Child's Play

#DAYLIGHT – Daily #MenOfLight#GospelReflection

September 18, 2019

Wednesday of the 24^st Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Lk 7: 31 – 35

Sharer: Bro. Mike Lapid

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THE GOSPEL

³¹ “Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² 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.’

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ ³⁴ 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.’ ³⁵ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

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Reflection

Child’s play

In today’s reading, Jesus uses the imagery of children playing games in the marketplace. He uses this imagery to compare the people of his generation.

Today, we still see similar images of children happily playing not only in the marketplace but practically everywhere. It is a common sight to see children playing all sorts of games, at times silly, funny and childish but nonetheless, filled with the characteristic joy, candor and vibrancy of young children.

But there is something different with the imagery that Jesus uses in today’s reading. The children that he describes are not playing, but sitting. And instead of happily running around with their sweet laughter, they seem sullen and engaged in some kind of argument or complaint, saying: “ We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.”  (A dirge, by the way is like a funeral song. It is meant to evoke sad emotions and weeping.)

Obviously, these children that Jesus described were not happy but sad because their playmates would not respond and dance to the kind of music they played. Apparently, Jesus used this imagery to deliver a biting critique of the people of his generation. It was his way of telling them that they were like these children who refused to respond by dancing with the music.

Jesus further elaborates the people’s refusal to respond by citing how they rejected God’s messengers in the person of John the Baptist whom they labeled as possessed and in the person of Jesus himself, whom they branded as a glutton and a friend of sinners. In effect, Jesus was telling them that they simply refused to respond to any messenger just like the way those children in the marketplace refused to dance to the music that was played for them.  

So how does this reading affect us?

Firstly, Jesus uses this simple story about children playing in the marketplace, to tell us that God’s Word isn’t really complicated at all. It is simple. It is so simple that Jesus compares it to music being played by mere children. This is how simple it could get: the music played by the flute evokes joy and happiness; sadness and melancholy is evoked from a dirge. To think that Jesus would compare God’s Word to mere child’s play enjoyed by little children should give us some thought on how simple and pure God’s Word can really be.

Secondly, our reception of God’s Word, by contrast, is quite complicated. It is complicated not because the Word of God is complicated, but because we complicate our reception of it. In our reading, we see how this reception becomes complicated when people began to develop a wrong and distorted perception of John and Jesus. Our lack of openness to God’s Word can blur our perception of what is true which can prevent us from capturing God’s message to us. This is why, perhaps, the people in Jesus’ time didn’t get the message of John and Jesus; instead they saw John’s austerity as madness and Jesus’ feasting as scandalous. Truly, such blurred and untruthful interpretations are the result of a mind that has remained closed to God’s Word.

Lastly, the kingdom of God is for the little ones. This is why God’s Word can be understood even by mere children. Our refusal to respond to God’s Word and his revelation makes our life complicated. Our refusal to heed God’s Word creates confusion, much like the confused perception people had of John and Jesus. Our refusal to heed God’s Word complicates a lot of things in our life and results in our inability to “dance with the Lord” and to engage in “child’s play” with him who gives us real joy and laughter in our hearts.

Today’s reading tells us then, to open up our hearts to the Lord, not to reject his word but to welcome him, to listen to the music he plays in our life and learn to dance and play with him so that his word will always be the source of our joy and contentment – much like child’s play.  

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Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your word that comes to us as simple and uncomplicated. Unfortunately, at times, our hearts remain closed and unreceptive to your Word. This is why we get an incorrect perception of the truths you want to reveal. Keep us pure and simple Lord, even in receiving your word so that like little children, we may dance to the music that you play in our life. Amen.

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Assignment

1. With childlike abandon, pray Psalm 131.

2. Play a Christian music that you like or is available. As you play the music, dance before the Lord and lift your spirit to him.

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Quote

Let us learn to dance with the Lord and engage in child’s play with him who gives us joy and laughter in our hearts.