Friday, August 28, 2026

PT-2 “The Parable of the Brats: Style Versus Substance” (Luke 7:31-35)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/28/2026 10:26 AM

My Worship Time                     Focus:  PT-2 “The Parable of the Brats: Style Versus Substance”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 7:31-35

            Message of the verses:31“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.’ 33For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35And yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

            “The gospel message had up to this point in history been preached by only two men, John the Baptist and Jesus.  The Twelve had not yet been sent out to preach (Luke 9:1-2), nor had the seventy (Luke 10:1).”

(Luke 9:1-2)

“1 ¶  And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”

(Luke 10:1)

“1 ¶  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.”

“But although their styles of ministry differed markedly, many of the people who heard John and Jesus had the same offended, defiant, hostile, obstinate response to both of them.

            “At the outset of his ministry, this last prophet and first preacher of the gospel had been immensely popular.  Huge crowds had journeyed into the wilderness near the Jordan River to hear him preach and to be baptized by Him (Matt. 3:5-6).”

(Matt. 3:5-6)

“5  Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6  and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”

“They had acknowledged John to be a true prophet of God, the forerunner to Messiah predicted by Malachi (Mal. 3:1).”

(Mal. 3:1)

“1 ¶  "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.”

            “The religious elite, on the other hand, haughtily refused to confess their sin, repent, or be baptized by John (Luke 7:30).”

(Luke 7:30)

“30  but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)”

            “Smugly secure of their self-righteous legalism, they viewed the common people who were interested in John with contempt (cf. John 7:49).”

(cf. John 7:49)

“49  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."

“They had no use for the wilderness preacher; rejecting his call for repentance, they were annoyed by his warning of coming judgment, and infuriated by his bold denunciation of them as a ‘brood of vipers’ (Matt. 3:7).  Their religious pride caused them to reject the gospel’s call for humble repentance; their devotion to superficially outwardly keeping the law caused them to reject the gospel’s provision of grace, mercy, and forgiveness; their sense of spiritual supersonically  (cf. Mark 2:16; Luke 15:1-2; John 9:34) caused them to reject as ludicrous the gospel’s promise of forgiveness for even the most wretched sinners.”

(cf. Mark 2:16; Luke 15:1-2; John 9:34)

“16  And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

“1 ¶  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

“34  They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.”

            “Eventually the common people, under the influence of the apostate religionists, began to have doubts about Jesus.  Though astonished by His unparalleled preaching (Matt. 7:28-29; cf. John 7:46) and the miracles He performed (John 2:23; 3:2; 6:2), they grew increasingly restive over the leaders’ rejection of Him and His refusal to assume the role of the conquering military and political ruler that they wrongly expected Messiah to be (cf. John 6:14-15).”

(Matt. 7:28-29; cf. John 7:46)

“28  And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29  for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

“46  The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

(John 2:23; 3:2; 6:2)

“23 ¶  Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.”

“2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

“2  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”

(cf. John 6:14-15)

“14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 ¶  then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

“As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, becoming uncomfortable with Jesus caused many to rethink their view of John the Baptist. John had unequivocally declared that Jesus was the Messiah.  If they continued to believe that he was Messiah’s forerunner, they faced the dilemma of how to reconcile that belief with their denial of Jesus’ claims.  In the end, the majority rejected bot John (Luke 7:33; John 5:35) and Jesus (John 6:66).”

(Luke 7:33; John 5:35) and Jesus (John 6:66)

“33  For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’”

“35  He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”

“66  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”

“Since John was by this time a prisoner, the brunt of their opposition and hostility was directed at Jesus.

            “This parable may be divided into four sections: the introduction, the illustration, the application, and the conclusion.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life today:  I want to just keep writing the truth of the Word of God in my Spiritual Diaries, and allow the Holy Spirit of God to use the in a way that will bring souls to Christ, growth in believers, and that all of that will bring glory to Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Face for Today:  Trust the Lord to continue to bring healing to my heart after the homegoing of my dear departed wife.

8/28/2026 11:16 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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