During most of the 1970s, I worked at a small mission church across from public housing in a county seat town. One of our best programs was an after-school tutoring initiative. It included roller skating, games, and tutoring, mostly provided by the parents of the children we were helping.
The program was successful enough that the State Board of Education adopted it as a pilot project. They even paid teachers to assist us.
I remember one day a little girl was completely disrespectful to me. She knew I had no formal authority, so she felt free to act however she wanted. I was an adult man with a booming voice, probably three times her size, but she had no trouble laughing, playing, and defying my instructions. Later, when her teacher caught her in the act, the situation changed completely. The teacher had authority, and the girl knew she needed to respond properly.
When I think about playing games with God, this story comes to mind. It reminds me of how irritated I felt with that little girl. She knew exactly what she was doing and also knew I couldn’t stop her.
When I play games with God, I’m just like that little girl—tempting God and daring Him to act. Jesus met people who responded to Him the same way the little girl did to me, which is the way we act when we play games with Him.
This passage continues the conversation Jesus had about John the Baptist and their respective ministries:
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the 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.” (Matthew 11:16-19)
The crowd tried to play games with Jesus and John the Baptist. Instead of acknowledging their authority, they acted like they were in charge. They thought they could set the rules and then criticize Jesus and John for breaking them.
There are many ways we can ignore the Lord’s authority and act arrogantly. One way is by tempting Him. We keep sinning on purpose, expecting God to forgive us and give us a good life, even while we show Him disrespect.
I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked, “Bob, if you do [such and such], does that mean God will send you to hell?”
My answer to these questions has changed over time. Now I respond with, “Are you asking how far you can get away from God and still get into heaven when you die?”
They usually laugh, but their question shows they want control over their life choices while still enjoying the benefits of following the Lord. Clearly, this isn’t a good mindset to have.
Jesus’ Answer
You might know the saying, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” When Jesus said that God’s wisdom is justified by her children (or deeds), He meant something similar. The results show the logic of His methods. By reaching out to tax collectors and sinners through fellowship, He demonstrates God’s healing work.
Today, we might think differently about Jesus’ authority than the crowd in His day did. We often see Jesus as “Pal Jesus,” someone who doesn’t mind if we do whatever we want. We assume that in the end, He will just give us a mansion in glory with a preferred location.
Both the strict views of the people in Jesus’ time and today’s more liberal views highlight our struggle with authority. Jesus made the rules for life, He has the freedom to live by them, and He expects us to do the same.
When we make our own rules for Him, we ignore His authority and assume our own. It goes without saying that this is very dangerous.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and Bruce Kirby will join me for videos very soon.
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