Matthew 11:16-19

Matthew 11:16-19

“But to what will I compare this generation?  It is like children while sitting in the marketplace, who call out to one another while saying, ‘We played the flute for you all and you all did not dance.  We sang a song of mourning and you all were not cut.’  For John came while neither eating nor drinking and they say, ‘He has a demon.’  And the Son of Man came while eating and drinking and they say, ‘Behold!  A man who is a glutton and a drunkard – a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  Yet wisdom was being demonstrated as righteous by her works.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Human beings are perverse.  That is the meaning of the parable that Jesus gives us about the children.  To understand the parable, think of a group of children who say, “Let’s go be happy and dance.”  A second group says in reply, “No thanks, we don’t want to be happy today.”  So the first group says, “Okay, let’s be sad together.”  The second group replies, “No, we don’t want to be sad today, either.”  It is a parable to describe people who find fault with both sides of an argument.  It is a parable about people who are never happy with what God has to offer.  Jesus’ point is that human beings are often contrary by disposition.  If it isn’t our idea, it’s often wrong or bad in our eyes and we’d rather not participate.

Are you ever contrary like this?  When are you most likely to be this way?  What is the danger of being contrary in any situation?

Second Thought:

To take this parable and put it in the specific, Jesus talks about Himself and John.  John came with a prophetic warning.  There are people – myself, for example – that tend to see the world through the skeptical eyes of a parent or guardian or prophet.  We tend to look for danger ahead.  We tend to worry about what could go wrong so that we can plan ahead and prevent it before it happens.  Most of the prophets in the Bible are this type of person.  On the other hand, Jesus came with miracles and amazement and wonder.  If you can give me some leeway, Jesus was often a walking carnival as He healed the masses, fed the masses, and cast out demons.  Jesus was often a pleasure to be around because really cool things happened in His presence.  Jesus was often one of those people who seem to be the life of the party.  Jesus is saying that there is room for both the guardian prophet and the amazing carny in the kingdom.  There is room for the people who look ahead with prophetic eyes as well as people who are all about putting the power of God on display for people to be amazed.  There is room for both kinds in the kingdom.  In fact, one might say that both kinds of people are needed to accomplish the work of God.

Are you a person that looks for fun and amazement or a person who looks for danger and warning?  With respect to your faith, are you more carny or guardian?  Why is neither a bad option?

Third Thought:

The other point that Jesus makes through this parable is far more serious, and it is gotten by putting my first two thoughts together.  There is a place for prophets and miracle workers in the kingdom.  However, there are some who aren’t happy with either position.  There are some who can’t tolerate the skepticism of the prophet and they can’t tolerate the joy of the wonder-worker.  There are people who reject the serious warnings of John as well as the playful honesty of Jesus.  The scary part is that as Jesus looked around Him He indicated that the whole generation is this way.  Jesus isn’t talking about some small subgroup.  Jesus is talking about the majority of people with whom He comes into contact.  Jesus knows that many rejected John’s prophetic words calling for repentance because it was a hard message; Jesus knows that many reject Jesus’ call to the kingdom because it’s not what religion should look like to them.  We should all be able to find God in either the prophet of the wonder-worker.  But many choose to find God in neither.  That is a scary and ultimately sad message for today.

How does this thought help us understand why we need to think about who we are?  Do you ever feel the temptation to let your contrary human nature find fault with both the prophet and the wonder-worker?  What options are left to you if you find fault with the serious work of the prophet and the amazing work of the wonder-worker?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 11:20-24