Nehemiah 8:9-11 ~ this day is holy; do not be grieved

 

How did we get from the New World, joyous discovery for mankind, to all types of death and illnesses?

How did we get from all this opportunity in History, of the New World, and intense bond servitude, actually slavery, of overpowered and sold children who would be worked to death or starve, practically complete certainty to begin the New World ... all the way to Benjamin Franklin?

How did history see the bounce of King Charles I, art and religion with the right of kings in England, 1649 AD, overthrown and killed, to end up with Oliver Cromwell, stockades for shaming and jail for celebration of Christmas?

How did the Holy Lands of God become without Peace? Jews, Christians, Muslims.

And what brought us from Shrove Tuesday, a wonderful and warm winter day tradition, to Mardi Gras? To the repentance of sin in Lent? That's a Bounce.

I have always loved the fellowship of Shrove Tuesday since childhood and parish elementary.  It's a great fellowship of warm goodness in chilly winter. A respite and shelter.

Then you have Mardi Gras, with over a century of krewes, asking all to celebrate Life. To find color in bleak midwinter.  See the possibility of the earth finding life and color again. History supports Mardi Gras being tame and raucous. The possibility of plague, eat and drink heartily, tomorrow we die. 

And people love the fun of fun. 

With Valentines kicking off the celebration of Ash Wednesday mortality in 2024. 

Now! That's truly Pandemic Recovery! Oh LORD! 

In the Episcopal Church, Church of England, Anglican Way,

We have the Alpha Course,

where no question is turned away.

The Word of God 

is Jesus.

God's Word made living, breathing,

healing

Love with mercy and compassion

without

compromising

the need

for Love to have

a Shelter

to rely on

with rules.

And when God speaks

this is 

THE LAW.

 

That being said, John 14, 15, 16, 17 is the longest recorded portion, and Jesus is speaking without going to the next person, city, event, teaching, healing and doing God's Will Immediately. Jesus tells us prayer is answered well, when we are aligned with Him in faith. And Jesus tells us again and again, Life is Joy. Jesus is about to die and He speaks way and well BEYOND the Ben Affleck, Matt Damon movie called, "Dogma."  Where the young Jesus isn't in The Temple and instead is begging - say it ain't so. It isn't at all Biblical. Promise.

Joy. Jesus speaks over and over about JOY. And Love.

Vineyards.

 Jesus is said to be an eater and a drinker. A glutton and a drinker, willing to sit and eat with the riffraff.  Vineyards? The New Testament has mention of Jesus' joy in visiting vineyards - Twenty one times. The Old Testament isn't far behind with 100 mentions. Jesus even compares Heaven to vineyard workers.  Outside, like the Garden in Genesis. Green and working the earth. Fruit. Joy. 

Paul spoke of wine and said add it to the water for health and purity.  

Jesus sat with His people and enjoyed being Himself. 

Facts are facts. Jesus is never recorded being drunk like Noah or Lot. Or Esau. His Family.  In the New Testament, we learn as the Church grew, drinking too much was addressed during Church dinners. 

Not Carte Blanche, but being in the world and not of the world.

Jesus went to parties. 

And with the criminal element, Matthew gave Jesus a party and his friends were those who caved in to the prosperity of the Roman Empire and typically gouged the Children of God and went home with plenty of bribes or till money.  Jesus went to weddings with His Family and the Disciples. His first sign is Making and Consuming Wine. His Mom asked Him to.

So, how did Jesus get mixed up with the Shrove Tuesday event?!

A little bit like 5 loaves and 2 fish - people fainting with need.

1 Kings 17:7-16

And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 

12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 

13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 

14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 

15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the Word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

What Did Jesus have to say if we could point to anything about Shrove Tuesday?!

We can see Jesus in this direction:

Luke 4:25-30

 And He said, “But in truth, I tell you, 

there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, 

when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, 

and a great famine came over all the land, 

26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, 

in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 

27 And there were many lepers in Israel 

in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, 

but only Naaman the Syrian.” 

28 When they heard these things, 

all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 

29 And they rose up and drove Him out of the town 

and brought Him to the brow of the hill 

on which their town was built, 

so that they could throw Him down the cliff.

 30 But passing through their midst, 

He went away.

This changeable nature of mankind.  Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. And the Steadfast Love God is yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

This is why 

Nehemiah 8:9-11

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” 

For all the people wept as they heard the Words of the Law. 

10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, 

“Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”

Shrove Tuesday

Heaven mirrors earth

Jesus spoke of Legions of Angels on Good Friday

as Luke 2 spoke of His Birth

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace 

among those with whom He is pleased."

The Scriptures are honest

and true.

Peter was about to go

when and where the Saints go Marching In

Lent 

almost begins with a feast

And so does the Victory of Jesus

Proclaiming Life forever.

Widow of Zarephath

Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine 

and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, 

for this day is holy to our Lord. 

And do not be grieved, 

for the joy of the Lord 

is your strength.

Abba, Father,

Surely, He took on our infirmities 

and carried our sorrows; 

yet, we considered Him stricken by God, 

struck down and afflicted.  

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

 He was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace 

was upon Him, 

and by His stripes 

we are healed. 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

YES Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You Jesus