Jesus laments

JESUS

said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

REFLECTION THE SON OF MAN CAME EATING AND DRINKING.

As we journey towards a certain destination, we can rely on at least three things. First is our gut feeling, our instinctive sense that we are on the right track. Second, we can seek help from people on the road and ask them for directions. Third, we can rely on a map, and this includes such modern helps as the Google map and Waze.

The first way can work, but it may sometimes fail us. The second way is only effective if the person we approach and ask on the road knows our destination and can give clear directions. The third way is helpful provided that the information we are getting from the new technology is correct and accurate.

Isaiah prophesies: “I am the Lord, your God, teaching you how to prevail, leading you on the way you should go” (Is 48:17). If we heed God’s commands and we make his Word as the touchstone of our life, we will not lose our way.

God sends John the Baptist and Jesus to the Jews, each of them carrying a respective mission. John the Baptist paves the way for Jesus’ coming. John calls upon the Jews to turn from their wickedness and return to God. He baptizes by water, a sort of cleansing for sins.

Jesus, Son of God, teaches people that despite difficulties, life is a grand feast! By his preaching, forgiveness, and miracles, Jesus inaugurates the reign of God in the world.

John’s and Jesus’ teachings are complementary — sorrow for sins and celebration!