Luk 7:31-32 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord takes His hearers with Him in His discourse when He asks Himself aloud with whom He could compare them, so that they will see to whom they are equal and recognize themselves in it. He speaks of them as “the men of this generation“, that is, the people of a certain kind, people with certain characteristics. How can be made clear to them what kind of people they are? He sketches the scene of playing children. Some have played on the market, they have given a performance and others have watched. When they are finished, however, there is no applause, but also no ‘boo’ shouting. There is no reaction at all. They remain indecisive. Whatever God calls for, they do not like it. When God offers joy in Christ, they do not want to dance. When God calls for mourning, they do not want to weep. When God calls for righteousness, it is too severe for man. When He calls for mercy, it is too easy for Him. Whatever path God takes, man doesn’t want any of it. He despises grace and recoils from the law. John the baptist sang dirges for them because of their sins. His coming and way of life were in keeping with his preaching. When he came without eating bread and drinking wine with them, they said: “He has a demon.” But how could he eat and drink with them, when he had to preach against them because they were living in their sins? His preaching would become powerless if he just celebrated with them. But they did not respond to his preaching. Then comes the Lord Jesus. He played the flute for them, He played the lovely music of grace. But there has been no dance of joy as a reaction. The Son of Man eats and drinks. He wants fellowship with penitent sinners, but they also condemn that attitude. They point to Him as “a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners“. And that too becomes a reason not to believe. For people who don’t want to, it’s never good. Yet, unintentionally, they compliment the Lord by calling Him a friend of repentant tax collectors and sinners. However, there are also those who have believed the preaching of John the baptist and have acknowledged the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. They are the vindication of wisdom. True wisdom will come to light automatically when it comes to light in those who have been raised and shaped by it. Wisdom is seen in these children. The wisdom of God is proven in all who have accepted Christ as the only possibility to be saved. He is the wisdom of God ( ). He is the only way. There is no other way to salvation. Whoever believes Him says that God is righteous to save sinners in this way. One of the children in whom wisdom is vindicated is the woman we meet in the following history.

‏ Luke 7:31-32

Playing the Flute or Singing a Dirge

The Lord takes His hearers with Him in His discourse when He asks Himself aloud with whom He could compare them, so that they will see to whom they are equal and recognize themselves in it. He speaks of them as “the men of this generation“, that is, the people of a certain kind, people with certain characteristics. How can be made clear to them what kind of people they are?

He sketches the scene of playing children. Some have played on the market, they have given a performance and others have watched. When they are finished, however, there is no applause, but also no ‘boo’ shouting. There is no reaction at all. They remain indecisive. Whatever God calls for, they do not like it. When God offers joy in Christ, they do not want to dance. When God calls for mourning, they do not want to weep. When God calls for righteousness, it is too severe for man. When He calls for mercy, it is too easy for Him. Whatever path God takes, man doesn’t want any of it. He despises grace and recoils from the law.

John the baptist sang dirges for them because of their sins. His coming and way of life were in keeping with his preaching. When he came without eating bread and drinking wine with them, they said: “He has a demon.” But how could he eat and drink with them, when he had to preach against them because they were living in their sins? His preaching would become powerless if he just celebrated with them. But they did not respond to his preaching.

Then comes the Lord Jesus. He played the flute for them, He played the lovely music of grace. But there has been no dance of joy as a reaction. The Son of Man eats and drinks. He wants fellowship with penitent sinners, but they also condemn that attitude. They point to Him as “a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners“. And that too becomes a reason not to believe. For people who don’t want to, it’s never good. Yet, unintentionally, they compliment the Lord by calling Him a friend of repentant tax collectors and sinners.

However, there are also those who have believed the preaching of John the baptist and have acknowledged the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. They are the vindication of wisdom. True wisdom will come to light automatically when it comes to light in those who have been raised and shaped by it. Wisdom is seen in these children. The wisdom of God is proven in all who have accepted Christ as the only possibility to be saved. He is the wisdom of God (1Cor 1:30). He is the only way. There is no other way to salvation. Whoever believes Him says that God is righteous to save sinners in this way. One of the children in whom wisdom is vindicated is the woman we meet in the following history.