⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[d] and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Man-Made Religion

It is a popular accusation to say that mankind invented religion to give him something to do on a Sunday morning.  Seriously, though, mankind looked at the cosmos, it is said, and invented a religion to explain its enormity.  Primitive man didn’t have the science to understand earthquakes, so mankind developed religion to explain it was a god snoring, shrugging, or with indigestion.  As science has expanded, so such religion has been discarded.  However true some of these anthropological studies may be, Christianity does not fall into that category.  The religious people of Jesus’ time were petulant because they wanted to create Jesus in their image.  They wanted to call the shots and neither John the Baptist with his prophetic ministry or Jesus as the Messiah impressed those who were authorities on religion very much.  Jesus says here that, like spoiled brats, they wanted to dictate the game to John and Jesus, but John and Jesus wouldn’t play along.

Many people with doctorates have reasons to dismiss Jesus’ perspective on how life should be lived.  However, is the quality of life really getting better.  I know that we don’t drink polluted water and we are able to drive great distances thanks to technological advancements, but aren’t we somehow becoming more distant from each other, more consumer-driven, more selfish?  This selfishness is leading to existential angst, but will not turn to God on God’s terms.  People invent a religion drawing the pieces they think they want and discarding whatever doesn’t make them feel good in the short run.  They whine about church rather than contributing to church; they whine about their spouse rather than serving their spouse; they whine about things in a world where their religion must worship them and they are entitled to whatever they desire.  Where are the prophets like John who would call us out, and point out that our narcissism is ruining the planet and destroying society?

Questions

1. How does Jesus describe John?
2. How does Jesus describe the generation to whom he ministered?
3. How is Jesus’ message proved correct?
4. How would you describe the western world’s spiritual health in 2012?
5. How might God make sure that you do not dictate your own religion, but bend the knee to His plan?