A Time for Laughter
One of the greatest joys of being a pastor is performing wedding ceremonies. I have been blessed to be part of more weddings than I can count and I can promise you that each one was a special and joyous occasion. Jesus used the wedding motif as He spoke of His relationship with the church. In the Gospel of Luke, we first discover this theme in chapter five, when Jesus' disciples were chastised for not fasting and not looking sad.
In chapter five, verse 36, the Pharisees indignantly asked Jesus' disciples why they did not follow their traditions and fast twice a week. The key to understanding Jesus' answer is understanding that these weekly fasts were their traditions and not God's commands. God only commands one fast and that is on the Day Atonement. We see people fast out of great turmoil and distress, like in the books of Esther and Jonah, but only once a year is it commanded. The Pharisees fasted to be seen as righteous and pious.
Jesus answered their question with an allusion to the wedding practices of His day. A wedding feast was the most vivid picture of joy and happiness in that culture. During the weeklong wedding feast, it was understood that joy was more important than conformity to religious rituals. If any ceremonial observance would detract from the joy of a wedding feast, it was not required. Jesus said that His followers should have this kind of happiness.
Jesus has given us every reason to live our lives joyfully. The Pharisees basically accused Jesus and His disciples of being too happy. When was the last time you were accused of this?