Mark 2:18-20

Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!" (The Message)

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

I am so happy to read in this scripture that Jesus is telling me to go out and have a good time. Let's all throw away the boring old sandwich we made for lunch and go out for steaks, cake and martinis instead. This is one case where I am more than willing to become a biblical literalist. It's in the Bible, so let's go!

But in the interests of honesty, this passage needs a little unpacking. When Jesus said this, it was because some Pharisees had been criticizing him and his followers for not fasting. The Jesus gang looked like they were enjoying life too much and having way too much fun to be religious.

Jesus responded by hinting that he was not going to be around forever. He knew his time on earth was limited.

My time on earth is limited too, and so is yours. Nobody gets to stay here forever. So should we all just eat, drink and be merry?

Not if we look at the rest of Jesus' life. There were many times he went without food for forty days. There were many times he put other people's healing ahead of his own well-being, and of course on the cross he suffered unimaginably.

But he also told people to celebrate and enjoy the cake and the good company, when the time was right. Life involves both feasting and fasting. And amazingly, he didn't leave us with a rulebook but left each one of us to figure out when to do both.

Which probably means I am eating my sandwich for lunch today after all.

Prayer

Gracious God of heavenly banquets, help us to know when to feast and when to fast, and to find the value in both. For what we are about to receive, and for what we are about not to receive, we give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church, UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She is the author, with Martin Copenhaver, of This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers.

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