The Bridegroom Is with Them

The Bridegroom Is with Them

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Piety

In the days when he was in the Flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Hebrews 5:7-10

Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. Mark 2:19-20

Study

The images of weddings and wine continue from Sunday’s Gospel about Cana.  While the wedding at Cana and Jesus’ first miracle is only recounted in the Gospel of John, the use of wedding and love imagery elsewhere in the Synoptic Gospels continues to redefine the singular grounds for the relationship of God to the people: Love.

This builds on such images from the Hebrew Bible that were well known by Jesus’ neighbors. By continuing in this tradition, Jesus is cementing a new relationship with his sisters and brothers.

One such beautiful verse is from the Song of Solomon -- a devotion from the Shulamite to her beloved. The words are filled with passion and devotion that set the stage for the true love, passion, and devotion God realizes by sending his Son.

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For Love is strong as Death, longing is fierce as Sheol. Its arrows are arrows of fire, flames of the divine. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor rivers sweep it away. Were one to offer all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly despised. Songs 8:6-7

In another great passage showing this depth of love, God makes Hosea marry a harlot, as a symbol of Israel's unfaithfulness. Hosea's wife is unfaithful, and rather than have her stoned, God commands Hosea to go back to her and love her. God does the same with those that have forsaken Him. This verse is a beautiful love song, a reminder of God's steadfast love that can be emulated in a marriage.

I will betroth you to me forever: I will betroth you to me with justice and with judgment, with loyalty and with compassion; I will betroth you to me with fidelity, and you shall know the LORD. On that day I will respond—oracle of the LORD—I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth. Hosea 2:21-23

Rhetorically, Jesus knows that his listeners realize the answer to his question.  The wedding guests do not fast during the ceremony nor the reception (especially with those six stone jars of the finest wine.  Yet, Jesus also knows that his listeners do NOT realize the deeper meaning behind the image of the bridegroom being taken away. In due time, they and we will come to understand.

God’s love is divine and a cause for much joy. That elation is the subject of verses in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, too. The main theme here is the restoration of Jerusalem (after the coming of the Messiah/Bridegroom).  Such healing love is witness to the presence of God. 

[T]he song of joy, the song of gladness, the song of the bridegroom, the song of the bride, the song of those bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD: “Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good; God’s love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of this land as they were in the beginning, says the LORD. Jeremiah 33:11

Action

In due time, they and we will come to understand that there is a time for fasting and a time to refrain from fasting.