Mark 2:18-22
I am thinking about the price of joy.
I know a young man who has become comfortable with life in a box. He experiences neither deep sorrows nor exhilarating joys. He resists embracing a full life to avoid the pain that could result from taking a risk. He doesn’t realize that he is shutting himself off from possibilities that he can’t imagine. The price of joy seems too high. He is “safe,“ but bored.
The disciples experienced the joy of knowing Jesus and witnessing the full possibility of a life with God. Jesus hints at the price of joy when he talks about the time when the bridegroom will be absent. The disciples will fast from their old ways in order to be equal to the promise of the kingdom.
Following Jesus involves taking a risk. I am used to managing my life, attempting to control the flow of events to fit into predictable patterns. But I know how confining these old wineskins are. Today I want to pay the price of joy by breaking up those old, comfortable patterns. I want to embrace the possibility of being transformed in Christ.
(c) 2015 Nancy Jagmin
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