You Just Can’t Make Some People Happy

Theo and his mum at an outdoor worship service. 

Scripture:

Luke 7:31    “To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we wailed, and you did not weep.’

³³ For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’; ³⁴ the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵ Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Observation:

While the ordinary people had seen and appreciated the work of John the Baptist, the religious people had not. At the same time, Jesus didn’t make them happy either. Jesus seems to suggest that they are playing childish games. When there was feasting, they complained and said it wasn’t their style. When there was fasting, they complained and said it wasn’t their thing. They rejected the behaviors of both Jesus and John, and found reasons to complain about them both. 

The religious officials couldn’t be made happy by either Jesus or John. Both of them are rejected because they didn’t do things the “right way.” The Pharisees could not see beyond the box in which they had placed themselves. They thought that they had the right to define that which would be holy, and anything outside of that realm, was simply not to be considered. 

It is the wise individual who can see the truth. Interestingly, the individual with wisdom, may be the ordinary person on the margins. All of God’s children who come and follow Jesus become the vindication of truth.

Application:

We all know people who always find something to complain about. I think that’s how Jesus felt in this situation. The religious leaders didn’t like the way that John had done things, and now, they didn’t like the way that Jesus did things — even though the two of them were polar opposites. Even today, we find ourselves in the middle of struggles where people complain about how things are done — only to have them adjusted and then they find something new to complain about. 

In a way, it’s nice to know that Jesus would, at times, become exasperated. I know that there are people who are in ministry today, who are frustrated. The global pandemic has put unusual stress on our pastors and many are growing weary. Their song might be:

 “You asked for masks, so we social distanced, wore our masks and have hand sanitizer, but you still won’t come to church.” 

 “We asked for masks, and you didn’t think we needed them, so you’ve gone to another church.”

 “We have spent hours putting our services on-line so you can participate, but you’ve found other things to do on Sunday.”

I live with two pastors and work with many others, and they’re getting discouraged. Barna research recently showed that 20% of all regular church attenders haven’t attended church, in-person, or on-line since the pandemic started. Where are these people? Sunday morning I went to church where everything is beautifully cared for — and there hasn’t been a single case of COVID spread since the pandemic — but there were very few present (it was also very cold and snowing). But on the way home, the local restaurants had packed parking lots. 

Not everyone is going to be happy these days, but that’s not the point. Jesus and John the Baptist didn’t make everyone happy, but they did point to the truth. Even in the midst of a world where things are not like we want them to be, wisdom can be vindicated. Together, we become seekers of the truth, for the sake of our heavenly Father. Disciples were called to follow Jesus and the message that he was preaching. The result was to be a life poured out for others, filled with love and mercy. 

May God help us to be content in whatever circumstance, and continually lean into faithful service in the kingdom of God. 

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to be a complainer! Amen.