OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS PROPHETS BUT THE PEOPLE FOUND EXCUSES TO DISREGARD THEM

The Lord Jesus, continuing His explanation of John the Baptist's ministry in Matthew chapter 11 verses 16 - 19, said this;

16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:

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

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

The Lord commented on the state of the society and its leaders at the time of John the Baptist and the Messiah.

The scoffing and cynical status quo had two citizens of heaven arrive in rapid succession with opposite modes of operation.

John conducted his ministry in a mournful mode codified by reclusion and fasting. The establishment, finding this to be too austere, labled John a demonniac as a way of denigrating and dismissing him.

On the other hand, Jesus conducted His ministry in a celebratory mode codified by sharing in food and drink and by gathering with people from all sectors of the society.

For Him, the establishment gave the labels of glutton, drunkard and associate of outcasts.

In current parlance, we would use the idiom  'damned if you do, damned if you don't' to describe the establishment's critical attacks on any person who was sent to them proclaiming a standard of righteousness that was not welcome. No matter how the messengers approached and how they presented themselves, their message was always rejected.

Jesus compared this conduct by the leaders of the society to the silly games that children played in the market place where some of them would not cooperate and join in no matter what form of activty was initiated. This would prompt calls by the kids (who wanted to engage everyone in play) to say;

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

The Lord concluded His commentary on the stance of the society by saying that wisdom is justified by her children.

If wisdom is used, the validity of the wisdom is vindicated by the results it yields.

Whether or not  rejecting the message from heaven was wisdom would be evident in the day of judgement. As Psalm 37 verse 6 says;

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

Amen.

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