Matthew 11:16-19…“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.’” vss. 16-17
People love to criticize! They always have and likely always will. Jesus marveled at the folks he encountered in the course of his ministry. He and John the Baptist had a similar message, namely, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” But their lifestyles were entirely different. John abstained from food and drink, and Jesus freely ate and drank. Yet both were lambasted by the crowds! They called John demonic and said that Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard.
The same thing happens in this generation. To get a sample of it we need only look at what goes on during the course of election campaigns. Anyone who decides to run for office can expect to be criticized for everything they have ever done. Whether the accusations are true or not makes no difference. And it would be laughable, except that it goes on everywhere, even in our communities of faith.
And it’s so destructive! When congregations are infected by this spirit of criticism, it’s often directed against pastors and leaders. No matter what they do, someone is going to complain, and sometimes it can get malicious.
Thank God for those believers who look first to the needs of others, and who always put the best construction on all that others say and do!
Thought for the Day: How does a spirit of criticism affect me?
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