Meaning of Children in the Market Place

 GOSPEL THOUGHTS

24th Week – Wednesday

Gospel – Luke 7:31-35

First Reading Numbers 1 Cor 12:31-13:

Meaning of Children in the Market Place

To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another

1) Market Place is a center of everything

Market is a busy place and almost all people are engaged in their own work 

Since Market is a place of business most of the people are immersed in earning money and doing some business 

Market is a center place for all activities. One can see all types of people and all types of activities.

2) Children in the Market place

In every market place there are children doing some activities. 

In today's Gospel we come across such children who were sitting in the market place 

These children were involved in singing. They sang all types of songs. Specially they sang songs of Happy or joyful mood and also songs which would create sad mood 

Fortunately or unfortunately when they sang they hardly got any reactions from people 

When these children sang songs which would create happy mood, did not change anything in those people who were around them 

When they sang songs of sad mood, it did not create any changes in those who were around

3) Children’s Activity had no influence on the people

People did not have any kinds of reaction to those children who sang different songs 

People were hardly affected with their songs. Neither the song of happy mood nor the song of sad mood had any impact on the feelings of people. 

4) Indifferent attitude of the people

First of all people in the market place didn't take seriously the activities of the children.

The activities of the children were very silly to those people who were in the market place 

In other words people those who were in the market place were very busy in their own world. They hardly bothered anything outside of their business

Making business or making money was only their primary goal. 

5) Children were ready to do anything

The attitude of the children shows they were ready to do anything. 

They were ready to sing the sings of happy mood for to make people happy 

They also played  the music of sad mood to communicate some of the important truths of life. 

So the children were using different techniques to draw the attention of the people. 

But nothing worked. People did not pay any attention to the activities of the children.

6) People in the market place represent scribes and Pharisees

They were busy in their own world. They hardly paid any attention to those things which were not directly connected to their business

They depicted a kind of indifferent attitude towards the teachings of Jesus and John the Baptist 

Neither John's strict way of life could make any difference in their life nor could Jesus’ very open and happy way of communicating the Good News make any different in their life. 

7) Children in the Market Place - Jesus and John the Baptist

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance’  - This is the way in which Jesus presented the kingdom of God

‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking’ -This is the another phase of Jesus ministry. 

John the Baptist had another way of doing the ministry

We sang a dirge, but you did not weep - this is the style of John the Baptist

Like those children Jesus and John did everything for the sake of those people. But nothing could change the people - Pharisees and Scribes 

8) To which category do I belong?

Am I representing those people in the market place who were very busy in their own world and could not pay any attention to the important things other than business? 

Do I represent those children who were trying different methods to capture the attention of the crowd? 

Children could not succeed in making either happy or sad. Even then they did not stop doing their work 

John and Jesus also did not stop doing their mission inspire of negative response from the crowd. 

What about me?

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine  - This is how John proclaimed the message of the Kingdom of heaven. A very strict and ascetic way. 

God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones.

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore