To be like Jesus

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

TO BE LIKE JESUS

Luke 7:31-35

31  "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." '  35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children." 

NIV

Jesus has been talking about John the Baptist after John’s disciples came to him with that question from John. He was comparing the old order and the new order of things. That John was the greatest of prophets because he was the last before Jesus. But that John also represented the past and Jesus represents the future. John represents the law and Jesus represents grace. He now declares what that and all future generations, although he only said this generation, were like. Yet some scholars are not sure about if he actually said that, as it is not in the earliest of copies. The point however that Jesus was making is the difference between what John and he represents. They called John a devil and Jesus a glutton and drunkard. John was sort of an anti-social being and Jesus was a very social being. John was living an austere life living alone under the law, but Jesus was anything but austere, he dined with tax collectors and sinners, he attended their parties, weddings, funerals, even stopped a few of them by raising the dead person. We could spend many words in the comparison of these two lifestyles but in that is our life lesson. We could be like John, living an austere life under the rules and regulations of the church, living alone within its walls, staying or keeping our distance from tax collectors and sinners, only appearing occasionally to declare their guilt and need of repentance. But we also could take our lead from Jesus, in fact we should take our lead from him since he is the new, the present and the future and John is past. We should be living among the sinners, eating and yes, even drinking with them, being involved in their lives, but at the same time showing them the love and grace of God as Jesus did. We should not hold back the truth, but as with Christ many sinners accepted his words because of his graciousness of behavior. Yes, people, those still wanting to live that life of John, may well criticize us for being gluttons and drunkards, but so what, Jesus did not care about that as he was more concerned about reaching those who had need of his grace. We can be either those stiff-necked, tight-laced rule shackled believers or we can be like Jesus. Either way some people will find something to judge us on.  Yet it seems it is far better to be like Jesus.  To be like Jesus, all I want is to be like him. All through life’s journey from here to glory, all I want is to be like him.