Jesus was teaching about the kind of authority he has. We need authority in our context, because to Jesus' mind we are a very confused, wayward generation. There was nothing to compare the people of his time to, nothing to compare us to.1 They and we are wayward, hardened, confused people. Inappropriate behavior seemed to be the order of the day in Jesus' view. The people of Israel were like children who were playing, but could get none of the other children to celebrate, even when they played music. But when the same children played funeral, the other kids were celebrating (Matthew 11:16-17). Stubborn, fickle children. Is that not the way it is with us? We complain about how burned out we are while enjoying the highest standard of living in the world, along with all the conveniences that …