Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
July 4, 1999
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church of San Francisco.
“What’s with kids today?” we ask ourselves. It’s always been a national pastime—ragging on the younger generation and complaining about their lack of this, that or something or other. I catch us doing this when we meet as Sojourners!
NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw in his 1998 book, The Greatest Generation, comes flat-out and tells us that the GI Generation that stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II, that went to work in American factories, that bought bonds to support the war effort—is the greatest generation. This is my father’s generation.
These are the women and men, the living and the dead, who willingly gave their lives, who gave their limbs, who gave their nightly dreams of childhood over to the enduring nightmare of real hand to hand combat war. The Big One—the war that honestly and truly saved the world from fascism, the war that protected the home of the brave, the land of the free so that we might grow up in safety, democracy, and prosperity.
But you know what? They’re not the greatest generation.
When we look at our parents or grandparents of the GI generation, it’s hard for our own generational self-esteem not to take a beating. And why not? How can you top saving the world from Hitler? My own father served in Germany as an U.S. Army corporal. He was so proud about this that he was active in the American Legion.
Although we honor them, they’re not the greatest generation.
Second-Generation Chinese
Growing up in Boston, I was told that I was “second-generation”—that means that my parents were from China and I was born here. I am an “ABC”—American born Chinese rather than “OBC”—Overseas born Chinese. What I remember mostly was that I was frequently referred to as a “jook sing” rather than a “jook kak.” Calling someone “jook sing” was not nice because it meant that I only looked like Chinese on the outside but hollow in the inside like a hollow section of bamboo. The “jook kaks” always thought that they were the better generation.
Because I spoke little Chinese, my father and his generation would say, “What’s up with kids today? They look like us, but they surely don’t act like our kids. The kids in this generation don’t respect or follow the customs and traditions.”
Although we honor our parents and grandparents for the courage they had to sojourn to America for a new beginning away from famine and drought conditions in Guangzhou province, that they enlisted or were drafted to fight for world freedom in World War II, and that they began new lives by starting laundries and working in sewing factories—do all these achievements make them the greatest generation?
I don’t think so. They’re not the greatest generation.
The Next Generation
If the GI generation is not the greatest generation, perhaps the greatest generation is the next one. Their greatness may be rooted in their naiveté. Full of opportunities and promises to be the greatest generation, many of them will be entering college this fall.
Here is what the younger generation is like.
They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era and do not know he had ever been shot. They were only infants when the Persian Gulf War was waged. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. There has only been one Pope.
They can only really remember one president. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War. They have never feared nuclear war. They have known only one Germany. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up, and Tiananmen Square means nothing to them.
The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as World War I, World War II or even the Civil War. They have no idea that Americans were ever held as hostages in Iran.
Might our next generation become the greatest generation as Tom Brokaw thinks the GI generation to be? I don’t think so when the expression, “You sound like a broken record,” means nothing to them. They have never owned a record player or have seen a black and white TV. How can they be the greatest generation when they have never seen Larry Bird play and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar to them is only a football player! For them, Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are only places, not music groups. How can the next generation be the greatest when for them, Michael Jackson has always been white!
No, the next generation may not be the greatest generation either.
Jesus’ Generation
In today’s Scripture lesson, Matthew records Jesus comparing his generation with children. He sees them acting out like children harassing one another for refusing to join in children’s games. “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” Most likely, flute-playing and dancing were boys’ games when men celebrate at a wedding. The wailing and mourning were practices usually assigned to women when they serve as professional mourners at funerals.
The message for Jesus’ generation is that they did not respond either to John or to Jesus, even though these two proclaimed the kingdom in contrasting ways. John was the wailer; he had an ascetic, even mournful, style. He came “neither eating or drinking,” but this generation would not repent and mourn.
Jesus, on the other hand, was a flute player. He came with merriment, kingdom joy, and compassion. His ministry was one of “eating and drinking” with all sorts of people, but this generation stayed glued to their chairs, wallflowers at the kingdom dance. Even when Jesus was asking them to dance, they refused. “Look,” they said, the Son of Man is “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”
So which is the generation that stands out in distinction? The generation that is the greatest is not people born between a given set of years or even the first generation that met Jesus himself. The greatest generation is people reborn in any age, at any age. It is not a question of generational greatness, but of regenerational greatness.
Listen to a story about some Mad Dancers.
“Why was it that so few understood Jesus?” the student asked the Teacher. “The Pharisees and scribes constantly opposed him. His disciples often seemed confused by his teaching, and still others suggested that he was possessed with demons. Even his own family feared his mental health.”
The Teacher replied, “Once there was a wedding couple who brought in the finest fiddlers and banjo players to entertain their guests immediately after the ceremony. The music was so captivating that soon everyone, young and old alike, began to dance. The people flung their bodies first one way and then another. The church was filled with joy.
