Wednesday 17 September 2008
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep'. For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Background
In this passage Jesus is talking about the human tendency towant others to see things our way. We want the world to dance toour tune, to be happy when we are happy, sad when we are sad.
Jesus refers to two ministries - that of John the Baptist who wasregarded as a crazy wildman and a fanatic when the Jews wantedsomeone less serious ("we played the flute for you, and you did notdance") and then that of Jesus himself, who was criticised for his'worldliness' in mixing with those who (according to the minds ofthe religious authorities) were beyond salvation - tax collectorsand sinners. Jesus was too worldly and not 'serious' enough ("wewailed, and you did not weep").
Jesus is saying to the listening crowd that the values of the worldare not the values of God, but the opposite. John the Baptist andJesus were both at odds with the world. Things are turned on theirheads - what the world thinks is death is the way to life. When wethink we are defending our own lives it is death we areembracing.
We are called to give up our wilfulness and become 'children ofwisdom' (verse 35): to renounce having things 'our way' and be opento God's way.
To Ponder
Do you recognise in yourself the tendency to wantthe world to dance along to your tune? Or do you want to dancealong to the world's tune?
How can you be more open to dancing to God'stune?