When the Bridegroom Shall Be Taken Away - Mark 2:20

Mark wrote how the “scribes and Pharisees” asked Jesus, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast”, and in chapter two and verse twenty of his book, Mark shares how Jesus said, “the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them” where we read:

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them,

and then shall they fast in those days.

The verse reads, “But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, …” Mark began with the words, “But the days will come” which means “however, moreover and the natural days between sunrise and sunset will arrive and happen”, “when the bridegroom” or “at the time and moment the groom to be married” “shall be taken away” which means “will be removed and carried off” “from them” which means “from the children of the groom”? Mark shared how Jesus told the “religious leaders” there would be a day when the “groom” would be removed from those who attend to Him.

The verse goes one to say, “... and then shall they fast in those days.” Mark continued with the words, “and then” which means “and at that time” “shall they fast” which means “will the children of the bridegroom abstain from food and drink as a religious practice” “in those days” or “in the days or times when the bridegroom is taken away”. Mark shared how the “children of the bridegroom” will “fast” after the “bridegroom” is “taken away from them”.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus used this illustration to demonstrate how things work when there is a “groom” waiting for His bride. In those days, the “groom” rather than the “bride” was the person of honor, and those who were his “children” or “attendants” were responsible for the “bridechamber” preparations. They would not “fast” from “food or drink” while the “groom” was with them because they were preparing the feast for his marriage. Jesus is the “bridegroom” and His “disciples” are like the “children” who care for the “bridechamber”, and those who yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” are to “fast” only until He comes, and then all “fasting” will be unnecessary because His “children”, “the bride”, will be with the “groom”.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus declares, “no man also sows a piece of new cloth on an old garment”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".