Thursday, April 13, 2006
Opposing Views of God's Justice
Luke 7:29-30. And when all the people and the tax-gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
Here we see two responses to God’s justice, or the will of God. We observe that when all the people and tax gatherers heard John’s message of repentance they properly responded by having been baptized with the baptism of John. This was God’s justice that they became broken and repentant for their sin and iniquity. Their outward response was to be baptized by John which showed their inward repentance. The Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) on the other hand rejected God’s purpose and refused to have been baptized by John.
It is interesting to see how those who portrayed the epitome of religion reacted to Jesus as He explains to them that their religion is worthless.
Matt. 11:16-19
16. "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,
17. and say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon!'
19. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
Luke 7:31-35
31. "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32. "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
33. "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
34. "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' 35. "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Here we see two responses to God’s justice, or the will of God. We observe that when all the people and tax gatherers heard John’s message of repentance they properly responded by having been baptized with the baptism of John. This was God’s justice that they became broken and repentant for their sin and iniquity. Their outward response was to be baptized by John which showed their inward repentance. The Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) on the other hand rejected God’s purpose and refused to have been baptized by John.
It is interesting to see how those who portrayed the epitome of religion reacted to Jesus as He explains to them that their religion is worthless.
Matt. 11:16-19
16. "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,
17. and say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon!'
19. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
Luke 7:31-35
31. "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32. "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
33. "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
34. "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' 35. "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
# posted by Castusfumus : 4:39 PM
