The Gospel of Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Jesus said to the crowd, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘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.”
Let us pray: Loving God, open our ears to hear your word and draw us closer to you, that the whole world may be one with you as you are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As I read the opening of this Gospel it says just what a lot of us think today about this generation, just changing a few words it becomes: To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and texting to one another, not doing anything productive. Jesus must have had insight to today’s world. Besides looking ahead, Jesus wasn’t a stick in the mud. He really wanted us to enjoy life. Not life like the Pharisees who thought of Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard who comes to the world eating and drinking but one who wants us to come out and play. The Bible describes playfulness as an important part of the God in whose image we are created. All too often those of us who profess to follow Jesus, refuse to hear Jesus: ‘We piped you a tune, but you wouldn’t dance.” Jesus is calling us out to play. We just need to let Jesus’ words take us back to the words of Sophia (1) so that we can play together in the words of the scriptures. On this glorious summer Sunday, on a weekend when it is definitely okay to celebrate, we can listen to the tune Jesus is piping and we can dance for joy for we are wondrously and gloriously made. We may dance but sometimes we are like those kids in the marketplace, unhappy with whatever is offered to us. We want our agendas to fit the gospel. That simply is not an option for Jesus. We can either dance, celebrating and giving thanks for the coming of God among us in Jesus, or we can mourn our sins, the brokenness of our lives, and the pain of the world. But we must respond. We must choose one or the other. Either one is to wear the yoke of Christ. Both will reorient our lives and priorities. The thing is it can be great freedom to find our lives caught up in the plans and purposes of God. In doing things other than our own selfish desires, we can become who God created us to be. God helps us to shoulder the yoke with Him. And walk with us every day and choose the journey with us. The journey isn’t always easy but with God’s love that makes the difference in the journey. In this Gospel Matthew is helping us to better understand Who God is through Jesus. The Kingdom is here, and Jesus is what it looks like. What if this is what God has always been about? What are the ways we can seek to live more fully into this? Let us Pray: God of salvation, who sent your Son to seek out and save what is lost, hear our prayers on behalf of those who are lost in our day, receiving these our prayers of thanksgivings with your unending compassion. This we pray in your Son’s Name. Amen
(1)In Christian mysticism, there is another figure who lays out a path to wisdom. Her name is Sophia. Sophia” in ancient Greek translates to “wisdom,” and from this we derive the words “philosophy” and “sophisticated.” The Hebrew the word for wisdom, חָכְמָה or chokmah, is also a feminine noun.
Reflections by Bob 