The Joy Factor

The Joy Factor
Words of Faith 11-1-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 2
[18] Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"
[19] Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. [20] But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

Jesus was still at the dinner party enjoying time with a new disciple, Levi, the former tax collector. Apparently, Jesus and the disciples were having a good time and this was particularly annoying to some of the religious people. Funny, isn't it? Joy is often annoying to religious people.
"How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" Why aren't your disciples more somber? Why are they having such a good time?
Jesus made a powerful and revealing point. The Kingdom of God is more like a wedding than a funeral. People at weddings don't fast, they feast! People don't mourn at weddings, they celebrate. We would never dream of attending a wedding and criticizing the bridegroom for celebrating with friends. Jesus knew that the time would come for fasting and grief but now was not that time.
Now, don't misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with fasting. There is nothing wrong with serious study and reflection. There is nothing at all wrong with repentance that grieves. But the balance of life with Jesus is in the celebration. Worship should be a time of great joy, not somber prayers. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4‑5). This was a time to laugh and to dance.
Once we have met the Lord Jesus and received His grace and forgiveness, there is very little to mourn. We may mourn a world around us that is lost. We may bring prayers that express the grief of our hearts to God concerning the lost. But in him we find joy. The fruit of God's Spirit in us is joy and peace.
We are not caught in penitential religious grief as we attempt to earn righteousness with God. Christ is our righteousness and in this, we have overwhelming joy. Once we find ourselves a guest at His banquet table, it is certainly a time for joy and celebration.
How has your Joy factor been lately? Have you been a little more religious than you realized? The bridegroom dines with us daily, if we will allow Him in. Rejoice.

Lord, teach me the joy of heart that You shared with those first disciples. If I start to get stuffy or religious, please draw me into Your joy. Teach me how to dance. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.