Wallflowers

I’m writing in the midst our VBS, so my thoughts might be scattered and my grammar worse than normal. Your grace will be greatly appreciated.

Yesterday, we looked at Luke 7.31-35. Jesus compares the religious leaders, who “rejected God’s purposes for themselves” (vs. 30), to children who are in the marketplace calling to one another: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not cry.” More than likely, this expression was used by children to taunt those who refused to participate in the games being played. In other words, Jesus believed these religious leaders were like wallflowers; they refused to dance to the music of God’s kingdom. Like all wallflowers they had their excuses: John the Baptist, he’s too strict; Jesus, he’s too liberal (vs. 33-34). They could not make room in their life for the newness of the Kingdom. The Kingdom embodied in Jesus didn’t (couldn’t fit?) into their understanding of reality.

What does this say to us? Or perhaps a better question is, in what ways might we end up as wallflowers, refusing to join in the movement of God’s grace and truth revealed in Jesus? I see three temptations in our world. First is the I’m-not-going-to-commit-to-anything temptation. Many people in our post-modern world refuse to commit to anything; they don’t want to take anything too seriously. They fail to recognize that not being committed is a commitment, a commitment to the belief that one should not commit to anything. Thus, they don’t want to stand anywhere. They refuse to commit because they don’t want to submit to any one thing, so they stand on the perimeter, refusing to dance. Second is the Christianity-must-be-relevant-to-my-life temptation. Christianity must fit into what I want to accomplish. Many seem to be saying, I have my dreams and goals, now show me what can Christianity do for me. I believe otherwise. I’m not half as concerned with making Christianity relevant to the modern the world as I’m with trying to form a people who will be relevant to God’s kingdom. But many who want Christianity to be relevant to their perceived needs might refuse to dance unless it fits into what they want to accomplish. It’s as if we’re asking God to repent and embrace what we want to do, which is contrary to the message of Jesus—“The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1.15). Third, in a consumeristic world, many believe Christianity needs to meet my needs. Some come to church and Christianity with a list of demands: Make it a good show, give me a thrilling sermon, make me happy. Then if it doesn’t meet their expectations, they check out, they become wallflowers refusing to dance to the music of God’s kingdom. In all of these ways, and in many more, we can end up refusing to let the music of the kingdom transform us. Something to think about. Peace.