Ian Barclay's Thought For The Day

A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
A question of fasting
Reading: Matthew 9:14-15 Click to view passage

Almsgiving, prayer and fasting were the three great foundations of the Jewish religious life. The disciples of John came to Jesus and asked, “the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast and your disciples do not. Why?” Jesus answers with this delightful little picture taken from a Jewish wedding. A Jewish wedding was a time of great festivity. The couple didn’t go away on a honeymoon but stayed at home for a week where they were treated like royalty. They shared this week with their closest friends. These special friends were known as “the children of the bridechamber.” That is the title in the original of v15. The joy will go when the bridegroom is taken from them(v15).

As Christians, since the day of Pentecost, we have been given the Holy Spirit who is the permanent, stand-in, replacement for Jesus until we go to heaven (John 16) so we shouldn’t be in mourning! As William Tyndale said in the 16th century, the Christian gospel is, “good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a mannes hert glad, and maketh hym singe, dance and leepe for joy.”

Meditation: Am I joyful, as a should be or in mourning?

Prayer pointer: That my heart might be glad so that I leap with joy.