6.22.23 - Matthew 11:16-19
"Let go and let God" is funny little statement until put in the context of expectations. What might happen if you let go of expectations to experience the present anew?
“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
Many of us are never truly satisfied.
Even in our leaders, we always want to hear something new, or want someone to meet unrealistic expectations.
The Bible describes how people came out to hear John the Baptist speak but couldn’t act on his teaching, probably because of his looks and demeanor, although they knew he practiced the customs of a person of God.
On the contrary, Jesus may have looked more refined, but people ignored him and called him a glutton and a drinker because if they listened they would have to change.
People were not satisfied with either one, because they did not fit their imaginary expectations.
As you can tell from this story, people often use expectations as an excuse not to make changes in their lives. But God is in the business of defying expectations.
We all interpret the world through expectations derived from beliefs or values. These can get in the way of experiencing God and other with curiosity.
What's one expectation you might let go of today to help open you to what's possible?
--Calista Silva