Matthew 11:16-24: a reflection

16“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions 17and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” 20Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn’t repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until today. 24But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

Jesus describes his generation as fickle children who will not be pleased however God comes to them: they reject John for being austere, and reject Jesus for being sociable, always finding an excuse not to respond. They are like children in the marketplace, Jesus says, who complain, we played the flute and you didn't dance; we mourned and you didn't lament. John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said he had a demon; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, a glutton and a drunkard. Whatever God did, however he came, they found fault and would not respond; their refusal was not really about John or Jesus, but a heart unwilling to respond. This confronts the fickle, fault-finding heart that refuses to respond to God however he comes. A fault-finding heart refuses to respond to God however he comes. They rejected both John and Jesus, finding fault with each. The refusal to respond was a heart unwilling, not a real reason. A heart set against responding always finds an excuse.

Notice the fickleness Jesus exposes. When John came in austerity, fasting and set apart, they rejected him as having a demon; when Jesus came sociably, eating and drinking with sinners, they rejected him as a glutton and a friend of sinners. Whatever the manner, they found fault and would not respond. Their objections were not really the reason; a heart set against responding will always find some excuse, some fault, whatever God does. This is a searching picture, for the same fickle, fault-finding spirit can be in us. We can find reasons to reject or resist God however he comes to us: if his call is demanding, we complain it is too hard; if his grace is generous, we complain it is too easy; there is always an excuse for a heart unwilling to respond. But the real issue is not the excuse; it is the unwillingness of the heart. What God looks for is not endless fault-finding but a willing response to him. We do well to examine whether we are finding excuses not to respond to God, rather than truly responding. A heart unwilling to respond always finds an excuse. The real issue is the unwilling heart, not the objection. Do not find fault to avoid responding to God. God looks for a willing response, not endless excuses.

That is worth taking to heart, for a fickle, fault-finding heart will always find an excuse not to respond to God however he comes, and God looks instead for a willing response. We can find reasons to reject or resist God whatever he does, complaining his call is too demanding or his grace too easy, as that generation rejected John for austerity and Jesus for sociability; but the real issue is not the excuse but the unwilling heart. Do not hide an unwillingness to respond to God behind fault-finding excuses; examine your heart, and respond to him willingly. Examine whether you are finding fault and excuses to avoid responding to God, rather than truly responding to him, as Jesus exposed his generation as fickle children who rejected John for coming in austerity as having a demon and rejected the Son of Man for coming sociably as a glutton and drunkard, finding fault whatever God did; for whatever the manner in which God came, they would not respond, and their objections were not the real reason but a cover for a heart unwilling to respond, and the same fickle, fault-finding spirit can be in us, finding reasons to reject or resist God however he comes, complaining his call is too hard if it is demanding or too easy if it is generous, always with some excuse, but the real issue is not the objection but the unwillingness of the heart, so that we do well to examine whether we are finding excuses not to respond to God rather than truly responding to him, for God looks not for endless fault-finding but for a willing response.

Lord Jesus, you describe your generation as fickle children who will not be pleased however God comes to them: they reject John for being austere, and reject you for being sociable, always finding an excuse not to respond. They are like children in the marketplace, you say, who complain, we played the flute and you didn't dance; we mourned and you didn't lament. John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said he had a demon; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, a glutton and a drunkard. Whatever God did, however he came, they found fault and would not respond; their refusal was not really about John or you, but a heart unwilling to respond. This confronts the fickle, fault-finding heart that refuses to respond to God however he comes. Show me the fickleness you expose. When John came in austerity, they rejected him as having a demon; when you came sociably, they rejected you as a glutton and a friend of sinners. Whatever the manner, they found fault and would not respond. Their objections were not really the reason; a heart set against responding will always find some excuse. This is a searching picture, for the same fickle, fault-finding spirit can be in me. I can find reasons to reject or resist you however you come to me: if your call is demanding, I complain it is too hard; if your grace is generous, I complain it is too easy; there is always an excuse for a heart unwilling to respond. But the real issue is not the excuse; it is the unwillingness of the heart. Take that to my heart, for a fault-finding heart always finds an excuse not to respond to you, and you look instead for a willing response. Keep me from hiding an unwillingness to respond to you behind fault-finding excuses; help me examine my heart, Lord, and respond to you willingly however you come, rather than finding fault and excuses to avoid responding to you.