Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: Hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11: 16-19, 28-30
16 ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
17 “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’*
28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Reflection
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” Matthew 11:17
But whose music should we dance to?
“The trouble with Jesus and his followers”, complain the religious establishment “is that they don’t do what we tell them. They are supposed to obey the rules and regulations we insist upon, but they don’t. Those laws are set down for their own good. If they fail to abide by them, our peaceful society itself will be at risk”. They believe that their status gives them the right to dictate those rules and regulations for their own benefit. They seek to justify and legitimise their preferences by terming them to be ‘traditional’ values.
It’s not that rules and regulations are wrong in themselves – on the contrary, they are essential for guidance and mutual societal growth. The difficulty arises when instead or promoting and supporting justice and equity, they are modified to suit the wishes of those in leadership roles – religious or political. They need people to do what they say without question; but as we have seen (and are seeing) often, that way leads to corruption. They make laws to suit themselves – and their pockets. They play the flute (badly), and expect everybody to dance to their music. When people refuse, they don’t like it and call them subversive, traitors and often charge them with criminality.
They can’t cope with people like Jesus and John the Baptiser who dance to a different drum and are rocking the boat. The religious authorities are increasingly uncomfortable and challenged. John’s asceticism is calling for people to repentance and renewal; Jesus’ humanity and unconditional love is inviting ordinary people to Himself irrespective of who they are or their position in a hierarchical society. This kind of behaviour is not going to keep people sedated, unquestioning and obedient. Quite the opposite.
Essentially, said the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, unquestioning obedience results in slavery. Instead, Jesus offers freedom.
Our Lord challenges us to love as He loves us – but with a difference. The dance He leads gives us a choice. We obey His command, but not as slaves – instead, he invites us to be willing servants, alongside the freedom to always ask and reason together with Him as we choose our actions. Therein lies the path to Wisdom, and in God’s Wisdom lies gentleness, humility and rest for our souls.
We can dance to man-made Law. Or Servant Love.
Choose Love.
Previous Posts
Paying Together 17th August 2025
We ask that our faith is strengthened in the power of the Spirit when it is tested – and that we will have the courage to live as the Body of Christ, who alone offers life.
Praying Together 10th August 2025
And while we think of the things we value most, do we remember that we are of such value to God, that His Son was prepared to go into the flames for us?
Praying Together 27th July 2025
In a word, it is all prayer, a rich sequence, choreographed in different moments of gathering, praise, listening and communion.
Praying Together 20th July 2025
Jesus comes to us in many ways and with many faces. Are we aware we may ‘entertain Angels without knowing it?
Praying Together 13th July 2025
May we never miss meeting your gaze,
in the eyes of our sibling, the stranger.
Praying Together 6th July 2025
Always remember that ‘success’ is simply doing His will – it’s not necessarily achieving the outcome we would ourselves consider to be ‘successful’. Leave that definition with Him.
Praying Together 29th June 2025
Jesus is looking for commitment. Absolute, unconditional, commitment. When I think of what that means, I’m always minded of Martina Navratilova’s remark: “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.”
Praying Together 22nd June 2025
As Christians, may we never regard mercy and compassion towards others as weakness, naivety or gullibility, but display the traits which demonstrate that we follow a Saviour who came to rescue those left behind.
Praying Together 15th June 2025
You couldn’t fly a kite inside a church building –for the Kite to fly you’d have to go into the windy street outside. Where does that place the need for the Spirit to act?
Praying Together 8 June 2025
Of all the strange things happening on the Day of Pentecost, perhaps the most puzzling is when God appears to have second thoughts. In Genesis 11, He makes it difficult for people to understand each other’s language
Praying Together 1st June 2025
The song by Mary Black, ‘Bless the Road’, while written as from a parent whose child is leaving home alone for the first time – maybe first day at primary school, going to college, beginning an independent life – always puts me in mind of the thoughts and blessing of Jesus as He prays for His disciples before His Ascension.
Praying Together 25th May 2025
‘Peace I give to you… do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.’
His peace is not remote and only there at the end of things – His Peace is with us now.