Thursday, April 21, 2016

Luke 7:31-35

Luke 7:31-35
“Therefore, to what will I compare this generation of mankind?  And to what is it similar?  They are similar to children in the marketplace who sit down and call to one another while saying, ‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance.  We sang a dirge and you did not weep.’  For John has come while neither eating bread nor drinking wine and you all said, ‘He has a demon.’  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking and you all say, ‘The man is a glutton and drunkard – a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’  But wisdom is being shown righteous by all her children.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

John the Baptizer came with a very stoic and subdued life.  He readily pointed to the problems of the world around him.  He called people to repentance.  In talking about John, Jesus is reminding us that there most certainly is a place in the world for the prophets in the world who so easily focus on the errors and the sins of the fallen world around them.  We are expected to mourn when human beings act sinfully towards one another.  This is why Jesus quotes the children in the marketplace in saying that they played a dirge and the people didn’t wail.  The problem with the people is that when faced with the reality of their sinfulness they do not repent or show any kind of sorrow.

Where do you mourn humanity and its sinfulness?  Where do you accept God’s invitation to call yourself and others to repentance?

Second Thought:

Jesus comes in happiness and celebration.  Jesus comes to enjoy life.  Jesus is the optimistic, always looking towards the grace of God and the mercy that He bestows upon us.  In talking about Himself, Jesus is telling the people around Him that there is a place in the kingdom for happy people and people who focus on grace.  We are expected to hear about God’s grace and celebrate.  When God’s brings us to a place of celebration, we are to respond!  This is why Jesus quotes the children in the marketplace about playing a flute and the people not dancing.  The problem with the people is that when a reason to give glory to God comes along, they don’t respond.

Where do you give glory to God?  Where do you accept God’s invitation to celebrate His grace and mercy?

Third Thought:

The last phrase in this passage is a neat expression.  Wisdom is justified by all of her children.  In other words, a person who is truly wise will say wise things and the actions taken out of wisdom will lead to good results.  If we really want to know who is wise, we shouldn’t just listen to people.  If we really want to know wisdom, we should look into people’s lives. 

Who are the people around you who are clearly living out of the benefit of their wisdom?  Do you live out of wisdom?  How do you know?


Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 7:36-39

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