Tradition or Transformation? (Or,
Fasting, Feasting, and Wineskins)
Mark 2:18-22
Introduction: One
of the things we see in the Gospel of Mark is that Jesus is guiding the story,
first, revealing himself to those who would believe, and laying a foundation
for what He would soon do as the Father’s plan unfolds, all the way to Calvary
and beyond. He is also exposing unbelief, as he seemingly provokes the
religious leaders time after time. His actions are shocking… he claimed to
forgive sins (2:5-12) and was eating with sinners and tax collectors (2:13-17).
Soon he will claim (and demonstrate!) that He is Lord of the Sabbath (2:23 ff).
Jesus subtly turns the discussion from what people were doing (or not
doing!), to what He Himself was about to do… As he said in the previous
passage, He “…came not to
call the righteous, but sinners…”
to repent and believe the Gospel.
As we look at this exchange in 2:18-22,
those three (3) simple (but life changing!) questions we have come back to in
almost every paragraph of Mark can guide us through the text once again, 1) Who
is Jesus? 2) Why did He come? And, 3) What does it mean to follow Him? These
questions will guide us to…
The BIG Idea: Believers have reason to celebrate,
we are already part of something new, and, by grace, have a life changing
relationship with the King!
I. Who is Jesus
(18,19)? He the Bridegroom, God incarnate, God the Son!
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?"
19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast
while the bride-groom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with
them, they cannot fast.
The Pharisees
especially venerated the traditions of the fathers… the man-made rules that had
been added as a hedge around the Law in the centuries from the return from
exile to the time of Christ. In the book of Acts the disciples seem to have
more problems with the Sadducees on theological grounds — they denied the
resurrection, which was at the heart of the preaching of the apostles—Christ
was risen, the first fruits of the resurrection! In the gospels, however, Jesus is repeatedly
confronting the Pharisees, who, for all their outward piety, missed the Spirit
of the Scriptures—and in fact lessened the authority of God’s word by elevating
human traditions alongside of it. The rabbis’ intention was to protect people
from sinning by building a hedge of human regulations around the law. The problem was that by the time of Christ,
the distinction between the absolute truth of the Word of God and the
traditions of the fathers that had developed, was blurred. Jesus did not adhere
to the man-made traditions of Judaism. One of those practices was the twice
weekly fasts practiced by the Pharisees.
On Tuesday and Friday of every week, the Pharisees would fast from
sunrise to sunset. The practice no doubt had noble beginnings as they sought to
humble themselves and get closer to God. We know however, that by the first
century, there was a lot of hypocrisy in the religious practices of the
Pharisees. So much so, that in the Sermon on the Mount the subject of fasting
came up, and Jesus said,
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like
the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen
by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your
head and wash your face, 18
that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you...” (Mt 6:16-18).
Jesus did not reject fasting as a spiritual discipline. He
Himself practiced it! But the Bible makes it clear that our heart must be right
for us to benefit. Isaiah 58:1-4 says…
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. 2
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. 3 'Why have we fasted, and you see
it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' [Why isn’t God delighted in their
fasting? He replies] Behold, in the day
of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. 4 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.
Our fasting and prayer has to be with
a right heart. Denying the flesh so that we can seek God with a submissive
heart is a good thing, if we come to Him in repentance and faith. Isaiah
rebukes the Old Testament people of God for fasting and seeking their own will
rather than God’s will. “Fasting” is not a means to manipulate God! I
remember a friend saying, “There is a difference between fasting and going on a
hunger strike!” Isaiah 58:5-10 goes on to point to a right heart…
6 "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?
