41. Religious leaders ask Jesus about fasting
– Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39
Matthew 9:14-15 “Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Jesus was instructing the people to only fast for the right reasons. He did not condemn fasting but he did recognize that it wasn’t time for fasting. Fasting is the act of denying yourself something that is good itself, like food, in order to intensify the truth that you need God even more than what is being fasted. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights when he was preparing to do his ministry. During biblical times, it was also a way for someone to mourn sin and prepare for the Messiah. Jesus insisted that his disciples should not fast since Jesus was still present on the earth. The arrival of the kingdom of heaven to earth was like a wedding in which Jesus was the groom. A wedding is a time for joy not mourning. The disciples would not be fasting for the right reasons if they were to have fasted in Jesus’ presence. Many Christians still fast today. It is okay to fast but make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons.
Matthew 16-17 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”
In this case, Jesus is what is new. He used these descriptions to help the people realize that he did not come to the earth to patch up the old religious systems with its rules and traditions. Instead, the Son of God came to provide all people with forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Jesus did not come to rebuild Judaism. Nor, did Jesus come to conform into it. The new Good News did not fit into the old rigid legalistic system of religion. The Good News isn’t about laws but about love. Therefore, Jesus’ message was new.
Mark 2:18 “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, ‘How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
The disciples of the Pharisees and John were fasting because they were preparing the way for the messiah. They were not in Jesus’ presence. They were preparing themselves for Jesus’ sacrifice. John’s purpose on earth was to lead people to repent of their sins and prepare the way for Christ’s coming. Fasting empties the body of food and repentance empties the soul of sin. It was proper for John’s disciples to fast. On the other hand, the Pharisees fasted twice a week to show those around them their holiness. For the Pharisees, it was more of a show. Be careful of how you use fasting.
Mark 2:22 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.”
During biblical times, wine was stored inside of goatskin. As the wine aged, the skin would stretch. Therefore, new wine couldn’t be placed in skin that had already expanded. In the same way, the Pharisees ideas on God would contain or limit the Good News. The Good News wouldn’t be able to be contained by their manmade ideas or rules. It may seem hard to relate to the Pharisees however Jesus’ teachings are just as relevant today. In today’s world, churches may have too many rules and regulations to allow for a fresh touch of the Spirit. Additionally, don’t allow your heart to become too rigid to prevent it from embracing God’s truths. Keep your heart pliable so that your heart may be continue to be molded by God.
