Luke 7:31-32 31“To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and they call to one another, and what is said, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
Jesus next illustrates the self-proclaimed righteous people. This generation sadly includes all who think that righteousness comes through works of the law and not God’s grace. In modern terms, these are people who think that if they live a good life, and their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will be judged worthy of heaven. They believe being “good” is good enough for the afterlife. Comments like this often occur upon the death of someone or at a funeral.
The short parable gives the scene of children playing the marketplace, which would have been common sight. The modern equivalent might be children in the neighborhood park playground. Children of all times and contexts like to create little rhymes and sayings. They particularly like to pretend to be adults (like playing house or having an easy bake oven). In this case, the children were pretending to be part of a wedding with its flutes and dancing, and part of a funeral with its sad music and weeping. The only thing is that those who were supposed to participate in these significant social events did not dance or weep. They had no awareness of the significance of what was happening.
The Pharisees, lawyers, and self-righteous people were unaware of the deeper spiritual matters about which God was speaking to them through John and Jesus. They had missed the message of forgiveness and salvation. They essentially hardened their hearts to the movement of God. When the powerful presence of God convicts, we must respond. Spiritual renewal begins with repentance that leads to faith.
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