ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 27, 2026
In Matthew 11:16-19, we find Jesus offering wisdom in a sort of roundabout way. He said,
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces 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.”
It is said that you can’t please all the folk all the time, and I believe that to be true. At the same time, there are those who will never be happy no matter what you try to do. Are you a people-pleaser? Do you obsess with making sure everyone is happy? In some groups, these aspirations might be achieved, but in most cases, a person attempting to balance all the needs and wants and general weirdness found in a group will fail… even if the group is only two or three. I had a friend who would say, “If you do your best, and people can’t appreciate your best, go find some folks who might.” I don’t know if it is the best advice in every situation, but there are times when alternative agendas and general negativity cannot be easily overcome. And as Jesus suggested earlier in the Gospel, there are times when it is best to shake off the dust on our sandals and move on.
O Great God, help me as I strive to do my best in your kin(g)dom work. When my best appears to hit a roadblock, or folks seem to find something irrelevant to nitpick, keep me focused on the bigger picture. Keep me strong and speaking Good News as I refuse to allow their not-so-good news to dwell within me. Amen.
