“To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other,

‘We played the flute for you,

but you didn’t dance;

we sang a lament,

but you didn’t weep!’

For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindication by all her children.” (Luke 7:31-35)

There is a lot packed into this short passage, but for now I just want to focus on one thing: Jesus. Who is Jesus in this passage?

In this world, there are many who seek to sway others with their influence. Whether at home or at work, in politics or religion, there are those who expect that when they use their power to elicit a certain response in others, they will get it. And for the most part, they are not disappointed. For the most part, people are willing to dance to the tune being played.

It is interesting, on the other hand, that there are always people who are impossible to please; they are determined to be dissatisfied no matter what you do. Their standards shift and change depending on who they are currently upset with. This was the case with the Jews. When they turned against John the Baptist, they criticized him for abstaining from food and drink; when they turned against Jesus, they criticized him for consuming food and drink[1]. You can’t win with these people.

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This is what Jesus is pointing out here. He was reaching out to them in every way he could, but they refused to accept him. Instead, they expected him to play by their rules, but he didn’t. They wanted him to be swayed by their influence and desires, but he wasn’t.

I love this about Jesus. In a world where people – even good, strong leaders – are swayed under pressure, Jesus stands firm. Who is Jesus in this passage? Jesus is Jesus. He always has been. He always will be.

He is the one person you can always, always count on to be himself no matter what. And because Jesus is true to himself, he will be true to you. No one can sway his opinion of you. No one can convince him to love you less. No one can deter him from his life-mission to fully redeem you. He will keep reaching out to you in every way possible at every chance he gets.

This truth thrills me, fills me with confidence. Our weary souls find rest in his constancy! Jesus is Jesus. Always.

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[1]It is also interesting to note that while Jesus was and is the friend of sinners, he was not the glutton and drunkard they claimed he was. If we wish to follow in Jesus’ steps and become a friend to sinners, we can also expect to be falsely accused of all kinds of things.

We have an unfortunate tendency to equate success with approval and validation from God. This is even (especially?) true when it comes to ministry. As if faithfulness to God can be quantified in numbers - churches with growing attendance, evangelistic series with more baptisms, colporteurs with a lot of book sales. Let’s be honest: we like immediate results.

I noticed something interesting regarding this in Acts 7. Stephen had just been accused of speaking against the sanctuary, the law, and Moses. In a rather brilliant speech, he turns the tables on the Sanhedrin and, using their own history, points out that they are actually the ones speaking against the sanctuary, the law, and Moses.

Nonetheless, things didn’t go so well for Stephen. The Jews were so enraged that they murdered him on the spot. Not only that, but Stephen’s speech prompts such bloodthirsty fury in the Jews that simply killing him isn’t enough – now they want to kill all the Christians! “On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). Now those are some immediate results, for sure, but not quite the kind I was talking about.

Let’s back up a few chapters. Acts 2 contains another famous speech in the early history of the church. This one, given by Peter, is not too dissimilar from the one Stephen gave, and yet it had drastically different results: over 3,000 people were baptized!

So Peter’s preaching results in thousands who are converted and baptized.

And Stephen’s preaching results in not only his death, but severe persecution for the entire church.

Huh.

Is anyone ready to suggest that Stephen was less faithful than Peter? That his lack of immediate numerical results is somehow a sign of failure on his part? I think not. Both were faithful. Both served God in the moment to which he had called them.

It would do us well to remember that God is more patient than we are. And that he has the big picture in mind, while we often only focus on what is right in front of our faces.

Let us also remember that faithfulness to God is not measured in numbers. God has called us each to different places, different roles, different purposes. Set your heart to the task God has set before you, and leave the results in his hands.