How Can We Fast When We Have Jesus?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.  Mark 2:19 (KJV)

The Holy Scriptures can be viewed as a lovely cake.  Our Master Chef prepared for us this feast for the eyes.  Although delightfully beautiful to the sight when viewed, there are still so many pleasures awaiting our senses.  As one begins to allow the Holy Spirit to invite them to helpings dished out and served in just the right quantity, the partaker in this delicacy may be carried to heights of exquisite savoring.  Inside each text´s pleasing appearance, one can find layers of wonderfully tasteful treasures of understanding.  The Spirit is able and ready to share these delightful discoveries upon our senses if we are willing to try His blissful offerings.

We may start with a story like the one here in Mark 2.  It seems that Jesus is responding to an issue of fasting.  People are wondering what His take upon fasting is and what His instructions over it would be.  Jesus responds to their inquiring but His words are packed with deeper and more flavorful meaning.  He uses these words not only to describe what was happening at that moment in time perfectly, but He also foreshadows what was to come.  There we revel in the wonder of richness and sweetness of His words, but there are more levels of delight to surprise our senses.

If the wondering taster would work along with our Spiritual Host, so many more delicious discoveries are fed to us all the time.  How much would we have missed if we had been satisfied with just looking at our treat set out before us?  No, we had to taste it, we needed to try it.  We just became overwhelmed with its aroma and needed to bite into it.  As we accept the Spirit´s enticing we may experience all the glorious deliciousness of His Word.  So precious is this delicacy, that it must be preserved as new wine in new skins.  This way the vessel and the delight are kept in the best of condition.

It is time we opened ourselves to our Master Chef.  It is time we all laid down our former impressions of the familiar stories.  It is time we taste what delights the Spirit would have us try.  He will give us many different flavors.  Some may be bitter and some sweeter than honey.  But He knows that what He has to feed us will be better for us than all our imaginings.

How can we fast when we have the Bridegroom here with us?  Would we refrain from tasting or stand back to look at a beautiful feast?  When we speak of spiritual things, we must give in to the senses and taste and try.

Dear Lord, there are so many wonderfully sweet discoveries You would love for us to bite into.  Please take our hands and encourage us forward into Your Word.  Let us taste You while You may be with us.  There will surely come time to fast, in those times when we cannot be with You.  But let us delight now in all the amazing flavors the Spirit can bring to our senses today.

Amen