Jesus often used parables of weddings. Everyone
in that day knew, just as everyone now knows, about wedding customs. There are
always joyous festivities associated with weddings. Love is being celebrated. In His parable Jesus is the Bridegroom and He knows how to throw a great party!
No mourning or fasting among the wedding guests.
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| Wedding Flowers - Celebrate Love |
Fasting was a ritual that the Jews did on two major days, and then on at least three other days as minor holidays. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, as a part of their annual repentance before God for their sins, was one of the major fasts, along with Tisha be-Av which commemorated the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the mourning for the incident of the spies Moses sent into the Promised Land who thought it was impossible to conquer the giants already living in the Land.
The Book of Esther gives us a good example of fasting. Esther was to go before the king to ask a favor of him—that he spare the lives of the Jewish people. Here’s what she asks of the Jews in captivity there in Babylon before her audience with the king.
Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa
and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and
I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see
the king. If I must die, I must die." Esther 4:16
Don’t eat or drink for three days! Wow—that
is a commitment! Just think how thirsty you are after just a few hours without
water or any other beverage. Normally the Jews only fasted for about
twenty-four hours, so Esther’s fast was unusual. It was effective since the
king kindly received her.
The Pharisee during Jesus’ time were nit
pickers who wanted to follow the letter of the law and fasted religiously for
each occasion to make themselves look pious. Conversely, Jesus wasn’t about
fasting, but about celebrating. I would certainly rather celebrate Jesus
presence in my life that mourn and fast as a ritualistic observance. Would you
rather mourn and fast…or celebrate Jesus’ power and presence in your life?
Prayer
~ Jesus, Thank You for giving us reason to celebrate and to practice Your
presence in our lives. Although You’ve gone away, there is no need for us to
fast and mourn. May we rejoice in all that You have done for us and anticipate
the day of Your return.
Daily
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 7-9
©
2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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