“He who has ears to hear, let him hear. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Matthew 11:15-19
Devotional Thought For The Day
We struggle to figure out just where we belong, what Jesus wants us to be, how best to serve Him. The two ends of the continuum are described by Jesus, as He reflects upon the reaction of people to John and to Himself. Asceticism or “eating and drinking” and mingling with the crowd of “tax collectors and sinners” – which shall it be? Either way, people around us will make judgments, and often their judgments are made in ignorance or even malice. The ascetics are rejected as having something drastically wrong with them, perhaps even as having a demon. Those who are willing to live life as others, and who welcome all other people and seek to be hospitable to all, are accused of participating in the sins of others. In the midst of such circumstances, we can hardly trust the judgment of others to help us find our place on the continuum.
I know people who live virtually as ascetics, people who fast, who drink no alcohol, who do not have cable or internet, who would never be caught dead in a bar, and who consider all who do these things as being somehow tainted by the evil around us and guilty [if not of actual sins, then guilty of complicity with the evils of our time]. They have the right to live as they see fit, as they think God wants them to live; they do not have the right to judge the hearts of others [or even the supposed “behaviors” of others, which they have not witnessed]. I also know fellow Christians who live rather robustly, who mingle with all kinds of people in all kinds of places, and there is legitimate concern – for while Jesus could do this without fear of falling into sin, we are not perfect. Nonetheless, I am certain that many Christians live this way without falling into the grotesque sins of others, and who maintain a proper life of repentance and faith, and commitment to decency and love. These have the right to live as they see fit, understanding the will of God for our sanctification.
What about us, and how do we decide? Well, if one cannot eat and drink with “tax collectors and sinners” without engaging in their sinful behaviors, one would be well advised to refrain. At the same time, if one chooses to become more ascetic, one should beware of becoming self-righteous and judgmental. The ascetics are just as sinful as those who eat and drink [see Mark 7:15-23; James 2:10]. On the other hand, those who eat and drink should recognize that life consists of more than this, and that there are times when restraint and even abstinence are advisable. And care should be taken not to become inured to the evils of our time. When it comes to judging others, we should take great care and caution. If we judge the ascetics, considering them to be nothing more than prissy perfectionists, we also judge John. If we judge those who eat and drink with sinners as being nothing more than drunkards and gluttons, we also judge Jesus. So as we consider the matter of “Christian lifestyle,” we might want to be more concerned for ourselves, what we are doing and the condition of our own hearts, rather than developing a criteria by which we are going to judge others.
There is good purpose and advantages to both kinds of lifestyle. The ascetic demonstrates the kind of great repentance all should have, and exemplifies the kind of sanctified self-discipline and self-control we should all exercise against sinful impulses. However, in isolation from the normal kinds of interaction we can have with others, the ascetic may have difficulty in sharing the gospel of God’s gracious love, mercy, and forgiveness with others. Likewise, his focus on discipline and behavior may encourage others not to repentance and faith but to works-righteousness and smug arrogance. The one who eats and drinks is better able to bear witness to God’s gracious love and mercy in that he/she is living in a fellowship of mutual love and respect toward others. However, in close proximity to the evils of our time great care must be taken not to give the impression that sin doesn’t matter to God, or that repentance is optional. And we must take care not to lead those with weak consciences to intentionally violate their own conscience, and so destroy their repentance and faith. Likewise, we must take care not to lose compass and fall into sin and impenitence ourselves.
As is often the case, the extremes may be appropriate for some, but the middle is best for most. The middle is the most difficult in that you are likely to be judged by both extremes, and have both sets of temptations. Jesus also engaged in ascetic behaviors at times, and it is probable that John also celebrated and feasted at times. The observations and warnings of Jesus, however, have more to do with the judging than the lifestyles, and the improper judgments that defy wisdom – which when judged by her deeds, what they actually are, will be justified. So asserts Jesus, and we do well to heed Him in a life of humble and genuine repentance, firm faith and great joy in His gracious forgiveness, mercy, and love, and a life that is aimed at love, compassion, care, and concern for all others. The lifestyle, whichever works best for us, is not the issue; goodness and commitment to the Gospel should be the focus. And let us take great care in how we judge, lest we merely mimic the children of this generation.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, though You have provided us with an abundance of earthly blessings to enjoy, we often feel guilt in celebrating these blessings, out of fear that we have succumbed to the sins of our time. We also struggle with the hypocrisy of thinking that our self-discipline makes us holier than others. You know our sinful hearts, and the contradictions which plague and afflict us. So keep us mindful of Your gracious mercy and forgiveness, and center our hearts in Your love. Enable us to grow in love for others, and love for all that is good and right, and give us strength and courage to witness to Your love in our words and also in our actions. Amen.