Children in the Market Place
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; PSALM 33; LUKE 7:31-35
In today’s gospel, Jesus shares a parable that challenges our perceptions and expectations. The people of his time were like children in the marketplace, criticising both John the Baptist and himself for not meeting their expectations. They want Jesus and John to dance to their music. Children always want elders to dance to their song even it makes no sense.
And if you hang around maket place: criticism and gossip are usually the gist of children, like the argument of Davido and Wizkid, Messi and Christiano, just childish talk.
John came as an ascetic, and they said he had a demon. Jesus came as one who ate and drank with sinners, and they called him a glutton and drunkard. We can’t always satisfy human expectations, but we can please God.
Again, Jesus says, “Wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” God’s wisdom is not about meeting our expectations. Are we open to God’s wisdom, or do we try to fit Him into our boxes? Against the expectations of the Corinthians, Paul, in the first reading, presents love as a higher gift. All gifts without love are vain. Love never ends. Therefore, desire love.
St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 calls us to be mature, not behaving like children. Children are driven by gifts, noise, and self-interest. They want everybody to dance to their music.
The mature are driven by love. Paul says, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
Childish faith seeks tongues, prophecy, and knowledge to show off. It believes all things, prays to be applauded; sings to be rewarded, dance to be staged, preach to be thanked or gifted and ice cream or chocolate.
On the other hand, mature faith seeks love, patience and kindness. It does not envy or boast. It endures and discerns all things. It’s not after juice and attention, it does not seek pampering, it seeks discipline and order.
So the call today is “Grow up”. Move from performance to love, from noise to depth, from demanding that God dances to our music, to learning to dance to His. Let’s grow, the saints grew, Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop became saints and martyrs because they knew growth.
LET US PRAY
May God bless us with the wisdom to see beyond our limitations and trust in His divine plan.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
