Suppose you were given the enormous task of changing the world.  However, there are a few rules you must follow.  You cannot use radio, television, modern forms of print, any form of modern advertisement (no color, catchy logos, or unusual pictures), no post offices, no telephones, or modern forms of international connections—none of that existed anywhere in any context.  You must begin in a non-nation with a people who used to be a powerful nation, but have for centuries been a conquered people.  You must begin among a people who are despised and considered arrogant by most other people. You must begin in poverty in a poverty setting.

Most of us have not thought about the many difficulties of producing a movement that actually changed the world (not just a society).  To produce a world change without using common means of communication and interaction is, to most of us, unthinkable.

How would you change the world with those restrictions under those circumstances?  Assuming you thought this monumental task was possible, and you accepted the challenge, is it safe to say you would maximize what was possible?

It would be difficult for most of us to think in terms of a world change.  Most of us are limited in our views to a single society change or perhaps change in similar societies.  To try to consider a change in a single society without modern aids of communication is, to us, unthinkable.

How would you go about the task?  Would you collect the best known men in the world?  Would you convince them of your strategy, make sure they thoroughly understood what you wished to do, and blanket the world with well coordinated information?  Would you go to the brightest, the best, the wisely trained, and the wealthy first in the confidence such people would inform and influence the people who were beneath them? Would you try to combine politics and your objective?  Would, if possible, you use conquest to control those who were the most resistant to your ideas and objective?

With most of us, changes would have to begin by getting the most influential people in agreement with us and utilizing them to influence others.

Jesus did none of that. He began with twelve men, most of whom came from the least influential people and least religious place among these conquered people.  He had no credentials and sought none.  He began, as Americans would say, a “grass-roots” movement that focused on the most unlikely people.  The people associated with Jesus were so unlikely that they were often rejected as weird, unacceptable, and lacking credibility among the prominent of their own society.

Jesus began a movement that would change the world in a way most of us would consider impossible.  He did not utilize the best and most influential.  Much of his efforts involved people no one listened to or cared about (in that age).

The twelve men Jesus selected at times did not get along with each other.  At times they were suspicious of each other, or jealous, or resentful.  On more than one occasion they argued among themselves as they tried to decide who was the most important.  When Jesus revealed his own arrest, suffering, and death, they were so consumed with their own expectations they refused to listen to him.  They did not even understand his objective, let alone agree with it.

The twelve disciples lacked much as a group to provide the impetuous for a world change.  They did not understand Jesus’ objective while he ministered among them.  They often failed to mirror Jesus’ values.  At times they even disagreed with Jesus (consider Matthew 16:21-28 and John 11:1-8 as examples).

Perhaps this parable provides us some insight.  The parable is found in Matthew 11:16-19 at the conclusion of a tribute Jesus gave to John who baptized.  In Jesus’ lifetime, there was no mechanical refrigeration—no refrigerators and no freezers.  Nor were there many means available for food preservation—most means were limited to the use of salt and the use of drying, no canning, no cans, no pressure cookers.  Since food preparation was primarily a woman’s task, women made frequent (daily) trips to the market place, and they took their children with them.  The children entertained themselves at market with games.  One game they played centered on funeral practices.  When flutes played a dirge at death, the mourning began.  Since professional mourners were often hired, the ritual of mourning was well established.  As in many games children play, some child would cry out, “You are not doing it right!”  Frequently it would be the child or children who could not be pleased.

Use your thought and creativity to (a) make your students consider children’s play with the ever-present child or children who seek to control others by saying, “You are not doing it right!,” and to focus on (b) how familiar adults are with children’s games.

Jesus used this well known happening to illustrate a point.  John looked unusual because he wore unusual clothing with hair that was not cut and a beard that was not trimmed.  He ate locust (ugh!) and wild honey (ouch!), not one’s typical diet then (see Luke 1:15-17 and Matthew 3:4).  The Jewish people who rejected him and his message declared he was to be explained as demonic, not as a godly person speaking a divine message.  Because John was “demonic,” he was to be ignored.

Spend some time discussing what an unusual character John was, and how John would not have “fit” into “acceptable” society.  Realize how easy it would have been to reject John’s message because of his looks and actions.

Jesus was in total contrast.  While John was a picture of the poorest of the poor and evidently followed some elements of the Nazirite vow for a prolonged period, Jesus lived as typical Jews lived.  He ate the food the common Jew ate and drank as the common Jew drank.  However, at times he associated with “the wrong people”—Jews who collected taxes for the Romans and sinners (Jews who refused to practice the religious traditions of Israel).  Because Jesus did common things and associated with the “wrong people,” he was to be ignored.

Spend some time contrasting Jesus and John.  John’s looks and message would not have been popular with many.  Jesus, aside from his miracles, looked and acted like the common poor man. His message was thought-provoking and challenging, but did not focus on peoples’ failures.  It mainly focused on a redefinition of God’s values.  He commonly was rejected by the “who’s who” on the basis of (a) popularity, (b) a redefinition of Sabbath rules, and (c) associating with the wrong people.  John’s message focused on repentance.

Just like the marketplace children, these people could not be pleased.  Because they did not like and could not explain John or Jesus, they “explained away” their messages.

Peoples’ firm expectations are a powerful influence.  None of us like challenges to our expectations.

Jesus did not begin a world movement because all the Jews agreed with him.  He began a world movement because it was God’s intent, and Jesus was totally devoted to God’s will.  The world was and is changing because the unique God is at work.

People were and are moved to change by the purposes and intent of God, not through the agreement of people.  The challenge is to understand how to be in step with God, not on how to force God to be in step with people.

For Thought and Discussion

1. What was not available to Jesus as he began a movement to change the world?

The modern means of communication and interaction—radio, television, print, advertisement, post office, telephones, airplanes, faxes, world travel, etc.—were not available to Jesus.

2. Who would people commonly select for that monumental task?

We would likely collect the best known and most influential people.

3. Describe the efforts of Jesus as he established his movement.

The discussion should include the fact that Jesus did not approach his “world movement” task as we today might approach it.

4. State and explain the parable in Matthew 11:16-19.

The parable focused on dissatisfied children in the marketplace who shouted to other children, “You are not doing it right!” as they played their game of funeral.

5. How did children entertain themselves when they went to market?

They played games.

6. Discuss the funeral game they played.

At a funeral (which occurred quickly because there was no embalming) a person played a funeral dirge and mourners (including professional mourners) made the appropriate sounds of grief.  (Realize that how grief is expressed appropriately differs in different societies).  The children saw this scene often, and played “funeral” as a game (like many of you perhaps played “church” when you were children).

7. How did Jesus use this game to illustrate his point?

He used it to show the dissatisfaction of many who rejected John and rejected Jesus.  John and Jesus were very different. Yet, both (for different reasons) were considered extreme.  No matter how God revealed His message to them, the dissatisfied could not be satisfied.

8. Contrast Jesus and John.  Those who rejected both did so on what basis?

Jesus and John were different in looks and in message. John focused on repentance (human failure) and Jesus focused on a redefinition of God’s values (he challenged traditional practices and views).  John was said to be demonic.  Jesus associated with the wrong people.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 8

Copyright © 2009
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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