{"id":1034,"date":"2010-02-16T03:01:42","date_gmt":"2010-02-16T03:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/could-mardi-gras-be-for-christians.html"},"modified":"2010-02-16T03:01:42","modified_gmt":"2010-02-16T03:01:42","slug":"could-mardi-gras-be-for-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/could-mardi-gras-be-for-christians.html","title":{"rendered":"Could Mardi Gras Be for Christians?"},"content":{"rendered":"

And Nehemiah continued, \u201cGo and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don\u2019t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!\u201d<\/em> (Nehemiah 8:10)
\nToday is Mardi Gras. Many of us associate Mardi Gras with lavish and lascivious celebrations in places such as New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. Not the sort of thing you\u2019d expect to show up in daily reflections on the Bible! (Note: today’s post is based on the Daily Reflections I write for TheHighCalling.org<\/a>.)
\nBut, in fact, Scripture encourages us to set aside special times for celebration, even doing that which is at the core of Mardi Gras. No, no, I\u2019m not suggesting that there is any biblical warrant for the excesses of many Mardi Gras festivals, which look rather like what happened in Exodus 32 when the Israelites worshiped the golden calf. But the phrase \u201cMardi Gras\u201d is French for \u201cFat Tuesday.\u201d The name is derived from the classic Christian practice of eating fatty food on the Tuesday before Lent, in preparation for the Lenten fast from rich, sweet cuisine. (Some people actually refer to Mardi Gras as Pancake Tuesday because of their tradition of eating pancakes on the day before Lent. I was not raised in this tradition, but as a pancake lover, I rather like it.)
\nIs it ever appropriate for God\u2019s people to enjoy lavish celebrations with rich food? Or are we always to live in frugality and self-denial? Nehemiah 8 provides a surprising answer.
\nThe chapter begins after the wall in Jerusalem had been rebuilt, thus guaranteeing the safety and flourishing of the city. The people gathered together in order to celebrate what they had accomplished by God\u2019s power. On that day, Ezra the scribe stood on a tall platform so that he might read the Jewish law to all who had gathered. As he read, learned Levites helped the people understand the meaning of the text . . . an early example of small-group Bible study. When the people heard the law and grasped its meaning, they were struck to the heart and began to weep.
\nBut then their leaders did a most surprising thing. They urged the people to stop crying and start partying! Nehemiah told the people to \u201c[g]o and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don\u2019t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!\u201d (8:10). The Hebrew phrase translated here as \u201ccelebrate with a feast of rich foods\u201d literally reads, \u201ceat the fat\u201d (\u2019ikhlu mashmannim<\/em>). Nehemiah was, in a sense, urging the people to have a \u201cFat Tuesday\u201d celebration.
\nOf course God\u2019s people should also set aside time for repentance and self-denial. We see an example of this in the last verse of Nehemiah 8, as well as in the whole of Nehemiah 9. It would be wrong to conclude from Nehemiah 8:10 that godly life should always be a party. But there is a time to celebrate, to enjoy the good things of life, even pancakes and other rich foods. (Of course some of us need to be careful with this for the sake of our physical health.)
\nNotice that the celebration in Nehemiah 8 took into account those \u201cwho have nothing prepared\u201d (8:10). The people who were blessed with the resources to throw a big party were to share with those who lacked such resources. As God\u2019s people, we are always called to be generous with the poor, even and especially in our celebrations.
\nNotice also the rationale for the party: \u201cThis is a sacred day before our Lord. Don\u2019t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!\u201d (8:10). In my tradition, holiness is usually associated with somberness and seriousness. This isn\u2019t wrong, but it can lead to a lack of balance in our experience of God. Sometimes on a sacred day it is absolutely right to celebrate and to experience the joy of the Lord.
\nNehemiah 8, therefore, stands as a corrective to two opposing views of life that battle our allegiance. On the one hand, some would argue that the only way to enjoy life is to live excessively, engaging in behavior that is beyond the parameters of decency, not to mention God\u2019s Word. Others, by contrast, would contend that godly living always demands austerity and solemnity. In fact, the Bible reveals that God created the good things in this life to be enjoyed . . . within limits. There is a time to \u201ceat the fat\u201d in celebration even as there is a time to fast in repentance, and plenty of times in between.
\nSo if you\u2019re going to eat pancakes today, or some other equivalent delicacy, enjoy your feast because this day is holy to the Lord. Celebrate his goodness with delight because the joy of the Lord is your strength!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And Nehemiah continued, \u201cGo and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don\u2019t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!\u201d (Nehemiah 8:10) Today is Mardi Gras. Many…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nCould Mardi Gras Be for Christians? - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}