Matthew 11:16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” Woe on Unrepentant Towns 20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” * Yikes! Jesus is dealing out some harsh judgment here. The first part of the scripture talking about John and Jesus reminds me of something my mother told me when I was a freshman in high school. I was depressed a bit because I was being teased quite a bit for a number of reasons. 1. I was fat, 2. I was from the west coast, 3. I dressed very differently (was going through a punk/goth stage), 4. I was taller than most of the boys, 5. I was more at home in art class painting than in any other class, 6. I got straight A’s and was on the honor roll all the time, 7. I was a Christian and didn’t go to any of the parties….and the list goes on. Anyways, I was telling my mother how upset I was at all this and she said something to me that changed my life forever. She said, “In order to avoid criticism; say nothing, do nothing, be nothing”. At first I sat there stunned and looked at her blankly. Of course I was thinking “does she want me to be nothing?” But she went on to explain that no matter what I did in life SOMEONE would complain about it and criticize me. She let me know that it was okay to do what I knew in my heart was what I wanted or needed to do, and not listen to other people’s criticisms. Jesus speaks rightly when he says that John came neither eating nor drinking and the Pharisees and saducees said he had a demon. Jesus came eating and drinking and they said he was a drunk who spent too much time with sinners. No matter what we do in life, there will be those that criticize and wrongly judge us. Don’t worry about what they think. Be concerned with what you will hear your creator say on judgment day.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:03:13 +0000
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