“Then John’s disciples [John the Baptist] came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?'” Matthew 9:14
In this interesting account, Jesus is questioned about the actions [or inaction] of His disciples. In effect, John’s disciples are surely questioning Jesus about His failure to fast when the rest of the “religious people” were fasting. The actions of these early disciples are not unlike the actions of many church members today. Sometimes we [the members of the Body of Christ] take ourselves way too seriously. In fact, just like John’s disciples, we can take ourselves (and our religious ceremonies) so seriously that we can actually overshadow the intended purposes–and the intended recipient of our various forms of worship. In this account, John’s disciples are questioning God’s only begotten Son about His devotion to the Father–something that was simply unquestionable. I wonder how often the religious ceremonies we practice today overshadow or even drive people away from the true purposes of the Church–preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth and teaching them everything He taught us.
“Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.'” Matthew 9:15
In Christ,
PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er
Jim@JamesKilby.com
Comments