Jesus Questioned About Fasting

The reason for all things was with them. In the flesh…

Mark 2:18-22
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

The questions from the Pharisees begin. Those that were supposedly following the law were wondering why Jesus and His disciples were not adhering to it. Jesus responds telling them that He was the reason to fast, and he is with them. Why fast in remembrance or in grand expectation of Him when He is with them. This is the Great Feast with the Creator of the Universe. And you want to do what?

It was time for change. We were headed down a path of self destruction and we needed to be bailed out. There was no other way. When Jesus refers to “new wine being put into old wine skins, He is talking about the New Covenant, not the old way. Jesus was here to make things new. The Pharisees sought to put our Lord in a box, and limit His potential. Maybe not intentionally at first, but perhaps they were blind.

If new wine is poured into old wine skins the skins will burst. To try and pour the New Covenant into the old way of thinking, only one thing would happen. Jesus was teaching the law abiding Pharisees to open their hearts and let Him in. As we all know, they would refuse. #JesusSaves

Amen. Maranatha.
DK