Matthew 11:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

These are innate gifts, yet the One who created them is uncreated; He is the Creator, which is not a nature-given gift but rather the Source of all gifts.

In the sacrament of Baptism, God Himself is glorified when individuals, acknowledging their sins, receive a petition, as it is written: "Say your iniquities, that you may be justified" (Isaiah 43:26). He is glorified because people do not arrogantly spurn God's gift, but graciously receive it, for the Lord is just and has loved righteousness (Psalm 10:7). God is exalted because He bestows His gifts not on the dishonorable and wicked but upon those who, having been cleansed, are rendered innocent and righteous. Therefore, we honor the Lord so that we may receive commendation from Him.

Let us examine more thoroughly what it signifies to glorify God. The apostle asserts: God is faithful, yet every man is deceitful, as it is written: "You are righteous in Your words and will prevail in Your judgement" (Rom. 3:4, cf. Ps. 115:2, Ps. 50:6). David likewise states: "To You alone have I sinned and done evil before You, since You are righteous in Your words and will prevail in Your judgement" (Ps. 50:6). Hence, the individual who sins and confesses their sin to God honors God, acknowledging His triumph and hoping for His mercy. Therefore, God is glorified in baptism, for in baptism there is both confession and forgiveness of sins.

Let us not overlook God's will as the Pharisees did. God's will is manifested in John's baptism. Is there any doubt that God's will lies within the baptism of Christ? This will, revealed by the angel of the great council, was unknown to any man, for "who hath known the mind of the Lord?" (Isaiah 40:13; Romans 11:34). Just as no one disregards a person’s will, who can dismiss the will of God? Thus, like children, let us honor our Mother and follow her guidance! We understand that a mother risks herself for her offspring. Let us yield to the design of Mother Wisdom and heed her commands.

In the same way, we approached you; ‘we played a festive tune’ - I lived a life of simplicity, ‘yet you did not dance’, refusing to follow Me; ‘we sang mourning songs’ - John lived a rigorous and austere life, ‘but you did not weep’, ignoring him as well. We both aimed for the same outcome - your deliverance, even though our paths were divergent. You found neither my way nor John's pleasing. Do not be astonished,’ St. Chrysostom explains, “that the Lord resorts to simple and unrefined analogies,” likening Himself and His Forerunner to children playing songs or crying during their pastimes: ‘He speaks this way, accommodating Himself to the limitations of His audience. And the DIVINE WISDOM IS RIGHTEOUS through HIS CHILDREN,’ he concludes, “You can no longer bring accusations against Me, just as the prophet David says of My Father, ‘so You are righteous in Your judgment’” (Psalm 50:6). From His side, God has done everything necessary, as Chrysostom states, ‘to leave the reckless with no excuse for unfounded doubts,’ and the children of Wisdom—those who earnestly sought the path to salvation—demonstrated that it was indeed easy to discover; they placed their faith in Christ, the incarnate Wisdom of God, thus revealing that the other Jews had the opportunity to believe, but chose not to.

However, the people did not celebrate, similar to children who do not dance when their companions play a lively tune. And wisdom is vindicated by all her offspring. Blessed Theophylact explains this statement by saying that when neither the lifestyle of John nor that of Christ was acceptable to them and they rejected all paths to salvation, then Christ, the embodiment of God's Wisdom, would stand justified, not in front of the Pharisees, but before His faithful followers. Those who deny this wisdom would face condemnation: “For I on my part have fulfilled all things, and you prove by your unbelief that I am right, as having omitted nothing.” Bishop Michael notes that "the children of wisdom are the wise, those who genuinely understand the nature of things, events, and their interconnections. The true divine wisdom, as manifested in the lives of John and especially in the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, is validated by its followers—those who pursue, cherish, and embrace it; validated particularly due to their clarity in recognizing the true significance of John and Jesus, contrary to the misjudgments of the Jewish leaders." Some interpreters suggest that wisdom refers here to the well-known adage about children playing music and lamenting. This view is similarly supported by Anthony, Archbishop of Volhynia. If we accept that folk wisdom is often captured in sayings and proverbs, the reference Christ makes about the children's games might well stem from such expressions. In doing so, this interpretation is valid, as the Pharisees, reflecting the sentiments of their community through their responses to John and Jesus, demonstrated the insight of folk wisdom articulated in this saying. This understanding may be more straightforward and accessible than those posited by Blessed Theophylact and Bishop Michael.

Ezekiel often utilized illustrations fitting for the Jews, even though they did not align with the grandeur of God; this reflects God's particular concern for us. John’s life is an embodiment of lamentation, marked by his sternness in both words and deeds, while Christ’s life is akin to joyful music, as He engaged warmly with all, accommodating every person. John's diet was austere and rare: he consumed neither bread nor wine. In contrast, Christ's meals were ordinary: He partook in bread and wine. The herald of repentance exemplified sorrow and mourning, whereas the Bestower of forgiveness embodied cheer and joy.

"Wisdom is justified by her children": The offspring of wisdom are the discerning, those who properly interpret realities, occurrences, and their interconnections. Genuine divine wisdom, manifested in the life and ministry of John and vividly in the incarnate Wisdom—Jesus Christ—is 'justified'—acknowledged as true wisdom—by its followers, those who pursue, cherish, and possess it. They are justified because they did not succumb to misguided views of Christ and John, as the contemporaneous Jews did; they recognized the true nature of the Messiah and His precursor. St. Chrysostom and Theophylact also propose an alternative meaning of 'justified' in this context: 'even if you remain unconvinced, you can no longer blame me.' Similarly, the prophet affirms of God the Father: 'that thou mayest be justified in thy words' (Psalm 50:6). Though God may not see the fruits of His care, He does everything on His end to ensure that no shameless individual can find any ground for baseless skepticism.

When He states that neither John's lifestyle nor His own pleases you, and you dismiss all paths to salvation, then I—the embodiment of divine wisdom—am justified, not in relation to the Pharisees, but in regard to my followers, leaving you without any excuse. I have fulfilled all requirements; your disbelief serves as evidence that I have left nothing undone.