7 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? 8
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. 9
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, 10
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…”
It seems a little surprising in our
passage in Mark to see the disciples of John mentioned in the same sentence as
the disciples of the Scribes and Pharisees. John’s disciples probably were
following the example of their teacher – John lived simply, I think we can call
his an ascetic lifestyle. I don’t know if locusts and wild honey are on the “Paleo Diet” but that was John’s bread
and butter! John had been arrested, and likely
his disciples were “fasting and praying,” crying out to God for his
deliverance. Fasting is not being disparaged; it is not a bad thing. Jesus
fasted in the wilderness when he was tempted by the devil, and in the sermon on
the mount he tells the people to have a right attitude when they fast. When the
disciples are not able to cast out a demon Jesus said, “…this kind comes out only by prayer and fasting.” And here in Mark
2, Jesus points ahead to his being “taken away,” and says “in that day they will fast.”
Fasting is a discipline that has value in the church, as long as we don’t view
as a means of manipulating God, but rather as a means of denying the flesh so
that we can seek God without distraction. But at that moment, the fullness of
time had come, and…
He is the Bridegroom. Jesus
uses the imagery of a wedding feast to explain why His disciples are not, at
this time, fasting. Weddings in the ancient near east were a time of
celebration, typically a week-long party. It was a time for feasting, not
fasting! In a Jewish context, using this imagery from the Scriptures in such an
unexpected way, to describe himself, was shocking. God inspired the prophets to
use the imagery of a marriage feast to describe the coming messianic age. So, we
read in Isaiah 25:6-8,
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of
rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine
well refined. 7 And he will
swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the
veil that is spread over all nations. 8
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from
all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It is a picture of celebration and
abundance; feasting, not fasting! As with the miracles of healing Jesus did, the disciples of
Jesus were getting a glimpse of the age to come, when the curse will be undone
and God’s people will experience the life of blessing for which they were
created. Using the language of a wedding feast was a subtle messianic claim.
Those with ears to hear could discern what Jesus was claiming: He is saying, “This
is that, and I am the One for whom you are waiting!” The Kingdom was coming, and now, while the
King Himself was present, it was not the time for fasting!
The Bridegroom: Was an image
reserved for Yahweh in the OT – Jesus is implying, He is God! This language
of wedding imagery would be known from the prophets, where Yahweh himself is
the Bridegroom and Israel the bride. So, we read in Isaiah,
5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over
you… (Isa 62:5).
Hosea brought the Word of the Lord as well,
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in
righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in
faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD…
(Hosea 2:19-20).
With this in mind, Jesus’ applying the image of the bridegroom to
himself is even more shocking. “Yes, God
is the bridegroom, but what are you saying?”
Those who had ears of faith, those who were His sheep, no doubt had their
hearts stirred by Jesus’ words! Those who would not believe, like the majority
of the religious leaders, would only feel the anger and resentment welling up
in their hearts. And so, the question came, “Why don’t your disciples fast?” Jesus essentially answers: The
promised age is at hand, the bridegroom is present, this is time to
celebrate! 1) Who is Jesus?
Answer: The Bridegroom, the promised Messiah, God incarnate! That is the Big
Idea: Believers have reason to celebrate, we are already part of something new,
a New Creation! And, by grace, we have a life changing relationship with the
King! That brings us to the second question Mark wants us to answer…
II. Why did He come (20 f.)? To give His life to ratify a New Covenant in His blood.
20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast in that day.
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away (cf. Isa
53:8). There are probably two levels to
what Jesus is saying here. On the one hand, the day was coming when Jesus would
be “taken away” in death. Jesus is alluding to the Cross. The
same root word appears in the LXX translation (Greek) of the words of the
prophet Isa 53:8,
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his
generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
In the upper room Jesus told his
disciples they would weep while the world rejoices, but that their weeping
would be turned to joy (cf. John 16:19,20). Good Friday would give way to
Easter morning! This reference then to the coming day when “the Bridegroom”
would be taken away, is a subtle allusion to His coming passion and death.
Remember why He came, to give His life a ransom for many, or as Isaiah said to
be “…stricken for the transgression of my
people…”
It may also be that Jesus also was looking ahead to His ascension. He
would no longer be physically present to correct and teach and encourage His
followers. He would send the Spirit, but in that day, through fasting and
prayer they could experience the kind of intimate fellowship that they had now,
with Jesus walking with them. The time
would come when the Bridegroom would be taken away.
