December 21

Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. — Matt 9:15 BSB

Christianity is about being genuine, not just going through the motions. The Jews had moved away from true spiritual worship, and as a result, they added more and more empty rituals. They might have been celebrating, but when it was time to fast, they’d put on sackcloth, show outward signs of sorrow, and act sad as if they were mourning. This led to a lack of sincerity, and often, it wasn’t a true reflection of their hearts.

Jesus rejected this kind of empty ritual. Fasting represents mourning and sorrow, so to fast when you’re actually joyful is just pretending. If there’s a real reason to mourn, then it’s appropriate, but not otherwise. Jesus teaches us that our faith must be honest, never fake or hypocritical. He condemns fake displays of religious feeling.