Luke 7:25
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.
The verse belongs to the account of John the Baptist's imprisonment under Herod Antipas after John faithfully rebuked Herod for his unlawful marriage to Herodias. The verse is Jesus' question contrasting John with those gorgeously apparelled and living delicately in kings' courts, for John was not a richly dressed man in soft raiment living in luxury as a courtier. The question challenged those who went out to see John to consider their purpose, since the wilderness where John ministered was not where people seek luxury, fine dress, comfort, or status. Those who went to him did not find a man dressed in soft, splendid clothes and living delicately.
John's clothing in the wilderness was plain and rough with no beauty, serving clothing's practical purpose without display. By contrast, the Jewish priests, elders, and rulers wore splendid, costly clothing, robes, and breastplates that displayed status and were used to win the people's admiration. Rich apparel and worldly luxury belong to those who hold worldly power and wealth, not to God's servants, so such costly display showed allegiance to the kingdom of this world rather than to God, neglecting the purity of heart, purity of character, and holy life that He values and approves. John was the prophet whose mission was to call the people to repentance and to direct them to the coming Christ.
John's self-denying life and strict, abstemious habits contrasted with luxury and were not grounds for rejecting his message. At the time of the verse John's life of active labor had given way to bearing the gloom and inaction of prison with despondency and doubt, for he did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom but expected Jesus to take the throne of David and claim kingly authority. John had declared that every valley must be filled, the mountains and hills made low, the crooked made straight and the rough places plain, looking for human pride and power to be cast down, and had pointed to the Messiah as having His fan in His hand to thoroughly purge His floor, gather the wheat and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire, and like Elijah in whose spirit and power he came he looked for the Lord to reveal Himself by fire.