“Two men drove by the church building in their new suped up car with the windows rolled up and loud music with a lot of bass blaring from their car stereo system. When they saw people jumping around they stopped the car, shaking their heads at the sight. “What a bunch of wierdos,” the driver said to his friend. “See how they fling themselves about. I tell you the folks that go to that church are crazy.”
The Teacher paused after finishing the story. “That is the conclusion people draw when they cannot hear the music to which others are dancing.”
Can you hear the music that Jesus is playing on the flute inviting you to dance with him at church? Are we ready to give up what we might think are important to life and turn to Jesus for renewal?
A Regenerated Generation
When Jesus compared his generation with those of children, he was frustrated over the stubbornness in their hearts. It was like children playing in the shopping mall; more interested and caught up with the video games and window shopping than when Mom and Dad are calling them to come to go home.
Jesus was calling them to follow him as the flute player, piping and dancing in God’s kingdom, but they were more attracted to recreation than regeneration!
Nevertheless, there is always a remnant in that generation and every generation that has followed Jesus. A remnant that danced when he piped and mourned when he wept. The disciples and the women were the remnant who eventually stayed with him and danced in God’s kingdom. The dance goes on today!
So it’s not Generation X, or Boomers, or the GI generation or Millennial Kids or the “jook kak” generation. It’s all those and more. It’s every person from every generation who submits to the regeneration of the heart.
People who through faith in Jesus Christ conquered kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength, who became powerful only when they realized that they are weak in Jesus’ eyes.
I see our church as a regenerated community. We come every Sunday with an open heart to invite God to change our lives. We know that we have much more to do in committing more and more of ourselves to God. We are usually not ready to give Jesus all of ourselves even though we said we would and we know that that is what Jesus wants. But you and I know very well that there are still parts of our lives that are holding us back so when Jesus is piping and inviting us to dance with him, we hold back. We are wallflowers hoping that Jesus would invite someone else to dance. “O Jesus, don’t ask me right now.”
It is not, of course, that Jesus’ generation did not want to respond, did not want to become redeemed. Every generation wants something good for itself. You and I want to respond to Jesus too.
One thing that is holding us back is a generation gap. For Jesus’ generation, John the Baptist and Jesus did not look like saviors. They have, people say, the wrong diet, the wrong music, the wrong companions, the wrong words. Jesus’ generation, like all generations, is looking for hope in their generation’s accomplishments, searching for answers in their understanding of history. Jesus responded by saying, “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” which means that every generation can depend on its own values and philosophies. But look at what I am doing: the blind are seeing, the deaf are hearing, the lepers are made new, the dead are raised—and the poor have finally heard some music that they can kick up their heels to dance!
July 4th
Today is the 223rd birthday of our country. Symbolically, it can represent the beginning of a new generation. A new generation of people who will determine the future of our world, our country, our city, and even our church at FCBC.
If Jesus were to say, “But to what will I compare this generation,” let us say that we are a generation of regenerated Christians continuously open to Jesus’ plan for our lives.
If Jesus were to say, “But to what will I compare this generation,” let us say that we are a “multi-generational, bilingual, and bicultural church, so transformed by God’s gracious love in Jesus Christ that we joyfully commit ourselves in worship, witness, discipleship, and ministry.”
If Jesus were to say, “But to what will I compare this generation,” let’s pray to Jesus that we are no longer children being tossed about according to the cultural gods of different generations, but that we are God’s children blessed and gifted to serve, strive, grieve, and die for Christ.
If Jesus were to say, “But to what will I compare this generation,” let’s be the faithful remnant of this generation who will listen and follow the flute music being played by Jesus as he leads us to stand firm on our belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world.
At the end of our Scripture lesson for this morning is a very familiar passage, Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.”
Some of us might want to interpret this passage to justify the barbecues and taking time from work to watch fireworks tonight. What Jesus offers is not a hammock, but a yoke. Jesus’ yoke is obedience to the commandments of the kingdom of heaven, a willingness to serve others with humility and mercy. Jesus’ yoke is “easy” and his burdens is “light” not because there is little to do or the way is safely paved. To the contrary, there is a cross to be carried. The yoke of Jesus is easy and his burdens is light because it is the way of God, and it is profoundly satisfying to the human soul. Jesus offers every generation new ways to understand, to think, and to act—as believers who share the yoke with him.
So which is the greatest generation? It is not the GI generation that came home from war and worked hard to build us homes and raise us as children even though we honor them for their wonderful accomplishments.
It’s not the next generation that most likely never played Pac Man and never heard of Pong and cannot fathom not having a remote control.
And it’s not our Boomers generation either that know who Mork was, who shot J.R. and remembered when the Jazz were in New Orleans and the Lakers were in Minnesota.
The greatest generation is all those marked not by the year of their birth, but by the call of the Master on their lives. When we dance today, let us dance with the Lord!
Let us pray.
Gracious God, dwell among all persons regardless of which generation we are from so that we might become transformed in your love for us as a regenerated community—your generation. Bless us as we worship you and remember the love of Christ for the world that our sins are forgiven. Amen.