When Presence Changes the Practice
Learning to recognize the season we are living in
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered 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.”
Matthew 9:14-15
The disciples of John came with a sincere question. They were doing what they had been taught. They fasted often. The Pharisees did the same. Yet Jesus’ disciples did not. It felt uneven, almost careless, as though something essential was being ignored.
Jesus did not argue about the value of fasting. He shifted the focus.
He spoke of a wedding feast. Of joy shared in real time. Of the bridegroom standing right there among the guests.
When someone you love is present, you do not act as if they are absent. You do not mourn during a celebration. You stay. You listen. You receive what is given in that moment.
Jesus was teaching that faith is not mechanical. It is not a checklist of spiritual habits applied without awareness. There are seasons when discipline grounds us, and seasons when joy is the truest form of faith. Both are sacred. Both have their place.
We sometimes hold tightly to practices because they make us feel safe, even when God is inviting us to rest in His nearness. At other times, we avoid disciplines because they unsettle us, even though they may deepen our longing for Him. Jesus does not dismiss either response. He calls us to attentiveness.
There will be days when fasting makes sense. Days when absence sharpens desire and prayer grows quieter and deeper. But there are also days when God is close, perhaps quietly so, and the faithful response is gratitude rather than restraint.
Faith matures when we learn to notice the season, and respond honestly to what God is doing now.
Are we responding to God as He is present now, or as we assume He should be?
Lord, help us recognize the season we are in. Teach us when to wait, when to fast, and when to rejoice in Your presence with open hearts. Amen.