(Text and Audio)
Title: The Message Within The Message
IAs we’ve ventured further into Jesus’ teachings in chapters 8 and 9, we’ve noticed a few times that the brilliance of what Jesus says is marked by what he doesn’t say, or by the way he’ll answer the question with a better question.
Today is no different as we will see Jesus turn a question about fasting into a commentary on the deficiency of the Jewish system as a whole.
(read/pray)
v14 “disciples of John” Luke notes that the Pharisees asked about fasting, Mark records it as both John’s disciples and the Pharisees. Again, this doesn’t cause tension between the gospels, rather, it serves as a reminder that these authors have different focuses and audiences so some details are omitted while others are amplified.
Breaking down Jesus’ answer:
Q: Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?
A: Obviously, no. When the bridegroom is present it’s a time of fellowship and celebration. How many of you are married? How many of you mourned on the night of your wedding? It would be totally inappropriate because that’s a day of celebration.
But….Kathy, how long after you and Nick got married last summer did Nick get deployed? Did you mourn? Forgive this next silly question, it’s for a greater purpose: Why did you mourn? When that which you love is taken away, then it is appropriate to fast.
POINT: Jesus sees fasting as a reminder. It reminds us of an aching need in our lives. It humbles us, disciplines us, and focuses us. Think of it this way: Will we fast in Heaven? I doubt it, because there will be no need to fast.
SECOND POINT: Jesus’ language here shows us that he sees himself as the groom to his people. We have often said that the Church is the bride of Christ, meaning that we exist for the love and service of our Lord.
Next, we see Jesus’ statement that follows, “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
We can take a few things from this as well:
- Jesus understands that there will be a time when he will be away between his first and second coming. This is our present age.
- Jesus expects that during this time, fasting will happen amongst his disciples, and it will be appropriate at that time.
So Jesus’ first answer to the question is simple: They will fast, but they will only do so when it is appropriate.
Now, the next thing that Jesus does is use two very strange examples to give his second reason why they are not yet fasting. And what I find fascinating about these two examples is that there are a few different noteworthy interpretations of what Jesus was actually conveying there are. Most of them have merit, but I’d like to highlight two of them so that you can see how some of the great fathers of theology have differed in their understanding.
Possible explanations as to what Jesus was illustrating with the unshrunken patch and old wineskins:
1. Jesus was saying the disciples were not spiritually ready to fast as were the disciplined Pharisees. (Matthew Henry)
- Jesus was not here to patch up old institutions, but rather establish new one. New wineskins were going to be needed to hold his “new wine.” God was looking for new vessels to hold his new wine because the old institutions had become spiritually stagnant. (Dave Guzik/Chuck Smith/Charles Spurgeon)
For what it’s worth, while I respect Matthew Henry a great deal, and think he makes some really interesting points in his argument, I tend to agree with the second understanding.
Jesus was saying:
- I am a new institution, I’m not here to repair the broken system of Judaism.
- If you do not change your understanding to be born again, your old way of thinking can never “hold” me.
- If you try to force Me onto what is old (The Law) you will rip the old to shreds.
Pretty good stuff, eh?
Application:
- When we become believers, we cannot just “patch” or old life with the new Christ. Christ is an entirely new wardrobe, and as we put Him on, we must put off our old life. If we don’t, He will painfully destroy it.
- When we become believers we cannot just “pour” Jesus into our old way of life, system of thinking, or habits. We must have a renewed mind to hold that which is Truth. Otherwise, Jesus will “burst” through our old way of thinking, fall to the floor, and be far from us.
The Pharisees and disciples of John came asking a simple question about fasting. They left with Jesus telling them about a new life that is absolutely necessary to hold the great truths of God.