Luke 7:31-35

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

Psalm 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22

Luke 7:31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?

What are they like?

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.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,

and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’

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.’

But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, open my ears to hear the songs of repentance and joy. Teach me to be sorrowful for my sins and to rejoice in your gracious mercy. Guide me to weep and mourn at the appropriate times and to dance and shout for joy.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Two Different Groups of Children: Jesus compares the people of his generation to two different groups of children. The first group accuses the second of not dancing or celebrating; the second accuses the first of not weeping and mourning. John the Baptist, who fasted and refrained from wine, was the one who sang the funeral dirge and called the people to confess their sins and repent at the Jordan River. Jesus points out that there were some people who responded negatively to John’s call to repentance and accused him of being possessed by a demon. Jesus, on the other hand, is the bridegroom, who provided the new wine of salvation. He said that his disciples would not fast until he was taken away. He played the flute and called the people to dance and rejoice. Some, like the Pharisees, responded negatively to Jesus’ call to enter the wedding feast and accused him of being a glutton, a drunkard, and a man who dined with sinners.

2. Refusing to Listen: Jesus did not just call the people to rejoice. Like his cousin John, he called the people to repentance. Jesus even told the people to sell everything, take up their Cross, and follow him on the way to Jerusalem. At the same time, he also taught them that this is the way of love that leads to the true joy of the wedding feast. The generation that opposes both the call to repentance and the call to enter the wedding feast is an evil generation. It was a generation that refused to listen to John and Jesus, the children of wisdom. They turned away from wisdom, embraced foolishness, and neither repented from their sin nor enjoyed the joy of God’s grace.

3. The Excellence of Love: Those who repent and follow Jesus strive to love. In the First Reading, Paul calls this the more excellent way. Above all things – the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the gifts of understanding and knowledge, and the gift of faith – is love. Here, love means a wholly benevolent, disinterested love. “If the other kinds [of love] can be tainted with selfishness, this kind is loving just for the sake of loving, not seeking any reward or return of the love except in the measure it benefits the other. In the New Testament it is used primarily for God’s love for us, which, shown in Jesus’ self-gift on the cross is ‘poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us’ (Rom 5:5)” (Montague, First Corinthians, 221). Love suffers patiently and is merciful. As well, love is kind and desires good things for others. When we love, we imitate God who is kind and merciful. Love does not fail, for it remains forever. Here, in this life, gifts like tongues and prophecy pass away and come and go. In this life, our knowledge is only partial and fragmentary. In this life, we live by faith and see things indistinctly as in a mirror. In the next life, we will see God clearly, face to face. Faith gives way to vision, hope gives way to the joy and delight of eternal beatitude, and our union of love is brought to its perfection and fullness.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, bring me along the way of wisdom, the way of love, and the way of joy. Grant me your Spirit so that I may see all things in a divine light, do all things urged by divine charity, and spread the joy of divine life in you.

Living the Word of God: What are the characteristics of my love for my spouse and family? Is it kind, patient, merciful, generous, faith-filled, hope-filled, and sacrificial? What can I improve?