Hello everyone.
Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where you read the daily Gospels and the Saint of the Day.
Let’s get started.
Today is Wednesday, September 16th, and Miles is sick today, so there will be no Saint of the Day.
And the scripture to reflect on is Luke 7:32.
They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, ‘We piped to you and you did not dance; we wailed and you did not weep.’ I always have a tough time remembering what this parable is about.
I know that Jesus is describing his ministry and also talking about John the Baptist’s recent ministry.
But to the Pharisees, they both aren’t good enough.
The Pharisees still have a problem with both of them, even though they do their ministry totally different.
So Jesus uses this parable to call out those who rejected both him and John the Baptist.
No matter what the children in the marketplace did, some of the other children wouldn’t enter in.
If they played a happy song on the flute and were dancing, there were those that would not join in.
If they played a sad funeral song, some children didn’t weep.
Jesus was showing that there are people who would reject the message no matter what style of presentation.
They rejected John because of his extreme ways of eating strange things and dressing oddly.
And Jesus preached self-sacrifice.
People rejected Jesus as well.
Jesus came to earth as the good news.
He brought mercy to a broken world and shared love and compassion to everyone.
The Pharisees and the other expert in Jewish law had problems with both and complained that they didn’t choose to listen to either of them.
Jesus explained that those who rejected the message, whether it came from John or Jesus, were like spoiled children who refused to play with others, no matter what games were played.
They wanted the other children to play according to their rules.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to hear your word no matter who it comes from.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back tomorrow, Scattering More Flowers.
See ya!