Luke 7:31-35 – Hating the Message
Our Lord Jesus Christ compares the unbelieving hearts of the Jews to children at play. No matter who God sends to them, no matter what the message, they are never satisfied. They are always finding fault, complaining, and objecting – refusing to listen. But these objections are only a cover for their hatred of what God has to say. The problem isn’t that they hate God’s messengers – the problem is that they hate God.
Unbelieving hearts even today are like this. When faced with the Gospel they immediately start talking about all the hypocrites in churches, ministers who have been immoral or unfaithful or perhaps just tactless. They argue that churches are cold and unfriendly or complain that everybody in the church thinks they know them and tries to be their best friend. Christians are labelled as either timid and useless or pushy and annoying. All of this is merely a cover to disguise the fact that they don’t like what God says, and they don’t like God. They don’t want to admit they’re a sinner, and they don’t want to trust a Saviour.
As Christians we have to give up the idea of pleasing people and focus on doing what pleases God. When the criticisms and the attacks come for doing or saying what is right, we have to remember that these people are really angry not at us, but at God, and resisting the impulse to go on the defensive, we must continue to love them and pray for them.
But all are not like spiteful children. There are those in every age who hear the wisdom of God and recognise it as true. There are always those who are looking for answers, looking for the Gospel, and embrace it when they hear it. We must continually work to find these people, God’s people, wheat mixed in with chaff.
Questions
1. What does Christ compare unbelievers to?
2. Why do unbelievers find fault constantly?
3. How should we react to the criticism of unbelievers?
Prayer Points
1. Pray that we would grow in our love of others.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.