June 25, 2026

Business by the Book

Matthew 11:18-19  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 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 children.

In these words of Jesus we find a very subtil yet often used ploy of an enemy. All too often individuals that oppose others will say anything to win. The Lord exposes this strategy thereby exposing His enemies for their unfairness. Christ and John preached the same message. On one hand the enemies of this message said that John was wrong because he did not eat and drink with them. On the other hand they said that Jesus was wrong because He did eat and drink with them. The old adage is true, “They spoke out of both sides of their mouth.”  In all fairness they cannot have it both ways, but they tried.

The same takes place today anywhere there is opposition. Those opposing a certain message will sometimes say anything that sounds good at the moment just to win. Sadly people like this sooner or later lose all credibility.

Not only is this a strategy of an enemy that must be guarded against, it is also something that all honest hardworking people everywhere must guard against. For it is a very natural thing to use words recklessly in order to belittle opposition. But that doesn’t mean it is right.

Some describe this strategy as “attacking the messenger at all cost and destroy the message.”  Destroy the messenger and you will destroy the message is what they think. Yet, they destroyed John and the message continues, they destroyed Jesus (so they thought) and the message continues. The very last phrase of our verses today explains why, But wisdom is justified of her children. Attacks on wisdom will never destroy wisdom. The Apostle Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 13:8, For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. Wisdom, truth, and facts will never change by attacks on those who espouse them. If anything, it strengthens them.

Dr. William Howe