June 3, 2021

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Luke 7:31-35

And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking 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 winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Personal challenge

Jesus was preceded by John the Baptist who lived a very ascetic life. Jesus lived His life with more freedom from the law and engaged with the common and unclean people of His day. The leaders of the church in that day condemned them both for their ministries and their lifestyles. They were so ingrained in how they had perverted the laws and covenant with God that nothing outside of their own definition of the church would satisfy them. We must be careful to not do the same in our churches and Christian walk today. We must be careful to not build institutions and rubrics that end up excluding the very people that God wants us to love, as well as God Himself, from being a central part of our life. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!