The Parable of the Children in the Marketplace
The parable of the children in the marketplace calls out those who rejected Jesus and the prophets and is recorded in the accounts of Matthew (11:16-19) and Luke (7:31-35).
31 Jesus went on to say, “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 pipe 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.” Luke (7:31-35).
Jesus explains in the parable how "the people of this generation" rejected both himself and John the Baptist just as how the people rejected the children regardless of what they did. The children were sitting in the marketplace and played the pipe for the people, but the people did not dance. The children then sang a dirge (burial hymn for the dead), but the people did not mourn. The people did not pay attention to what the children were doing did regardless of what they did. Likewise, Jesus used this example to explain how the people of this generation did not receive him or John the Baptist. Jesus explained how John the Baptist came "neither eating or drinking," and the people said that he "had a demon." Then Jesus "the Son of Man" came eating and drinking, and the people said "here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Therefore, regardless of how each came to the people and regardless of what style of ministry each had, the people did not receive Jesus or John. Jesus was explaining and describing the stubbornness and blindness of the people of this generation, who did not recognize the true messengers of God, regardless of what style of ministry each had. While John the Baptist may have had a "gloomy" style in his ministry and was more introverted, Jesus was more sociable in his ministry work and was more of a people person as demonstrated by his willingness to eat with the publicans and the tax collectors. Jesus explained that the people would not receive the words of either ministry regardless of the style of ministry that was used.
31 Jesus went on to say, “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 pipe 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.” Luke (7:31-35).
Jesus explains in the parable how "the people of this generation" rejected both himself and John the Baptist just as how the people rejected the children regardless of what they did. The children were sitting in the marketplace and played the pipe for the people, but the people did not dance. The children then sang a dirge (burial hymn for the dead), but the people did not mourn. The people did not pay attention to what the children were doing did regardless of what they did. Likewise, Jesus used this example to explain how the people of this generation did not receive him or John the Baptist. Jesus explained how John the Baptist came "neither eating or drinking," and the people said that he "had a demon." Then Jesus "the Son of Man" came eating and drinking, and the people said "here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Therefore, regardless of how each came to the people and regardless of what style of ministry each had, the people did not receive Jesus or John. Jesus was explaining and describing the stubbornness and blindness of the people of this generation, who did not recognize the true messengers of God, regardless of what style of ministry each had. While John the Baptist may have had a "gloomy" style in his ministry and was more introverted, Jesus was more sociable in his ministry work and was more of a people person as demonstrated by his willingness to eat with the publicans and the tax collectors. Jesus explained that the people would not receive the words of either ministry regardless of the style of ministry that was used.
