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Humble Hero
At this time the disciples of John were in great sorrow. With their
beloved teacher in prison, they spent their days in mourning. And
Jesus was making no effort to release John. He even appeared to
discredit his teaching. If John had been sent by God, why did Jesus
and His disciples follow a course so widely different? The disciples
of John thought there might be some basis for the Pharisees’ charges.
They observed many rules established by the rabbis.
The Jews practiced fasting as an act of merit. The most rigid of
them fasted two days every week. The Pharisees and John’s disciples
were fasting when the latter came to Jesus with the inquiry, “Why
do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Tenderly Jesus answered. He did not try to correct their false
concept of fasting, but only to set them right regarding His own
mission. John the Baptist himself had said, “He who has the bride
is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands
and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.”
John 3:29
. The disciples of
John could not fail to remember these words of their teacher. Taking
up the illustration, Jesus said, “Can you make the friends of the
bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?”
The Prince of heaven was among His people. God had given His
greatest Gift to the world. Joy to the poor, for He had come to make
them heirs of His kingdom. Joy to the rich, for He would teach them
to secure eternal riches. Joy to the ignorant, for He would make
them wise unto salvation. Joy to the educated, for He would open
to them deeper mysteries than they had ever understood. This was
not a time for the disciples to mourn and fast. They must open their
hearts to receive the light of His glory so that they could shed light
on those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death.
A Heavy Shadow
It was a bright picture, but across it lay a heavy shadow that
Christ’s eye alone could see. “The days will come when the bride-
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groom will be taken away from them; then they will fast.” When
they would see their Lord betrayed and crucified, the disciples would
mourn and fast.