Christ did not come as a gloomy prophet, preparing people for God through fasts and laws. He is rather like the bridegroom who brings about joy for all his companions and adherents. The Son of Man came from heaven to be united with humanity in a pure spiritual union. His motive was the love of God, his dress was his holiness, his motto was his meekness, and his power was his patience.
The divine Bridegroom asked for his bride who was not mindful about him, but indulged in her sexual immorality with the low spirits of this world. Yet, the lover did not reject the sinful bride, but purified her with his blood, and sanctified her with his Spirit. The church is a purified bride of the Son of God. How does joy not prevail in human race as long as heaven is united with earth, and God with men?
In the past, the repentant fasted, and flagellated their bodies to make God bestow plentiful blessings upon them. But now, God has appeared, through Christ, among men. He came with the abundance of his love to the obstinate disobedient, and caused eternal joy to enter into them. Thus fasting ended, and sad prayers of gloomy faces did not ascend to heaven any longer. On the contrary, trilling cries of joy spread everywhere, for God arrived at the earth. Does your heart participate in the heavenly joy, because the Eternal One appeared in fact among the mortal human beings?
The fanatic Pharisees did not realize the mystery of the Son of Man, but criticized the joyfulness of his disciples. The followers of John the Baptist also knit their brows, and shook their heads at the new godliness of Christians, who lived ordinarily and realistically, ate and drank satisfactorily as all other people, and did not exercise corporal penances to win the kingdom of God.
Those who clung fanatically to the law, though they worked for the sake of pleasing God, did not realize Christ, in whom all the fullness of heavenly blessings dwelt freely among us; but wanted to continue in their human good deeds, law-abiding behaviors, and gloomy righteousness, so that they might be justified and sanctified. Yet, such was impossible and unworkable.
There is a very great difference between the godliness of the Old Testament, and the righteousness of the New Testament. Men of old considered themselves righteous, dressing themselves up with their own deeds as if they were dressed in an ostentatiously bright dress. Such a dress would soon become torn and old, as every man is sinful before his Lord. But Christ came to us with his own righteousness, purified us with his blood, and dressed us up with the fruits of his Spirit. Because of his gracious kindness, every Christian wears the eternal pure white wedding garment. It is impossible to mistake the human and the heavenly gowns one for another. You have either to prepare yourself for God’s wedding in your old, torn gown made of your sinful own righteousness, or to be completely sanctified only with the blood of Christ.
Christ compared the spirit of his age to new wine that does not agree with old bottles weaved with thousands of law threads. The love of Christ tears all superficial human judgments, and consecrates man to the service of God and the needy. The holy consecration to the service of love is the new godliness at the age of Christ, where the Spirit of the Lord does not break us with prohibitions, commandments, and judgments; but encourages us to a new life in which love is the perfection of law. However, the old-fashioned are used to their hard judgments and gloomy repentance. They do not want to leave that atmosphere, but to sip their laws as mature wine, and refresh themselves with that (wine!). They do not know the power of God’s love. Moreover, they do not know the new wine that entered into the world through the blood of Christ which works in our bellies, and minds, driving out all filthiness away from us. Thus Christ called his disciples to new ways of life, and to a unique divine power, and delivered them from lifeless rites and fanciful judgments. Did you prepare yourself for the wedding of the Son of God? Do you associate with him in his service to the needy and the mobs? Enter into the joy of your Lord and ask for the poor, and then you will find the divine Bridegroom with them.