FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT DECEMBER 11, 2020
A reading of the holy Gospel according to Matthew 11:16-19
Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
REFLECTION: "But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
One way to learn is to be willing to be taught. Jesus taught mainly with parables. In all, there are 22 parables in Matthew, 10 parables in the book of Mark and 10 in the book of Luke. These parables usually illustrated an important point. A good teacher draws the crowd to himself and communicates painful or difficult truths that the audience can easily grasp or can ponder.
Jesus also taught in allegories and metaphors.
The heart is fickle and in spite of good instruction, people will find fault or excuses for not following. The peace and joy that Jesus promises is scoffed at because the world's opinion is taken seriously. The penance the Church encourages is met with cries of oppression. The commandments and loving our neighbor might not fit our life's plans, but Jesus will not change. The teachings were not followed and so the people failed to learn.
The Wisdom spoken by Jesus was to tell us the truth about our lives. If we listen to the truth we will be realistic, see things differently and complain less.
How are we to dance with Jesus? How are we to listen to His music? The more we allow Jesus to teach us with His thoughts and actions, we will definitely get closer to Him. And "wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
God Bless You
