Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 4, 2026 Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Rev. Neli Miranda What games did you play as a child? Can you remember which was your favorite? Was it hopscotch, hide-and-seek, playing house, marbles, or jacks? My favorite games were always the ones played out in the street. In Jesus’ time, children also played in the streets, though some of their games might seem odd to us today. They played interactive games called “wedding” and “funeral”, acting out the cultural rituals of those events. These games required two participating groups: the “wedding game” required one group to play the flute while the others danced, whereas the “funeral game” required one group to wail while the others responded by mourning. In today’s gospel, Jesus refers to these very games. He compares the people of his generation to children sitting in the marketplace. One group wants to play, but the other is completely indifferent. Frustrated, the first group complains, “We played the fl...