“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’
At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
This is a rather odd collection of
sayings that get put together. “To what
will I compare this generation?” Since
being introduced to it in 2003, I have really liked learning about differences
in the generations. Each generation has
certain characteristics and traits and quirks that people born within a certain
time period also have. Each generation
has a way of seeing the world and their place in the world.
Listen to this description of a
generation: “Children love luxury. They have
bad manners. Contempt for authority;
they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” Sound familiar? Want to guess what generation is being talked
of with those words?
Those are words of Socrates who died
about 400 years before Jesus was born.
So while those words sound like some you have heard in your life,
Socrates was speaking about kids 2400 or so years ago!
Times change. Cultures change. Technology changes. Pretty much everything changes except the human
condition. While there are some
differences among generations, some fundamentals remain the same. So when Jesus says: “To what will I compare
this generation?” He could have been
speaking to any of us.
The people he is describing does not recognize
the truth that is right in front of them.
They thought that John the Baptist was a demon because
he didn’t eat or drink as the rest. And they considered Jesus to be “a glutton and
a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinner” because he did eat and drink
with others.
It’s interesting. They describe John by the
company he doesn’t keep. They describe Jesus
by the company he does keep. Jesus, on the other hand, compares them to
children. They are oblivious, like children who are preoccupied with playing
games, failing to see what is happening right in front of them. The Messiah,
the one they have been waiting for, is right there.
I wonder how often I fail to see what
is right in front of me. How often I get
caught up in what I am doing that I miss out on something much greater.
Jesus is all about grace. He celebrates with people. He heals the broken. He welcomes all. He loves all.
He embraces all.
I don’t always see that grace. I don’t recognize it in my own life. So today I want to watch for moments of
grace; times when I see Christ’s presence; Christ’s mercy; forgiveness. I ask you to do the same.
Let’s pray: Lord, we are just getting started on this day,
and the tasks before us can seem overwhelming.
Be with us to assure that we are in good hands. Help us to pause throughout this day to
recognize your presence; the gift of your grace, your mercy. So we will try to rest in your care, as we do
our best as good stewards of this day.
In your name we pray. Amen.
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