Jesus' Ministry in Galilee

The Question About Fasting

Overview

In this pericope, the disciples are questioned about their personal religious practices. Jesus uses this occasion to teach a new way of thinking about personal service to God.

He draws the mind away from ceremony and points us instead to genuine selflessness.

In Luke's summary we fully realize precisely what Jesus is talking about. The people may be content to stay with the Law of Moses permanently instead of understanding its purpose in pointing us to Christ. Likewise, teaching the law of Christ without the foundation of the Law of Moses will destroy the whole effort.

The Old Testament needs the New Testament, and the New Testament needs the Old. Neither is complete without the other.

Romans 15:4

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Paul also draws a contrast between the ceremony of the Law and the real consequences of our choices in life.

Colossians 2:20-23

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Nevertheless, Christians remain priests to our God, still drawing distinctions between the clean and the unclean. We simply do so not in terms of food or days but in terms of life choices.

1 Peter 2:4-5

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Hebrews 5:14

Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

We also note Isaiah's teaching about fasting looms large in the background of this pericope.

Isaiah 58:1-10

Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.
"Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?"
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, "Here I am."
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.

Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew 9:14

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

Matthew 9:15

And 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.

when the bridegroom is taken away...they will fast

Without addressing how or why the disciples of the Pharisees or the disciples of John fast, Jesus asserts His presence is cause to rejoice, not to be sad.

He also foretells His own death and the disciples' sadness at that time.

John 16:2-7

"They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away...."

Matthew 9:16

No 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.

Matthew 9:17

Neither 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."

both are preserved

Mutual preservation is the critical point of both illustrations. One does not discard the existing garment or wineskins, but rather has a proper regard for how to preserve them while introducing new material. The new complements the old, and both remain useful.

Mark 2:18-22

Mark 2:18

Now 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?"

Mark 2:19

And 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.

Mark 2:20

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

Mark 2:21

No 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.

Mark 2:22

And 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."

Luke 5:33-39

Luke 5:33

And 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."

Luke 5:34

And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

Luke 5:35

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."

Luke 5:36

He 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.

Luke 5:37

And 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.

Luke 5:38

But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

Luke 5:39

And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

no one...desires new

As mentioned in the comment on Matthew 9:17, both old and new are necessary. While the concern in Matthew is the possible destruction of the old, Luke here stresses the danger of rejecting the new. Being content with the old way may prevent us from adopting the new alongside it.

The old is good.
1 Peter 2:2-3

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.