Mattthew 11
By Pastor Libby
Child’s Play
When was the last time you were involved in child’s play? Can you remember some of your favorite games? One of my favorites was, “No Bears are out tonight.” On a hot and muggy, Kansas evening, just as the stars were beginning to peek out and the air was cooling, the neighborhood kids would gather and one person would be chosen to hide. The rest of us would group up closely. Upon counting to 50 the group would begin circling the outer perimeter of the established play area and sing, “No bears are out tonight, my daddy killed them all last night, no bears…” until the “bear” would jump out, growl and try to tag as many of us as possible. Fun huh? Strange…maybe.
Watching and participating in the games of children can be fascinating and frustrating. As a Children’s Pastor I have humbly witnessed the self- sacrifice of one child for another; yet I have also seen extreme self-centeredness. It seems that it never fails, whenever the winner is announced, I hear from some child, “that’s not fair” or “they cheated” when most often than not the alleged statement of the offense is the only real problem.
The parable of the children in the marketplace has always intrigued me. Normally we see children used in the Bible as an example of how we should act in accepting Christ and his message but here in Matthew 11:16 and in Luke 7:31 we see the opposite of that as Christ uses the dissatisfaction of children playing a game to emphasize the difference and non acceptance of Jesus’ and John’s ministry.
“We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We sang a dirge,
And you did not mourn.”
When I think of John the Baptist’s ministry I think frugal and forthright. When I think of Jesus’ ministry I think of celebratory and grace filled; two men, two different ministries, both of them successful and right. Yet to the Jews neither of these ministries would they accept nor respond to. They were like children playing a game where they were unhappy with how the other would not adhere to their rules.
Can you accept God’s leading and working in your life, especially when there seems to be no middle ground? Christ’s ministry was extreme. John’s ministry was extreme. Are you playing by your own rules right now or are you willing to follow Christ’s call and open your life and love to a whole new game?