A New covenant (in His blood) was about to be ratified (Jer
31:31-34). We’ll be reminded of that as we celebrate communion together. The dominant theme seems to be that Jesus
is not “patching up” the religion that had developed around biblical Judaism.
The traditions of the fathers were an offense to God, they pointed to human
effort, works, rather than the Gospel of Grace. Jesus was offering new wine in
new wineskins, a New Covenant in His blood. Jeremiah anticipated this when he
said,
31 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I
made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them
out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their
husband, declares the LORD. 33
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on
their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one
teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they
shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more..." (Jer 31:31-34).
A new day was coming, when God’s law
would be written on the hearts of his people, and they would be transformed
from the inside out! Believers have reason to celebrate, because we are already
part of something new, and, by grace, because of what He did, we have a life
changing relationship with the King!
III. What does it mean to follow Him (21, 22)? We are part of something new, A New
Creation! Discipleship is not an outward commitment to religion, but something
new: a life changing relationship with the King!
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. 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."
Jesus uses two pictures to make the point that something new was at
hand: Not a reformed “religion” – but a new heart! Remember He did
not come to call the righteous, He came to call sinners to repentance! There
were no simple tweaks that would get popular Judaism in the first century back
on track. The new age that God had promised was at hand. Jesus would inaugurate
a new covenant. He used two images to convey that idea: a patch on a garment,
and new wine and wineskins.
I don’t think people patch clothes anymore, in fact some buy them with
holes already in them! (I don’t get it, but I’m old. I put my own holes in my clothes
soon enough!). New, unshrunk cloth couldn’t be used in an old garment. Jesus’
point: there was no simple “patch” that could fix the religion of the Jews. Their
attempt to build a hedge around the Law skewed the heart of what God was saying
and doing. Something new was needed. A new garment, a people clothed in His
righteousness. Same thing with the wineskins. You couldn’t pour new wine into
old wineskins. They would burst as the wine fermented and CO2 swelled
the skin. It was time for something new. The New Covenant that promised a
new heart was needed.
Mark is showing the contrast between what Jesus was preaching and doing
and the religion of the Scribes and Pharisees.
In the previous context they complained that He was eating with sinners.
Next, they’ll complain that He claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath. The real
issue they had was Christological, who did Jesus think He was to say and do
such things? Their own messiah stood before them, and they didn’t recognize
Him! The leaders couldn’t deal with the implications of who Jesus claimed
to be. In this passage they complain about what the disciples are not doing. That is the point. It
isn’t about what we are doing or not doing, but what Jesus came to do for us…
Jesus came to save sinners! He came to do for us what we could not do
for ourselves: make a way for sinful humans to be reconciled to a Holy God.
That is the way of G.R.A.C.E.! That is the message that will change hearts for
the glory of God!
That’s the Big Idea: Believers have reason to celebrate, through faith we are part of
something new, now, and, by grace, we have a life changing relationship with
the King!
What would God have me to do in response to this passage? First, guard your heart, We are not immune the trap of Pharisee-ism…
“Look at me Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men…” Grace means we
don’t get the credit, “Of Him you are in Christ Jesus.”
If we really believe “Jesus did it all, all to Him I owe,” humility
should well up in our hearts… and thanksgiving for His amazing grace. And
it should remind us that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
The Table is an ongoing reminder of that.
He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. His plan is disciples
making disciples. With open eyes, we can start by being ready
to give a reason for the hope that is in us. Will we embrace the mission and be a
Lighthouse of Grace and Truth?
We are going to take a few more minutes to worship our Great God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, as we share in the Table together. Bread and the Cup,
symbols of the New Covenant, remind us of the love that was demonstrated, and
of the price that was paid. Let’s remember, and let’s celebrate God’s amazing
Grace! AMEN.
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