“But
to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
Matthew 11:16-17
Matthew 11 [7.] As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 11 [16.] “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’ 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, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Matthew 11 [20.] Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn’t repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until today. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you.”
Meaning:
Jesus had praised John the Baptist as the greatest of those born of women and the promised Elijah, ending with the call, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:11-15). Now he turns to the people who had not listened, either to John or to himself. He describes them with a picture from the village square. Luke records the same parable (Luke 7:31-32).
- “to what shall I compare this generation?”
The phrase “this generation” means the people of Jesus’ day, especially the religious leaders and the towns that had seen his mighty works yet did not repent. Jesus later said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Matthew 12:39). Like a teacher searching for the right picture, he asks what they are like.
- “children sitting in the marketplaces”
The marketplace was the open centre of every town, where adults traded and children played. Children often played at weddings and funerals, copying what they saw grown-ups do. In Jesus’ picture, one group of children wants to play a game, and the others refuse every suggestion.
- “We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance.”
Flutes were played at weddings and celebrations, and guests danced to the music. Jesus had compared his own ministry to a wedding: the friends of the bridegroom do not mourn while he is with them (Matthew 9:15). His message was good news, an invitation to joy. Yet many refused to join in.
- “We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.”
At funerals people wailed and beat their breasts. John’s message was like a funeral song, a call to grieve over sin and repent. Many refused that too. Scripture says there is “a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4), but this generation would do neither when God called them to it.
The next verses explain the parable: John came fasting and they said he had a demon; Jesus came eating and drinking and they called him “a gluttonous man and a drunkard” (Matthew 11:18-19). They were like sulky children who would not play any game unless it was their own. The problem was not with the messengers, but with hearts that did not want to respond to God at all.
The Significance of Matthew 11:16-17
- Responding to God’s call
God speaks in different ways, sometimes calling us to repentance and sometimes inviting us to rejoice. Each call deserves a response. Refusing every invitation reveals a heart closed to God.
- Excuses for unbelief
People often find fault with the messenger to avoid the message. If a preacher is strict, he is too harsh; if he is joyful, he is too worldly. Jesus exposes such excuses and invites honest hearts to listen.
Cross-References:
Luke 7:32: "We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep." Luke’s version of the parable.
Ecclesiastes 3:4: "a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" A time for each response.
Matthew 11:19: "But wisdom is justified by her children." Jesus’ explanation of the parable.
Conclusion: Jesus compared his generation to children in the marketplace who refused to dance at a wedding game or to mourn at a funeral game. John called them to repent and Jesus invited them to the joy of the Kingdom, but they rejected both. The parable warns against hearts that find excuses to resist every call of God, and invites us to respond whenever he speaks.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible