The question raised by the disciples of John about the feasting ways of Jesus and His disciples in a time that they saw as full of tragedy (Matt. 9; Mk. 2; Lk. 5) was later to issue in a plaintive inquiry from the imprisoned John himself--"Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matt. 11:3). It was the longing cry of one whose sufferings had apparently made him doubt for a moment the very King and kingdom which he had himself heralded. After answering John's question, Jesus spoke of his unique greatness to the gathered crowd and then rebuked them by observing that they were like stubborn children at their games who refused to play either wedding or funeral (Matt. 11: 16-19). John had come fasting and living apart and they had said that he was possessed by a demon. Jesus had come feasting and living freely among them and they had complained that He was a glutton and companion of sinners!

     There is no question but that Jesus identified His mission and message as one of joy. He is the true bridegroom who has invited us to a wedding feast. He came to bring peace to the troubled, forgiveness to the guilty, joy to the downcast, freedom to the enslaved (Isaiah 61:1-3). The message of John, and the fasting of John and his disciples, had been entirely appropriate at one time-and still is when men and women in their stubbornness and pride need to repent and humble themselves before a holy and righteous God. But it does not make sense for those who have humbled themselves in deep remorse to continue the funeral when "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" has come (John 1:29).

    It is ironic that it was John the Baptist himself who had earlier said, "I am not the Christ ... He that is the friend of the bridegroom, that stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy is therefore made full. He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:28-30). Why were these disciples of this very John still fasting and grieving? Because they had not yet believed that Jesus was the Christ of God. In their doubtful minds the "bridegroom" was not yet with them. Unlike their teacher, they had not yet come to know and rejoice in Him.

    There are still people who have trouble getting past John to Jesus. It is certainly true of contemporary members of the "Baptist" party who defend their sectarian name and spirit by appealing beyond the Christ to John the Baptist. It may have been once appropriate to be a disciple of the Baptist, but now that the Son of God Himself has come it is wholly without justification (Acts 19:1-5). John would have been the first to reprove it. Acts 11:26 says ". . . the disciples were called Christians. . ."

    The same is true of all those who revere men who speak of Christ above Christ Himself. There is absolutely no defense for men gladly calling themselves Lutherans or Wesleyans, et. al., or, more subtly, quietly esteeming contemporary preachers and their judgments above the person and will of God. "He that glories, let him glory in the Lord" (I Cor. 1: 3 1; see 1: 11- 13).

    But there is an even more fundamental problem ad-. dressed in Jesus' answer to the disciples of John. Jesus' said that to be with Him was to have joy. Yet there-are Christians who have accepted the invitation to the Lord's wedding feast, but seem unwilling to give up the funeral march. They seem determined to live in perpetual grief and despair for their inadequacies and failures. The Lord's invitation to celebrate and exult in His mercy is certainly not a call to live with a casual indifference to sin, but neither is it a summons to perpetual breast-beating once we have repented and sought His forgiving love.

     It is not fitting that Christians should live in the very presence of the Lord as a defeated and
despairing people. Such behavior becomes a slander to His lovingkindness.

     It is also not fitting that the people of God should serve Him like "slaves scourged to their dungeon," performing their service to Him as an onerous, burdensome duty. Such conduct is a defamation of His grace, a dishonoring libel of His love. To truly live in the happy fellowship of the Son of God is to know that His "yoke is easy" and His "burden is light" (Matt. 11:30)
 

    It may indeed not be possible to command an emotion, but it is possible to command that we look earnestly at the great truths about God that will, in so doing, bring us inevitable joy. So Paul says to the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice" (4:4). It is simply not right for Christians to be perpetually sad and disconsolate, whatever may be their burdens. Paul is right to say that there is enough joy in Christ to completely overwhelm all our heartaches. As our Lord Himself said, there are some things that are just not appropriate when you are living in loving fellowship with the King of the universe.