READ: Luke 5:27-39
1. Icebreaker question: What is the best wedding you’ve been to as a guest? What about the wedding made it so special?
2. What is your first reaction to the idea of “Lent”? Do you find yourself feeling drawn to it or skeptical towards it? Why do you think the practice of fasting and mindfulness/meditation is trending in our culture today?
3. Jesus is the bridegroom. When questioned about why He and His disciples aren't fasting and praying, Jesus used the analogy of a wedding celebration. Just as a wedding is a time for feasting, His presence with His disciples is a time for joy, not fasting. While the Pharisees were so caught up in spiritual disciplines and practices, Jesus wants us to first understand that He is like a bridegroom who has come for his bride to start the wedding and feast with his bride.
a. What are some barriers to seeing Jesus as our Bridegroom? What difference would it make to see Jesus first as your Bridegroom before entering into spiritual practices, i.e. prayer, reading Scripture, fasting?
4. One of the great themes of the whole storyline of the Scripture is God’s relationship to His people as the relationship between a groom and a bride. (See Jeremiah 2:2, Hosea 2:18, Isaiah 54:4, Isaiah 62:4-5) In order to get ready for the Groom and longing for His coming, the Pharisees fasted at least twice a week. But when Jesus actually came and showed himself to them, they completely missed Him, because they thought their fasting and praying was what would win them the love of the bridegroom.
a. In what ways might we also “miss Him” by believing our actions make us more "spiritually attractive" to Him? How can we shift our focus to embrace God's unconditional love instead?
b. Do you see yourself in the Pharisees, who faulted Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners? How can we guard against the subtle temptation to view others as less deserving of God's love based on their actions or (lack of) spiritual practices?
5. A disciple is someone who knows they are passionately loved by Jesus, not because of their spiritual attractiveness or beauty, but despite their being utterly spiritually unattractive. A disciple of Jesus is someone who is set free from this pressure and knows that none of these things is why they are loved. Rather, a mark of a true disciple is a joyful refreshing honesty about their shortcomings and weaknesses.
a. How can God who is pure, perfect, faithful in his love, who is utterly and unimaginably beautiful in his holiness, beauty and glory unite himself to an unfaithful, impure and sinful bride? Read Ephesians 5:25-27 for hint.
b. In light of Jesus' sacrificial love, what helps you to embrace and confess our weaknesses and shortcomings without fear of judgment, and instead, find freedom in His unconditional grace? Do you struggle with this?
6. Why disciples of Jesus need spiritual practices. If you are a disciple of Jesus, we do not fast or observe regular times of prayer to earn love, attention and affection from Jesus. Instead, we fast and pray because we are loved and want to purify and direct our love, attention and affection to Him. Jesus compares spiritual practices to drinking new wine. When we become new people because of the love of Jesus, fasting and regular prayer become like that wine – a drink served at a wedding feast, where the whole purpose is joyful connection and communion. What a beautiful image of spiritual disciplines!
a. How would you like to grow in the spiritual practice of regular prayer time? What changes can you make in your prayer life to focus more on deepening your relationship with Him?
b. Fasting is the practice of saying no to lesser loves to direct our heart to our first love. Why do you think fasting, in particular, is such a powerful spiritual practice to experience intimate communion with Jesus? In what areas of your life could fasting help you focus more on Jesus’ love for you and less on distractions or desires?