Luke 7:34, commentary and pictures

The verse records a false and hypocritical charge by the Pharisees, who called Jesus an overeater and a drinker because He mingled with the people and shared meals with outcasts and the morally despised. They pressed it after being silenced, contrasting His social life with the austere habits of John, yet they had rejected John too as fanatical and possessed for his abstemious rebuke of their hypocrisy. In truth He ate with those sitting in darkness to bring them heavenly light, living seed in every word, and to offer life and power to become children of God to all who would receive Him. He is therefore known as the Friend of the guilty and afflicted, who does not forsake sinners who turn to Him but draws near to forgive, relieve, and join their weakness to His strength. That friendship calls His followers to meet the guilty with pity rather than condemnation, to serve the needy with self-sacrificing compassion, and to make His lovingkindness known in few well-chosen words.

False Charge Understood

The verse records the Pharisees accusing Jesus of being gluttonous and a drinker of wine because He mingled with the people and ate and drank at tables with publicans and sinners. The charge was false and hypocritical, with no truth in it, as an example of the false reports made about Him. The very men who made it were themselves guilty, falsifying His messengers as Satan misrepresents God with his own attributes. The accusation came after they were silenced, when in growing enmity they tried to turn John's disciples against Jesus. Even though they had opposed John's mission, they now courted those disciples in order to secure cooperation against Jesus.

They claimed He set at naught ancient traditions and contrasted the austere piety of the Baptist with His feasting with publicans and sinners. They had made the opposite charge against John, scorning his abstemious life, simple habits and coarse garments as fanaticism. They did so while resisting his rebuke of their hypocrisy, rejecting God's counsel under conviction of the Spirit, and declaring he had a devil. They refused to consider that He ate with publicans and sinners to bring the light of heaven to those sitting in darkness. They refused to see that every word of the divine Teacher was living seed that would germinate and bear fruit to the glory of God, having determined not to accept the light. Despite these accusations, He left heaven and came to the world to die for humanity.

Christ Friend of Sinners

The verse identifies Jesus as the Friend of publicans and sinners. He was known by that title because He mingled with people from every class and shared their social life, including eating with them, so they could encounter His character and teachings. His generous presence among them contrasted with the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and helped people see the difference between His way and theirs, though critics treated this fellowship as evidence of worldly conformity.

In that friendship He mingled with people to share truth and seek their physical and spiritual well-being, giving Himself wholly to saving souls. He offered life, light, and the power to become children of God to all who received Him. As that Friend He draws near to the guilty and afflicted, forgives sin, and brings relief to those who trust in Him, ministering to sin-sick souls with a heart touched by human suffering.

That title offers comfort that He does not forsake those who turn to Him and that sinners are not forsaken by Him. Genuine conversion joins the heart to Him in clinging faith, so that human weakness is joined to His strength and ignorance to His wisdom, and efforts under His guidance become a power for good. Those who rule over the consciences of others need to be converted and joined to Him through repentance and faith to be numbered with the redeemed.

Following His Friendship

His friendship toward the guilty calls Christians to show pity and sympathy instead of painting their guilt in its worst light, and to point them to Christ in few well-chosen words that reveal the Saviour's lovingkindness, because He paid with His blood to save them. His followers and the church are to make that friendship known by serving those in need, living out His self-sacrificing spirit, and helping to save perishing souls. He ministered to sin-sick souls with a heart touched by human suffering, and His example in that calls His followers to serve others with compassion. That same example teaches His followers to minister to sin-sick people and to give themselves, as He did, to God's work and the good of others.

The verse's terms for gluttony and winebibbing also describe habits children acquire when parents indulge their appetites. This is the raising of children to eat whatever they choose whenever they choose. Such indulgence can make them gluttons and lead to poor health and loss of mental and physical strength.