Word@Work Luke110 - Luke 7:31-35
Published: Tue, 05/25/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
PLAYING RELIGIOUS GAMES
Luke 7:31-35 "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling out to each other: " 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners". ' But wisdom is proved right by all her children." (NIV)
Jesus did not play games, unlike many of the religious people who crowded around Him. Asking the question, "What do I think that this generation is like?" Jesus got their attention. The answer was not flattering! He said that they were just like children playing games. It looked to Him as if they were playing 'weddings and funerals' and trying to get others to join in. However, neither John nor Jesus would be sucked into their world of make-believe. John was too serious for them and Jesus was too joyful. Their criticism was like the childish habit of excluding those who are different, from their game.
John and Jesus were very different. The herald and the King had no need to play games or make themselves popular. Their value did not lie in what people thought of them, but in God's approval ... and they knew it. The only people to lose out were those who refused to accept the messages of repentance and salvation - freely given by God's grace. It was not the popular vote which would determine the legacy of John and of Jesus; that would be clearly seen in the changed lives of those who believed John's message of repentance and trusted Jesus for salvation.
It is the same today. The wonderful news is that there is no game to play, when it comes to Jesus. He is not looking for people who can keep an elaborate set of rules (because nobody can!), but for sinners to confess their guilty secrets and receive forgiveness and love. This message is not tied to any culture or point in history; it is timeless and world-wide. Those who know it is for real are the people who have accepted the message and received the Saviour. They are the proof of the truth (Psalm 34:8). So do not be distracted from Jesus by the criticism of others who think it is all a game; when you know Jesus, you know it is love for life.
Prayer: Gracious God. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me in the Gospel, through Your servants and by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that the Gospel is not complicated and that Your love is real and available to all who will trust You. Please forgive me for sometimes making Jesus difficult for others to get to know, or when I hide Him behind religious talk or ceremonies. May my life be the proof of Your truth, as I keep changing so that I am more like Jesus every day. In His Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Jesus did not play games, unlike many of the religious people who crowded around Him. Asking the question, "What do I think that this generation is like?" Jesus got their attention. The answer was not flattering! He said that they were just like children playing games. It looked to Him as if they were playing 'weddings and funerals' and trying to get others to join in. However, neither John nor Jesus would be sucked into their world of make-believe. John was too serious for them and Jesus was too joyful. Their criticism was like the childish habit of excluding those who are different, from their game.
John and Jesus were very different. The herald and the King had no need to play games or make themselves popular. Their value did not lie in what people thought of them, but in God's approval ... and they knew it. The only people to lose out were those who refused to accept the messages of repentance and salvation - freely given by God's grace. It was not the popular vote which would determine the legacy of John and of Jesus; that would be clearly seen in the changed lives of those who believed John's message of repentance and trusted Jesus for salvation.
It is the same today. The wonderful news is that there is no game to play, when it comes to Jesus. He is not looking for people who can keep an elaborate set of rules (because nobody can!), but for sinners to confess their guilty secrets and receive forgiveness and love. This message is not tied to any culture or point in history; it is timeless and world-wide. Those who know it is for real are the people who have accepted the message and received the Saviour. They are the proof of the truth (Psalm 34:8). So do not be distracted from Jesus by the criticism of others who think it is all a game; when you know Jesus, you know it is love for life.
Prayer: Gracious God. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me in the Gospel, through Your servants and by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that the Gospel is not complicated and that Your love is real and available to all who will trust You. Please forgive me for sometimes making Jesus difficult for others to get to know, or when I hide Him behind religious talk or ceremonies. May my life be the proof of Your truth, as I keep changing so that I am more like Jesus every day. In His Name. Amen.
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