Luke 7:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But a soft garment relaxes the austerity of the soul; and if worn by a hard and rigorous body, soon, by such effeminacy, makes it frail and delicate. But when the body becomes softer, the soul must also share the injury; for generally its workings correspond with the conditions of the body.

"I tell you, among those born of women, there is no prophet greater than John." Here, the Lord elevates the forerunner above all others. It might seem as though someone would question, "Are you, Christ, saying John is greater than Yourself?" In response, He emphasizes, "Yet I, the lesser, am greater in the kingdom of heaven. Although I may be regarded as lesser than John in nobility, age, and glory, in the realm of divine and spiritual matters, I hold a greater position." Consequently, all who heard John justified God, which means they honored Him by accepting His messenger. In contrast, the Pharisees failed to honor God because they rejected John.

How then could a religious strictness, so great that it subdued to itself all fleshly lusts, sink down to such ignorance, except from a frivolity of mind, which is not fostered by austerities, but by worldly delights. If then ye imitate John, as one who cared not for pleasure, award him also the strength of mind, which befits his continence. But if strictness no more tends to this than a life of luxury, why do you, not respecting those who live delicately, admire the inhabitant of the desert, and his wretched garment of camel’s hair.

When he declares that among those born of women, John the Baptist is the greatest and has not risen (Matt. 11:11), he indicates that he himself, conceived by a virgin, surpasses John, or that even the least of the heavenly angels is greater than all the people on earth. We are elevated to the status of angels, not the reverse, contrary to the beliefs of those who are lost in deep slumber. It would not have been advantageous for John to provide commendation if he had not first proclaimed, in accordance with Scripture, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 3:1).

But he prepared the way of the Lord not only in the order of birth according to the flesh, and as the messenger of faith, but also as the forerunner of His glorious passion. Hence it follows, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.

The most accurate understanding is found in that passage.

(Note: Matthew 11:11)

He calls a man an angel, not because he was by nature an angel, for he was by nature a man, but because he exercised the office of an angel, in heralding the advent of Christ.

Now these things were spoken by our Lord after the departure of John’s disciples, for He would not utter the praises of the Baptist while they were present, lest His words should be counted as those of a flatterer.

John was also greatest among those that are born of women, because he prophesied from the very womb of his mother, and though in darkness, was not ignorant of the light which had already come.

These words may be understood in two ways. For either he called that the kingdom of God, which we have not yet received, (in which are the Angels,) and the very least among them is greater than any righteous man, who bears about a body, which weighs down the soul. Or if by the kingdom of God be meant to be understood the Church of this time, the Lord referred to Himself, who in the time of His birth came after John, but was greater in divine authority, and the power of the Lord. Moreover, according to the first explanation, the distinction is as follows, But he who is least in the kingdom of God, and then it is added, is greater than he. According to the latter, But he who is least, and then added, is greater in the kingdom of God than he.

When John's followers posed their question, those in the company of Jesus might have wondered if the herald of repentance and the dawning of Messianic fulfillment had altered his stance on Jesus, whom he had previously identified without hesitation as the Messiah. To dispel any uncertainties regarding John, Christ directs attention to the inner convictions of His listeners and inquires, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A man who is unstable, swayed by every breeze, or one who is overly concerned with worldly matters, who shifts his words based on personal gain? Certainly not. You witnessed and continue to witness in John a true prophet. Indeed, he is more than a prophet; he is the messenger prophesied by Malachi who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

What were you hoping to witness? Was it a prophet? Indeed, I tell you, he is more than a prophet. He surpasses the role of a prophet because it is he concerning whom God spoke through the prophet Malachi: "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you." If there was a prophecy regarding his arrival, and if he serves as a messenger heralding the coming of the Messiah, then without a doubt, among those born of women, no prophet surpasses John the Baptist. Yet, even though some perceive him as lesser than John, the One greater than John exists in the kingdom of God. John was neither a reed swaying in the breeze nor a man indulging in luxury; indeed, he was the pinnacle of all prophets.

After John's disciples had left, the Savior turned to the crowd and offered the highest commendation that a person could receive. He declared, "Verily I say unto you, of them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." This means that despite John's significant stature as a prophet in the Old Testament, anyone who directly listens to Christ and genuinely embraces faith in Him holds a greater claim to enter the new kingdom than even this illustrious prophet, who served as a forerunner to the arrival of the new kingdom, much like a new Elijah.

The inquiry posed to Jesus by John’s disciples could have raised various misguided doubts among those listening regarding John himself. Observers might have perceived him as inconsistent, someone who had changed his message and possibly compromised his prior ascetic lifestyle while imprisoned. Aware of the ‘secret thoughts of all,’ the Lord chose to address John only after his disciples had left, avoiding any appearance of ‘flattering him’ (St John Chrysostom). He referred to the firm convictions of those who had witnessed the Forerunner in the wilderness, affirming that John had remained steadfast: ‘What is it that ye went out into the wilderness to see? Is it a walking stick, shaken by the wind? But what are you going out to see? Is it a man clothed in soft garments?