“Crotchety old men?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Matthew 11: 16-24 (Forward, p. 24) CEV p. 995
It has long been a practice to identify certain people as ‘crotchety old men’. In fact, certain movies were entirely built upon that premise, the 1993 film ‘Grumpy Old Men’, for instance. But today’s reading from the gospel of Matthew points out that such traits as grumpiness or crotchetiness or contrariness are not confined to those who are older, or even simply to isolated individuals.
He begins with how children, young people, can be contrary, can get a ‘bow in the neck’ and stubbornly refuse to do something. He compares this to children at play who refuse adamantly to take part in any game, no matter what that game might be. They prefer simply to stand there, sulk and be miserable. We have probably all met children like that—and, for that matter, adults as well. They are simply ‘happy’—if you can call it that—to bask in their misery.
But, as Jesus points out, this trait of contrariness can also apply to groups of people, to entire towns and villages, and perhaps even further. He singles out several locations in Galilee where He performed many of His miracles, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. He had done so much in these communities, and yet, by and large, they had refused to respond.
Jesus lambasts them for several failings:
a) Firstly, for their blindness. They had an incredible change, a privilege, and opportunity, and yet they did not see it. They had
a chance to ‘seize’ the kingdom, to become part of it, and yet
they never saw it, much less take Jesus up on it.
b) Secondly, for their lack of care, their indifference. These things were happening around them, but so what? Somehow these miracles of Jesus simply didn’t ‘register’ with them.
c) And finally, stemming from the above, for their lack of action. They did nothing. And here, Jesus really aims a shot across their bow. He tells them that cities notorious for their sinfulness and depravity, cities
like Tyre and Sidon and Sodom, would have repented long ago if they had only seen these miracles.
So, where does this put us, in our world today? I don’t think that we have to go very far to find people who are habitually crotchety, who are by nature or habit contrary and unwilling to look at the evidence. Our political systems are full of such people, and so too is much of our social media. (In fact, the social media often ‘feeds’ upon such habitual negativity and reinforces).
The same kind of perverseness, sadly, can also be found the spiritual realm. How many people are blind to what God has done and is doing, and as such, miss it entirely? Or who ‘write it off’ or dismiss it as irrelevant? Or simply refuse to hear it because it doesn’t fit in with their prejudices or pre-existing notions? Or, because it challenges their lifestyles or personal agendas? Or are too busy or too preoccupied with other things? And sadly, this isn’t always other people: we can be susceptible to this as well.
But perhaps one other thing might be said in this context. Jesus suggests that Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have responded—if only they had heard. So, what are our comparable audiences today? Who is it in our world or in our society that we would tend to ‘write off’ as being rather unlikely candidates? Maybe, then, they are quite as resistant or unwelcoming as we think. Maybe we need to make sure that the message does get out to them. An interesting possibility. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “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” (verse 19).
“The rejection of both John the Baptist and Jesus for opposite reasons is a sign of the hypocrisy of their critics. Personally, I love that some of the criticism of Jesus was that he had too good of a time and hung out with the wrong people. In other words, God’s kingdom is not only a present reality in Jesus’s deeds of power and healing but also in meals and fellowship with those not considered respectable members of society. Sharing food and wine with tax collectors and sinners is as much of a sign of the in-breaking of God’s reign as Jesus’s miracles and preaching.
“In its best iteration, our eucharistic feast every Sunday is this sign among us today. Jesus sets and hosts the table and invites all of us—tax collectors, sinners, rejects—to come and partake with and of him.”
Moving Forward: “Invite a neighbor or visitor from church to break bread and share fellowship over dinner.”