Matthew 11:18-19

Matthew 11:18-19

[18] For  John  came  neither  eating  nor  drinking,  and  they say,  He hath  a devil.  [19] The Son  of man  came  eating  and  drinking,  and  they say,  Behold  a man  gluttonous,  and  a winebibber,  a friend  of publicans  and  sinners.  But  wisdom  is justified  of  her 

What does Matthew 11:18-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Even though John lived as an ascetic, as some of the Old Testament prophets did, most of the Jews rejected him and even charged him with demon possession. Jesus ate and drank with sinners, and many of the people criticized Him for lack of moderation and concluded that He despised the Law. If they had understood John , they would have understood Jesus.
Jesus concluded with a proverb that justified John"s and His lifestyles. The Jews had criticized both John and Jesus for the ways they lived. Jesus" point was that the good deeds that John and Jesus did vindicated their choices to live as they did. Who could justifiably criticize them since they went about doing good? Wisdom in the Old Testament is almost a synonym for God in many places. Jesus claimed that He and John were living wisely, under God"s control, by behaving as they did. The Jews could make childish criticisms, but the lifestyles of John and Jesus argued for their credibility.
In spite of John"s doubts Jesus supported and affirmed His forerunner to his disciples and his critics. John"s message was correct even if he had developed some misgivings about it.