The Festival of Tabernacles—the Feast of Booths. It comes at the heels of the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar. It is required of all Jewish males. It is a high holy week. All this is true, but there is something more. It is more than something special. There is something different about this national gathering than any other. Jesus avoids Jerusalem because he know bad things await him there…but then comes the Feast of Tabernacles. All bets are off. Nothing will keep him from attending the Feast of Booths! Why?
Other than the fact that it was like a national camping trip—no hotel stays permitted, everyone lives in temporary shelters made out of what is available. The construct simple and primitive living arrangements. The rich and the poor make do with the basics. People from all strata of society become neighbors—in fact almost family for an entire week. It’s like a campmeeting experience without the RVs. That is what draws Jesus to the seat of danger—family and friends. Cooking outdoors. Sitting by a campfire sharing life. Singing. Laughing. Living life at its best. The danger is still around. Evil still exist rampant. But there is something refreshing about seeing Jesus simply enjoying friends and family in a setting that allows him to “kick off his shoes.” I need to do so more often myself. What’s the point of living if I’m not really living? Lord, remind me to relish life and the people who make it better—today and every day. Do not let me ever take my family and friends for granted.
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