From: Luke 7:31-35
Jesus Reproaches His Contemporaries
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Commentary:
31-34. See the note on Matthew 11:16-19.
[The note on Matthew 11:16-19 states:
16-19. Making reference to a popular song or a child’s game of His time, Jesus
reproaches those who offer groundless excuses for not recognizing Him. From
the beginning of human history the Lord has striven to attract all men to Himself:
“What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it?” (Isaiah
5:4), and often He has been rejected: “When I looked for it to yield grapes, why
did it yield wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:4).
Our Lord also condemns calumny: some people do try to justify their own beha-
vior by seeing sin where there is only virtue. “When they find something which is
quite obviously good,” St. Gregory the Great says, “they pry into it to see if there
is not also some badness hidden in it” (”Moralia”, 6, 22). The Baptist’s fasting
they interpret as the work of the devil; whereas they accuse Jesus of being a
glutton. The evangelist has to report these calumnies and accusations spoken
against our Lord; otherwise, we would have no notion of the extent of the malice
of those who show such furious opposition to Him who went about doing good
(Acts 10:38). On other occasions Jesus warned His disciples that they would
be treated the same as He was (cf. John 15:20).
The works of Jesus and John the Baptist, each in their own way, lead to the ac-
complishment of God’s plan for man’s salvation: the fact that some people do not
recognize Him does not prevent God’s plan being carried into effect.]
35. The wisdom referred to here is divine Wisdom, especially Christ Himself (cf.
Wisdom 7:26; Proverbs 8:22). “Children of Wisdom” is a Hebrew way of saying
“wise men”; he is truly wise who comes to know God and love Him and be
saved by Him—in other words, a saint.
Divine wisdom is revealed in the creation and government of the universe, and,
particularly, in the salvation of mankind. Wise men “justifying” wisdom seems
to mean the wise, the saints, bear witness to Christ by living holy lives: “Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 32:2-5,12,22 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | cf.1Th2:13 |
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Or | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
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Gospel | Luke 7:31-35 © |
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