Matthew 11:18 (DRB)

Passage

For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:16 But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place.

Matthew 11:17 Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned.

Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.

Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "john", "came", "neither", "eating", "drinking", "hath", and "devil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "john" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Who crying to their companions say We..." into verse 19's "The Son of man came eating and...", so "john" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "john" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.