Today’s Reading: Matthew 9:14-17
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”
Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. – Matthew 9:14-15
WHY AREN’T YOU FASTING?
People were watching Jesus and his disciples closely, and they noticed that Jesus did not lead his followers in a regular routine of fasting like the religious leaders did. He was not living in the way they expected him to, so they brought their question to Jesus. Perhaps this question was asked more out of curiosity than out of challenge.
WHY WOULD WE BE FASTING?
Jesus’ answer was thought provoking. What would be the reason for fasting at this time? It was not the Day of Atonement, they were not spiritually preparing themselves for something, and they were not in mourning. Perhaps it was at that moment that John’s disciples realized that fasting had become more of a ritual than a spiritual discipline. Their religious lifestyle had become routine, and they needed fresh perspective on why they were doing what they were doing.
Now was the time for celebration. The long-awaited Messiah had arrived and they had the opportunity to listen to him teach and watch his healing power. No more anticipation of the coming king; he was there in their presence.
Jesus fasted for forty days and nights when he was led into the desert to be tempted by Satan, so we should not take from this interaction that Jesus was telling the disciples to no longer fast. What Jesus wanted the disciples to understand was that fasting was not a requirement of salvation, nor did it earn them an eternal reward. Just going through the old rituals of religion was not enough. Why fast to draw closer to God when the Son of God is standing in front of you inviting you into a relationship with him? Perhaps Jesus paused to give them a minute of contemplation before continuing with his explanation.
“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” – Matthew 9:16-17
It was a new day. Jesus had not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). He was inviting John’s disciples to take the faith of their childhood and to become a follower of Christ. With the arrival of Christ came a new gospel of grace and they needed to open their minds to what Jesus was teaching them.
Are we focusing on the rituals of religion to get us to heaven, or are our rituals making us authentic disciples of Christ? Are we taking the practices of the church and using them to draw us closer to God, or have we lost sight of the reasons why we do what we do? Is our idea of God limiting our faith or allowing us to stretch and grow in our understanding of who God is and the kind of relationship He is calling us to.
Father God, we thank you for the ways in which fasting helps us to focus our attention on you. May our hearts be willing to abstain from something when you call us to those moments of surrender. And may our hearts be prepared to receive the new work that you want to do in our lives. May we not be so set in our ways of religion that we miss out on the stretching and filling that you want to do today in order to make us a new creation in Christ. Our eyes are focused on you this morning, and we ask you to overflow our cup with all that you are and a clear understanding of all that you are creating us to be. Amen.