Fasting

Update. You may be wondering why i haven’t written anything for awhile. I have been struggling with this passage and writing it well. Let’s go.

I’ve come to a section of Matthew 9 where, let’s be honest, I scratch my head. I wonder if I am missing context, I wonder if I do not understand wedding culture in this time. I stare at the Scripture and wonder, what are my next steps? What do I write about? Let’s start with Scripture.

“Then John’s disciples came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? ” Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/72/mat.9.14-17.HCSB

I start with what I know. John’s disciples. Something that I never really considered is to study Jesus’ interactions with John’s disciples. Some actually leave John to follow Jesus. (John 1:35-40). They engage with Jesus here. John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the one. (Luke 7:18-26).

I also appreciate that Jesus is approachable. He allows and encourages questions from all the people-scribes and Pharisees to those wanting healing. He even asks a question right back. Can the guests be sad with the groom is with them?

This makes me think of our position when we fast. I went searching on Blue Letter Bible to get an overview of the reasons to fast. I’m including the link here. One of the reasons listed:

“Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord? Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/72/isa.58.5-9.HCSB

A list:

• To deny oneself, bow his head like a reed
• Spread sackcloth and ashes
• Break the chains of wickedness
• untie the ropes of the yoke
• Set the oppress free
• share your bread with the hungry
• Bring the poor and homeless into your house
• clothe the naked
• not to ignore your flesh and blood

By looking at different passages on fasting, I believe we can ascertain what Jesus is saying to John’s disciples! Jesus was with his beloved. They did not need to fast, rather they needed to be present with Jesus. Check me, please, on this, but these images of a new patch on old garments and new wine in old wineskins tell us that Jesus is doing something new. They are to be in a position of listening and learning. There would be a time in the very near future when they would mourn, they would have loss. Today was not that day.

Jesus came to make all things new. Our blessed Savior brought a new covenant. The veil was gone. He has made a pathway to God. And we live in this time. We can fast, there is grief, suffering and sadness all around me. To take the blinders off and focus on Jesus, allowing hunger pangs to remind me to humble myself. Pick up my cross and follow Christ.

I’m glad, now, that I struggled through this passage. I’ve been taught so much about my methods for studying. I can read the entirety of Scripture. I may not completely understand all the context, here’s what I know, i know that every time I read, I learn more. Have you ever said or heard someone say, ‘I’m sure I saw this before, but today, this really hits me.’ This is the beauty of Scripture. As we continue to study Scripture, over and over, we learn more, understand more and see things we didn’t see the last time.

When we spend time digging and slowing down, especially with the hard passages, we are taught by the Spirit of God. He reveals more and more to us. I come with my questions, Jesus meets me here. Thanks for reading, if you got this far, i sure appreciate it.