Pleasing People

"We played the flute for you

and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge

and you did not cry."

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, "He has a demon." The Son of Man came eating and drinking,and you say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners" '. But wisdom is proved right by all children."

Luke 7:31-35

I do wonder why we work so hard to please others? I've read some really good comments on this topic lately, but the book and author escape me right now, and the topic frankly leaves me more baffled than anything. But, Jesus is clearly teaching us in this passage that we can't please all the people, or maybe even some of the people, any of the time. We tried to please you once with false cheeriness and that didn't work. So, we tried moaning and groaning next time, and that failed to please you also.

The saddest stories to me are when grown children develop an authentic walk with God that differs slightly (in some cases ever so slightly) from their parents and the parents express displeasure with their children's actions in this movement away from tradition.

Jesus was authentic, truthful, and, above all, loving of others where they were. Jesus never asks us to please him, only to love him, accept him and serve him by treating others in this same way.