Gospel: Lk 7:31-35
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Jesus compares the Jewish leaders to capricious children, hard to please. They would like the Messiah to play the role they expect. Jesus will be neither a political Messiah who will free them from Roman domination nor a magician who performs miracles for show. Jesus is more than John the Baptist, who preached repentance and led an austere life of a prophet. Jesus is not like the paid royal prophets who prophesy only what favors the king’s interest. Rather, Jesus is the Messiah who reaches out to sinners so that he may offer forgiveness and reconciliation.
Jesus may wish to change the ways of today’s generation characterized by such childish attitudes such as the subjective individualistic “Me generation,” the pleasure-seeking “instant generation,” and the whimsical “changeable generation.” Instead, the Christian generation should possess the wisdom of God defined by the “We mentality,” sacrificial and forgiving love, long and lasting values of the Kingdom of God, and loyalty and faithfulness to the person of Jesus.
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Jesus said to the crowds: 31“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
