A Question about Fasting
Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22
Fasting is a good thing right? So why does it seem like fasting is bad in this scripture? To understand the context of this we need to know the intended purpose of fasting. Fasting is intentionally choosing to go without food in order to spend time in prayer, repenting, and humbling yourself before God. This was typically done to represent a period of mourning. Jews were commanded to fast once a year on the day of atonement, and could choose other times of voluntary fasting, but this was not required. Over time the religious elite turned voluntary fasting into a societal legalistic fasting twice a week. The motivations behind fasting varied for different religious groups. For the religious elite Pharisees, the practice had become a way to show their spiritual superiority through their own works. John the Baptist’s followers used fasting as a way to humble themselves before God, and humbly repent of sin. And now, they see Jesus’ followers feasting instead of fasting, so they ask why.
To be clear, Jesus is not against fasting. He fasted for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry (Luke 4:2) and fasts at other times as well. Here, Jesus is getting at the heart behind fasting, and rejects fasting without purpose or for the wrong reason.
In this scripture, we see Jesus' disciples feasting. Feasting represents joy! Jesus, the Son of God, is on Earth to save us from our sins, transform our lives, and be the bridge that restores our relationship with him. This is news of great joy and calls for feasting! John the Baptist's followers chose to continue to fast and prepare for the one who was already in their presence. While they started on the right track of repentance of sin, they became stuck in their spiritual patterns and missed sight of the reason behind their fasting: awaiting and longing for Jesus, the Messiah.
To help illustrate the idea, Jesus then transitions to the metaphor of wine bags. The old wine bags in this story represent the old covenant or the law, while the new wine bags are the new covenant recognized by its grace. People at that time knew that you cannot make new wine in old wine bags because the bag is brittle and will not last under the pressure of fermentation. The same goes with the life that Jesus offers. Accepting this new covenant that Jesus offers requires complete transformation. Jesus is not trying to keep the old. He brings new wine, a new covenant, grace, and new life. Jesus does not try to give suggestions of how to make old wine bags work, or how we can modify legalistic systems to fit Jesus’s message. He brings complete transformation of new wine bags, which is the same call he has for those who follow him. But many were opposed because they wanted their own efforts to earn them something and believed that they could achieve this.
But the old, inflexible, and brittle wine bags do not work and will break under the pressure of new wine. In the same way old, rigid forms of religion cannot contain the forever life-giving, dynamic power of the Holy Spirit. If we cling to our religious actions instead of our relationship and life in Jesus, we have become like the brittle wine bags and miss out on the promise of grace. God desires to move in us and fill us with his presence. In order to experience the joy that life in Jesus offers, we must be open to his new offer of life rather than cling to things that we think we can achieve through our own efforts.
Questions:
Where are you being legalistic (believing the lie that you must earn God’s favor by your works) in your relationship with God?
What specific areas in your life could you practice fasting to bring you closer in your relationship with God?
How can we be people that are open to God’s calling? How can we posture our lives to allow the dynamic, living Holy Spirit to move within us to influence the world around us?
