Matthew 9:14-17 A Question About Fasting

The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked why his disciples didn't fast. They pointed out the fact that the Pharisees and they themselves were trained to fast and were practicing it - in fact they did it twice a week. If Jesus was all that he claimed to be, why aren't his disciples on the same page with them? Legalism, a form of bondage to the letter of the law and to the laws of men, is always making this kind of comparison - us and them. The question is not asked for enlightenment, but for judgment. It assumes we are right, and they are wrong and it demands an explanation.

Jesus answers the question with another: "Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?" The obvious answer to the question is a resounding NO! The wedding guests are literally those who are closest to the bridegroom and had a role in the wedding ceremony. In those days, family and friends engaged in a wedding feast were officially excused from religious duties including fasting. 

Of course, the analogy of Jesus with the bridegroom must be accepted for this statement to make any sense. The Scriptures teach us that Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride. Jesus prophesied his own death after which the disciples, including us today, would fast. Why? Because fasting is mourning for the presence of God and the full realization of his kingdom upon earth. But is not intended to enslave me into specific patterns of fasting. And I am not to judge others who practice fasting or any other spiritual discipline differently from me.

To make the argument that legalism and the kingdom don't mix more compelling, Jesus appeals to local customs. You don't patch an old garment with a new (unshrunk) piece of fabric and you don't put new wine into old wineskins. The patch will shrink and pull a tear and the old wineskins will burst. In the same way, I can't impose old legalistic notions upon the new life of the kingdom - they are incompatible. Legalistic paradigms simply can't explain the abundant life we have been given.

Father, help me break the chains of legalism in my life. Don't allow my practice of the spiritual disciplines to puff me up with pride and a judgmental attitude. May I live the spirit of the law with joy and not the letter of the law in judgment to myself and others.