Matthew 11:16-24
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation, when He was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews: they throw great light on some parts of the natural man’s character; they teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day.
The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion. The Jews, in our Lord’s time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them. First came John the Baptist, preaching repentance: an austere man, a man who withdrew himself from society, and lived an ascetic life. Did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault and said, “He hath a devil.” Then came Jesus the Son of God, preaching the Gospel: living as other men lived, and practising none of John the Baptist’s peculiar austerities. And did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault again, and said, ”Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” In short, they were as perverse and hard to please as wayward children.