35} Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”