When I first read the sermon today, I wasn’t sure what it meant, despite Jesus’ explanation of his parable.  I thought it could fit along with the psalm which details the glories of the Lord.  I thought Jesus might be saying, I’ve given you so much and you reject it.  I’ve come to help you and you turn me away.  The same way the children piped a song and the others did not dance.  And there are many people like that, who hear the words of God, but they turn away and don’t do anything with the gifts they’ve been given. 

But then I didn’t understand his explanation, that John came in fasting and they called him mad, while Jesus came in eating and they called him a glutton.  I think that can still fit in with my first analysis that the prophet comes and the people don’t listen.  The Son of Man came and the people didn’t recognize him.  He piped the song, but they didn’t dance. 

Then he says God’s wisdom is vindicated.  The people who believe will understand.  What doesn’t seem to make sense at first will be revealed to believers.  And this changes the perspective of the gospel for me here.  While it certainly fits that Jesus is saying I came and you wouldn’t listen, I told you and you wouldn’t believe, I piped for you and you wouldn’t dance, he is also turning the parable around here. 

Yes, the people were given the answers and they wouldn’t take them, because the answers didn’t look like they expected.  The prophet didn’t fit their expectations, nor did the Son of Man.  The people are like the children who are piping in the street or singing the sad songs, and John and Jesus become like the other children who did not fit the expectations.  The people piped a happy song and expected a dance, but they got a prophecy and wouldn’t understand it.  They sang a sad song and expected tears, but they got Jesus with his message of potential joy, and they wouldn’t understand that either.  The prophet and the Lord did not fit the expectations they had, and they would not listen to their words.  They called John crazy and Jesus a glutton and couldn’t see beyond their own expectations.  Jesus says that the wisdom of God is beyond our understanding, but will make sense in the big picture.  Just because things don’t look like we think they should doesn’t mean they are not right.