The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 19. Come eating and drinking. Whereas John came living in the wilderness on locusts, wild honey, and so forth Yet most part of the Jews neither regarded Christ nor Saint John: nay the Pharisees here (verse 18) say of John, that he is possessed with a devil.—Wisdom is justified by her children. That is, by such as are truly wise; and the sense seems to be, that the divine wisdom and Providence hath been justified, that is approved, owned, and declared just and equitable by those that being truly wise, have made good use of the favours and graces offered them at this time of their redemption, when others have remained obstinate in their blindness, and refused to believe in Christ. Witham.—That is, the multitude of believers by their faith justify the providence and justice of God, against the calumnies of the wicked; for as these believed, what hindered others also from believing? where it appears that Divine Providence omitted nothing of those things, which were necessary to procure and promote the salvation of men. Menochius.
NU reads “actions” instead of “children”