¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷ Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:14-17

Jesus came to bring celebration and new life. Wedding guest don’t go to weddings and fast. You go to celebrate and eat and drink the night away. Leaving full and feasted. It would be ridiculous for us to show up at a wedding looking like we are ready for a funeral but that is often how people act. It’s as if they think that to follow Jesus is to never have fun again.

In Psalm 45:7, in describing the Messiah, it says,

“you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions…”

Jesus had more joy than all of his companions. And somehow a good chunk of Christians think that being Christian means being serious all the time. While Jesus wants to bring us into a fullness of joy. He also wants us to be changed, having a new wine skin. Repentance and changing our minds brings us into a new wine skin. A place where the Spirit of God can dwell.

Is there anything that you need to repent and change your mind, returning to God?
Are you joyful or are you missing this ingredient of Christ likeness in your walk?

Father, forgive me for the ways that I wear soberness when I ought to be rejoicing. Help me to celebrate your goodness, love, and grace more. Fill me with your joy. Return to me to joy of my salvation. Teach me to laugh and play again. Teach me to enjoy the bridegroom, Christ in new ways.

In Jesus name, Amen

All is grace,

Starla