Mark 2:18-22, Matthew 9:14-17, & Luke 5:33-39

18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Mark 2:18-22

14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:14-17

33And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Luke 5:33-39

I love these passages in the Bible.  They force us to think in ways that are not natural to our sin altered logic.  At the heart of this passage is the fact that Jesus is Jesus.  The common perception of both our day and the gospel authors’ is that religious people are to be a certain way.  John’s disciples are fasting and they are religious.  The Pharisees are fasting and they are religious.  Therefore, the common mind assumed that Jesus’ followers should fast as well.  This logic makes sense but again collides with a worldview that places Christ at the very center. 

As I read these different accounts from the gospel authors I get a sense that those whom are asking questions are both curious and also a bit skeptical of Christ.  In a sense the lack of discipline of Jesus’ disciples seems bizzare, wrong and unfair.  

Jesus uses this opportunity to teach.  He is not teaching against fasting but reframing the purpose of a fast.  Jesus is God and in this brief season of human history is present in the flesh with this select group of men.

As I write, this it is Baseball season.  Prior to the season players prepared, or should have.  They dieted, exercised, and trained in preparation for the season.  As games began routines changed.  The purpose for preparation had arrived and therefore many of the preparatory actions did as well.  In many ways the ministry of Jesus is like this.  Walking directly with Jesus is different when He is standing in the flesh among His disciples.  

We will consider the topic of fasting in detail at a later date.  Today I want to challenge you with this thought from Christ.  Do we follow Jesus in prayer, fasting, through His Word, etc. in authenticity or in prescription?  Jesus challenges the worldview of the question ask of Him.  He teaches that He is and should be the center of our lives.  The process of following Him is not a prescription but a path that while having common traits is also unique to the individual.  Our focus should never be an action or thing but only Him and His calling to us away from our transgression and ultimately to Himself!