Stubborn Pride

“But whereunto shall I liken this generation?  It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.”  Matthew 11:16-17

Jesus had just completed His testimony about John the Baptist and had turned His attention toward all of those whose self-righteous pride kept them in the dark about the truth of God’s word.  He asked (paraphrasing), “To what can I compare this generation?”  I suppose Jesus could ask this question of any generation because of the untold millions over many centuries who have chosen to reject Him.  But, for now, Jesus was addressing His contemporaries.  He sometimes used an analogy to explain a truth to people by comparing them to that which was familiar to them.  Here, He compared the people to a group of children who were playing near a marketplace.  Children, in their play, will sometimes mimic adults.

The children in this analogy were piping joyful tunes, yet those whom they were trying to attract would not join in with them in their game and dance to their tunes.  They tried another tactic.  They put on long, sad faces as if attending a funeral, but the others still would not join them in their lament.  Neither joyful sounds nor somber wails could entice others to come and join them.  Some folks are just plain difficult to convince.  Many of those who were in Jesus’ audience were almost immune to the realities of Jesus’ words.  At the very least, they were inconsistent.  Again, paraphrasing another of Jesus’ statements, He said to them, “John the Baptist came and did not eat and drink the same foods that you do, yet you say that he is possessed with a devil”.  (John had chosen to live very simply, putting his own comforts aside for the sake of his ministry).  Jesus continued “I came eating and drinking whatever I was offered, and you called Me a glutton, a wino, and One who associated with the ‘wrong’ crowd, you know the one that includes tax collectors and sinners.”  You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but some folks can’t be pleased any of the time.

Apparently, none of the crowd considered John to be one who “practiced what he preached” and one who sincerely cared about the spiritual condition of others, nor did they consider Jesus to be a friendly, outgoing Person who enjoyed the company of others regardless of their socio-economic status and loved them enough to speak the truth to them as no other had ever done before.  These stubborn folks didn’t know what they were missing.  God uses various methods to persuade lost sinners to repent and receive Christ, the only way of salvation.  But many, then and today, choose to close their hearts and minds to God’s call.  Matthew Henry, in his commentary, wrote, “…if people will be neither bound by laws, nor invited by promises, nor frightened by threats, will neither be awakened by the greatest things, nor allured by the sweetest things, nor startled by the most terrible things, nor be made sensible by the plainest things; if they will hearken to the voice neither of scripture, nor reason, nor experience, nor providence, nor conscience, nor interest, what more can be done?”  I suppose one could some up Mr. Henry’s statement as “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”.  Some folks would rather die of thirst than receive the Living Water of Christ.

Pastors study with great effort to prepare a sermon in hopes that unbelievers will heed the words of truth and come to Christ, but usually find the results far less than desired.  It’s not the preacher’s fault.  Even if his sermon was less than stellar, God’s word can still touch the hearts of those who are receptive.  However, there are many whose hearts are hardened and who, like the crowds gathered around Jesus, refuse His words of hope and truth.  It is a great mystery to me who so many reject forgiveness of their sins, joy, peace, and the hope of eternal life in heaven, but, as we can see from this passage, the people of Jesus’ day, as well as the people of Old Testament times, were just as stubborn and full of pride as much of the world today.  However, I am not giving up nor giving in.  While there is still time, God’s offer of the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life is still on the table, so to speak.  The word is still going out, the prayers are still rising to heaven, and the Holy Spirit is still bringing conviction upon sinners to forgo their stubborn pride and humbly seek God’s mercy.  Where there is life, there is hope.