Luke 7:30-35
It is reasonable to refuse to believe that there might be life on other planets. We have found no evidence of life outside of our own planet, and we have not had a visitor from a distant planet or star make contact with us. It is a reasonable refusal because there is no evidence to the contrary.
It is an unreasonable unbelief to hold onto the notion that man never landed on the moon; that it was all some elaborate hoax, concocted on a Hollywood back-lot with lights and special effects. It is unreasonable because we have the photos, the samples of dust and rock, the interviews with the astronauts involved and the return trips by different crews from different countries. To continue to live in denial is completely unreasonable.
For the inhabitants of Israel in the time of Jesus, it was unreasonable for them to refuse to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. He was born of a virgin, just as Isaiah had said He must be (Isaiah 7:14), from the tribe of Israel that was required (Genesis 49:10), and born in the town that it was prophesied that He would be born in (Micah 5:2). Aside from the prophecies, He brought healing to the sick, food to the hungry and even raised the dead. His power was obvious to anyone who would open their eyes and His lifestyle was impeccable, following every demand of the Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
When the general public heard Jesus, they were intrigued, and drawn to His message just as they had been to His predecessor, John the Baptist. They accepted His message, thus justifying God (Luke 7:29). The Pharisees and the lawyers were the resident powers of the church and the Mosaic Law in that time, and they refused to accept the ministry of Jesus. By this refusal, they were actually rejecting the counsel of God against themselves (Luke 7:30). Jesus gives us an amusing and powerful illustration as to what people are like who refuse to accept Jesus when given ample evidence.
Jesus likened these to children who play in the streets and who complain to one another when the other children don’t play right. One child whines that he has played the flute but none of the other kids danced. Another complains that he has told something sad and no one cried with him. Does this sound a bit immature? Of course, for that is what the silly games of kids are like! Jesus is not condemning the children for being this way, but rather He is condemning the religious leaders for acting like these spoiled, silly children.
He states that John the Baptist came refusing to eat and drink and they thought he sustained himself through the powers of darkness (verse 33). Jesus came both eating and drinking and they accused Him of being a glutton and a wino and too friendly with the wrong crowd (verse 34). Nothing, nor anyone was going to make them happy. They were like spoiled children.
It is an unreasonable unbelief for any of us to think less of Jesus than He is capable of. In light of what Jesus suffered at the cross on our behalf, it is an unreasonable unbelief to think that we must suffer for sins that He paid for. Let us be fully grown in our faith in Christ rather than like the children who complain.
It is reasonable to refuse to believe that there might be life on other planets. We have found no evidence of life outside of our own planet, and we have not had a visitor from a distant planet or star make contact with us. It is a reasonable refusal because there is no evidence to the contrary.
It is an unreasonable unbelief to hold onto the notion that man never landed on the moon; that it was all some elaborate hoax, concocted on a Hollywood back-lot with lights and special effects. It is unreasonable because we have the photos, the samples of dust and rock, the interviews with the astronauts involved and the return trips by different crews from different countries. To continue to live in denial is completely unreasonable.
For the inhabitants of Israel in the time of Jesus, it was unreasonable for them to refuse to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. He was born of a virgin, just as Isaiah had said He must be (Isaiah 7:14), from the tribe of Israel that was required (Genesis 49:10), and born in the town that it was prophesied that He would be born in (Micah 5:2). Aside from the prophecies, He brought healing to the sick, food to the hungry and even raised the dead. His power was obvious to anyone who would open their eyes and His lifestyle was impeccable, following every demand of the Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
When the general public heard Jesus, they were intrigued, and drawn to His message just as they had been to His predecessor, John the Baptist. They accepted His message, thus justifying God (Luke 7:29). The Pharisees and the lawyers were the resident powers of the church and the Mosaic Law in that time, and they refused to accept the ministry of Jesus. By this refusal, they were actually rejecting the counsel of God against themselves (Luke 7:30). Jesus gives us an amusing and powerful illustration as to what people are like who refuse to accept Jesus when given ample evidence.
Jesus likened these to children who play in the streets and who complain to one another when the other children don’t play right. One child whines that he has played the flute but none of the other kids danced. Another complains that he has told something sad and no one cried with him. Does this sound a bit immature? Of course, for that is what the silly games of kids are like! Jesus is not condemning the children for being this way, but rather He is condemning the religious leaders for acting like these spoiled, silly children.
He states that John the Baptist came refusing to eat and drink and they thought he sustained himself through the powers of darkness (verse 33). Jesus came both eating and drinking and they accused Him of being a glutton and a wino and too friendly with the wrong crowd (verse 34). Nothing, nor anyone was going to make them happy. They were like spoiled children.
It is an unreasonable unbelief for any of us to think less of Jesus than He is capable of. In light of what Jesus suffered at the cross on our behalf, it is an unreasonable unbelief to think that we must suffer for sins that He paid for. Let us be fully grown in our faith in Christ rather than like the children who complain.
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