Luke 7:18-35

John the Baptist (Matthew 11:1 *). According to Lk., John's disciples have access to him, and Jesus is engaged in works of healing in the very hour of the embassy. Luke 7:21 looks as if Lk. were bent on making the answer of Jesus (which may have referred to His moral and spiritual activities) into a definite reference to material signs. In Luke 7:26 the text may have been accommodated to Mt.; it has been suggested that we should read. Yea, I say unto you: among them that are born of woman there is no greater [prophet (Syr. Sin.)] than John, yet he that is less [than he (Codex Bezæ)] is in the Kingdom of God greater than he. Lk. postpones Matthew 11:12 * to Luke 16:16 *. Luke 7:29 f. breaks the thread of Jesus'speech. It is not unlike Matthew 21:31 f., and is perhaps inserted here because of the word justified in Luke 7:35. The people and the tax-collectors declared that God's will as set out in John's proclamation of the Kingdom was right, the Pharisees and lawyers rejected it. The former acknowledged the Baptist's Divine mission, the latter denied it. Luke 7:31 read as in Mt., but note ye for they in Luke 7:33 f.