Living in the Spirit
July 5, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 

‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
   we wailed, 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, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’ — Matthew 11:16-19

 I sense the same level of discontent in our society today as that which Jesus describes in his own time and place. We are a people who can neither be happy or sad. We are critical of those who act and of those who do not. We want to have our cake and eat it too. I particularly see this in the reaction of the public to government. I have literally heard campaign ads that in one sentence criticize an opponent who is trying to cut military spending, but in the same ad is demanding that the opponent cut taxes. Apparently we cannot see the contradiction in those two actions.

I actually find it rather frightening to read the prophets of old as they describe similar attitudes among the Israelites before the fall of first, Israel and later, Judah. The people were so caught up in greed and self-indulgence that they could not see that their own behavior was causing the disintegration of their society.

Greed is epidemic in America today. It rules our lives as we stand in long lines waiting for stores to open so that we can get the newer, better version of a gadget that was updated only a few months earlier. We want the government to stay out of our business unless we need its services and then we complain because it is not efficient and effective enough even though its resources have been cut and cut and cut some more. We want anyone else besides us to pay taxes, but we want the services they provide right now.

Our scripture today quotes Jesus as trying to get this same message across 2000+ years ago. The prophets spoke about it 4000 years ago. Will we ever learn?

Prayer: O God, convict us of our greed and other sins that are tearing at the heart of our society. Cleanse us, forgive us, and make us true disciples. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.