Lent 1: You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party!
Scripture: Matthew 11
”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.’”
You Gotta Fight For your Right to Party
This little bit of scripture tells us so much. People are questioning Jesus’ work and ministry, including John the Baptist and his followers. They ask, “Are you the one we have been waiting for?”. They probably have an image of what the one they have been waiting for should look like, sound like, and behave like. And it is clearly not someone who indulges in eating and drinking.
Jesus is called a “drunkard” and “glutton”. He then reminds everyone that John lived a “holy life” in the wilderness, and people still say John is a demon. Jesus’ response is basically an ancient Mediterranean version of “haters gonna hate.”
Famously Un-Fun
Jesus shows up eating and drinking, and yet somehow, Christ-followers become famously un-fun generations later. Church people are famously Un-FUN. Have you seen a Christian comedian that was actually funny? Have you seen a Christian rock band that really rocked? Occasionally, people cold call us at the Abbey saying, “I am a Christian musician,” or “I’m a Christian comedian ,” or “I’m a christian rapper and I would love to come play a gig at your church.” I politely say, “Oh, no, thank you.”
Think of all the Christian leaders you see on screen. Are they ever fun? If they are, they are typically a-typical. Like Whoopie in Sister Act, getting a bunch of stuck-up nuns to sing with joy. In the Sound of Music, Maria is delightful and the ensemble sing a song called, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Christian leaders that are filled with joy and delight are usually rebels or sweet troublemakers. Otherwise, we see restrictive, painfully pious leaders, like the pastor in Footloose or the Mayor in Chocolat, working through their own junk at the expense of everyone else's joy.
They say, “He has a demon.”
Now we are in Lent and the historically serious faith tradition is meant to be even more serious, stern, and rigid. John the Baptist lived a life of restriction in the desert wilderness, wearing highly uncomfortable camel hair garments while dining on locusts and honey. Jesus knows John, learned from John, and is baptized by John. The two are family and have a similar purpose in their heart of hearts. Jesus chooses the same passion and purpose, yet approaches it with more comfortable clothing and a love for inviting folks to party.
This is Jesus' point: "You wouldn’t approve of me either way.” John the Baptist is in the wilderness pushing for change and justice, pushing people to be different. If you have two coats give one away. If you have a position of power, don’t abuse it. If Jesus was out there meditating quietly, no one would care. But Jesus is not out there meditating by himself; people are coming to listen and join his movement. This moment is where we are in the story; John has been arrested for taking direct aim at the regional tetrarch, Herod (Son of Herod the Great who always seems to be trying to please his daddy), for doing what is evil and marrying his brother’s wife, Herodis (Mark 6:17-18) (PS. it’s not a marry-your-brother’s-widow situation).
John and Jesus couldn’t be more different in how they live, how they engage people, and even in their fashion choices or dietary preferences. But their message and purpose is the same. And, I believe, that is exactly why they are both killed by state authority. Because they said and did something the powerful people then didn’t want anyone to see or hear.
They Who?
At first glance, we might consider the “they” of this verse could be the crowds. “They say he has a demon,” and “they say he is a glutton and a drunkard.” In the Gospel of Matthew crowds love Jesus, most of the time. They marvel at his presence, come to listen and learn, celebrate his signs and wonders, and gather with him. Jesus has compassion on the crowds, and by the end of the chapter he speaks of himself as a “good shepherd with a lighter burden and an easy yoke.”
“Come to me, all you who 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.” (v28-30)
Of course, the verses before this pastoral invitation are filled with a bit of ranting regarding cities prone to injustice with a laundry list that begins with: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (v21) And ends a few verses later suggesting you will wish you were Sodom.
Sick burns may not seem to fit with a WWJD bracelet, but I kind of love him more for it. Jesus’ roasts are always on behalf of justice. Without a little spice, Jesus would be too sweet and saccharine. And Roman leaders probably wouldn’t have targeted the guy.
The “they” is much more clearly the religious-political establishment. Jesus is often in conflict, discussion, and debate with local leaders. He makes a vivid comparison to children playing wedding feast or funeral dirge in the market place saying:
“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.’
Which leads us into the focus of this writing, when Jesus says:
“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.”
The phrase “a glutton and a drunkard” may be more than a cheap insult. Deuteronomy 21 is a section of civil and family law in which there are recommendations on dealing with an unsolved murder that would make a most unusual true crime podcast. There are protections for women taken captive in military conflict, protections for the least favored wife’s sons, and to the point of this discussion, instructions for how to deal with a rebellious son.
“If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ (v 19-20)
Jesus quotes this scripture with some awareness that the religious leaders are acting the parent, and with the clarity that this story ends badly for the son. The punishment of the rebellious son is death by stoning.
Wisdom is Vindicated by her Deeds
Jesus ends this section noting the deeds of wisdom; fashioning himself in the debate as Lady Wisdom. His followers will reflect on wisdom in James 3:17, writing, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
James picks up on one of Jesus’ most frequent attacks on the religious leaders: he loves calling a hypocrite a hypocrite, and a demon it’s name. Lady Wisdom most famously makes a feast; she says, “eat my bread and drink my wine” (Proverbs 9:5-6). She teaches, clarifies, and brings direction in confusion, humility, and protection; there is no hypocrisy in her deeds.
“Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Jesus comes eating and drinking. While Jesus is different from John, his purpose is the same. John is too serious, strange, and harsh. He is isolated and austere. Jesus is too fun, he eats too much food and drinks too much wine. Jesus is too worldly and loves a party, so can he really be a spiritual leader? Jesus is too connected to the community and too welcoming of folks he should shun.
Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds, but Jesus couldn’t win with the religious political leaders.
So what?
Jesus invites eating and drinking; John participates in neither, and somehow, we followers of Jesus often resemble the austerity of John. I repeat, we are famously un-fun. We have a history of desert monastics or the medieval practices of self-harm and rigid fasting, right up to sects of American Christianity shaming folks for dancing or drinking. We have a history of folks giving side-eye for wearing a skirt and for not wearing a skirt. We—Christianity—are a part of the un-written rules that keep people in-line.
My King James Precious Moments Teen Bible has every verse Paul and later, his followers, wrote about avoiding sins highlighted. Like Galatians 5:19-20 with its warnings against drunkenness, carousing, sexual immortality, impurity, debauchery, strife, anger, envy, jealousy, witchcraft, and in some translations, orgies. To be honest, high school Debra didn’t really know what most of these words meant or have a shot at even trying most of these out, but I do remember it being the main topic of conversations for the FCA youth group and I was terrified.
Today, I wouldn't have just been looking through the small print, while big eyed cartoons look right back at me. I would be online and there would be even more people giving even more direction. Like Got Questions.com is there to help you with any question you may have about what is right and what is wrong.
Should a Christian to a dance club or a night club?
“To put it bluntly, nightclubs are part of the world which is controlled by Satan. They are designed for the purpose of giving oneself over to sinful desires. Nightclubs exist primarily for two purposes: drinking alcohol and meeting members of the opposite sex, most often with sexual activity in mind.” So clearly, this only applies to some of us. The website continues: “The lure of clubbing is that it is very enjoyable, fun, and exciting. What we don’t see are the consequences because Satan keeps the sensual attraction at the forefront of our minds. Sex, alcohol, and drugs—all found in most nightclubs—are very destructive, both physically and spiritually.”
Should a Christian go to a party?
“The short answer to this question is “it depends on the party.” And then concludes with a suggestion that if you go to the party, look for an “opportunity to share Christ with unbelievers,” which will obviously make you the life of the party.
Should Christians dance?
“Dancing to bring attention to yourself or your body, therefore, would be sinful. Paul was acknowledging that men have a very strong sex drive that is easy to set off. Because of this, many styles of pair dancing outside of marriage can be very tempting…Any dancing that stirs up sinful desires in ourselves or in others is sinful. Doing something that might cause someone else to stumble into sin is considered absolutely inexcusable.” And don’t worry, Got Questions tells you directly, “NO twerking!”
Should Christians Go to Prom?
After a lengthy discourse that can never totally rule out dancing because it’s in the Bible, Got Questions gives presumably young women questions they should work on themselves:
What temptations will I be exposing myself to? Is it wiser to avoid those temptations altogether?
Do I feel pressured to wear immodest clothing?
Will the dancing at prom inflame the lust of the flesh?
Have I sought godly counsel about this decision?
Will I be tempted to lie about my activity to my parents?
In her blog “Blessings of Heaven,” Brandi Gann, with her masters degree in counseling and Bible college certificate, will tell you what you can and cannot do. Want to dance? She says, "Dancing is not a sin if you do it privately at home,” and if you dance with somebody, at least you better be married. She continues her discourse with tips on modesty, suggesting that ancient tunics were knee length, so girls should have knee length dresses. Until she hits the classic phrase of high-control Christianity, your dancing and your dress, and probably everything about you, shouldn’t cause another to sin. Then she wraps it all up with a bold question, literally in bold: “Would Jesus go to the Prom or any other social dance? If He did, He would speak against the activities taking place.”
Got Questions or Blessings from Heaven are two of many places you could type in the questions of your heart and get an absolute answer.
Please Don’t Stop the Music
Stating dancing is a sin puts us at odds with the movement and knowledge of our own bodies. Saying parties are a sin separates us from relationships and collective experiences that bring joy. Saying good food and good wine is a sin keeps us from thinking deeply about what makes us truly well in a holistic manner. A theology of absolutes is dangerous; it separates us from the deeper work of faith and growth that requires real reflection on what is life-giving for us and others. The party makes us more interested in other people, more aware of our own being, more open to difference, more curious and compassionate. And this is exactly what we need when life is tough and systems of oppression are so difficult to unravel.
So why take away the dance, the party, the good food and good people? Because we become easier to control. These movements in Christian history have different flavors and times, but they all have the need for control. They work in tandem with political systems of domination, whether they mean to or not.
We need joy and connection to face oppression and domination. Take away the party, the good food and the good people, and we become easy to manage, susceptible to indifference, and quick to acquiesce. Which is probably why high-control religious and political leaders work so hard to shame us and label us as sinners for experiencing any little bit of joy.
Resistance requires party. That’s what made Jesus powerful, and that’s what will keep us at the work of the world. So let’s keep the party going.
May it be so Amen.