What You Have Seen and Heard

18And his disciples reported all these things to John. And John, calling two certain ones of his disciples,

19He sent to the Lord, saying, “Are you the Coming One, or should we expect another?”

20When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?’”

21In that hour he healed many from diseases and afflictions and evil spirits, and to many blind people he granted sight.

22And answering, he said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.”

23And blessed is the one who is not caused to stumble by me.

24After John's messengers had gone away, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?”

25But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Look, those who are in splendid clothing and luxury are in royal palaces.

26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27This is he about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

28I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is.

29And all the people, when they heard this, including the tax collectors, declared God to be righteous, having been baptized with John's baptism.

30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

31To what, then, shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?

32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, who say: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a lament, and you did not weep.’

33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’

34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

35Yet wisdom was vindicated by all her children.