September 7, 2024

Luke 7.33, 34 (NIV)
“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard.’”

If we try to please everyone, and follow anyone, we’re sure to upset someone, and satisfy no one.*

Some of us are “people-pleasers.” We want everyone to like us so we try to become who we think others will like. The problem is, not all people like all the same kinds of people! It puzzles me how someone who is my friend can dislike another person who is also my friend. If they have me in common, shouldn’t they be able to get along?

John the Baptist lived in the desert, his attire was less than fashionable, and he probably had taken a vow concerning what he ate and drank, and the critics said he was demon-possessed. Jesus ate, drank, and dressed like everyone else - and they said he was a glutton and a drunk. Go figure!

Jesus showed us how to live in a world where you can’t please everyone. He understood human nature in all its fickle glory. He cared about people but he didn’t care what they thought of him. He wasn’t concerned about pleasing people; he was concerned about saving them. He didn’t try to make them happy; he introduced them to joyful living.

When we look closely at Jesus’ ministry, we see occasions when he offered the crowd exactly what they were seeking, whether it was healing, clarity, or lunch. . .  . His words were refreshing, encouraging, affirming. But then there were days he told them things so true they hurt. There were days he refused to answer their questions. . .  . There were moments he saw through their requests for healing and went right to their need for forgiveness.*