Today’s scripture: Matthew 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
John the Baptizer came and did not eat (like other people) or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon inside him.’ The Son of Man came eating (like other people) and drinking wine. And you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine! He is a friend of the tax collectors and other bad people!’
Jesus and John had opposite styles, opposite demeanors, opposite ways of doing things. John did not eat or drink wine, Jesus did; yet those, who did not want to believe the messages that John and Jesus brought, used their styles as an excuse. “John has a demon! Jesus is a drunkard!”
I remember a job one of my brothers had when he was first out of college. He constantly complained about his supervisor who did everything by the book and appeared to only see black and white. There was only one way to do a thing, and it was his way. There were few shades of grey in his outlook. The employees didn’t like him very much and called him unfair.
That supervisor eventually moved on and a new supervisor replaced him and my brother still complained. This guy was making massive reforms. He changed all the procedures for doing the jobs of the department; and those rules of the old supervisor didn’t seem so bad. The employees didn’t like him very much and called him aggressive and hard.
Neither of these men was bad. They both did fantastic work for the company. It was the perception of the employees that was flawed. Which brings us to the last verse in this passage: “Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children” (Luke 7:35; NRSV). In the final results, both men got the job done and did well for the company. The same can be said for John and Jesus. When you look at the fruit of their lives, both John and Jesus show they are from God, regardless of their differing styles.
Prayer for the today: God, please forgive me for judging others for their personal styles. Help me to hear and accept truth regardless of the package it comes in. Amen
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.