Matthew 9:14-17 A Question About Fasting

Fasting is an almost universal phenomenon within both Eastern and Western cultures. Many people in the world fast for different reasons: to redirect the mind away from physical urges, to cause yourself discomfort in respect for the suffering of ancestors, to develop self-control, for medical/health purposes (lose weight), as a political act to get the government to listen.

When I became a Christian, I did not understand fasting at all. At first, I thought fasting was something practiced by the real fanatics of any religion because as we all know, Christians are not the only ones who fast in the world. In my mind, you had to be weird to fast. Then, I became legalistic in my approach to fasting. Fasting became this badge of honor for super-Christians. The “Green Berets” of Christianity are the ones who fast. The “Special Forces” of Christianity are the ones who fast. We would look down on other people for not fasting and take great pride that we were closer to the Lord because we fasted. This is how some Pharisees practiced fasting in Jesus’ day (Luke 18:12). Finally, in my personal journey concerning fasting, I thought that it was the only way to get something from God or get God to do something for me. If you were really serious about having God listen to you and grant you your wish, you had to fast - the more the merrier.

Fasting is expected of Christians (Mat.9:15b). And just like prayer, showing off doesn’t pay off and secrecy brings rewards (Mat.6:16-18). But while the bridegroom, Jesus, was around, the disciples could not fast. People celebrating a wedding were excused from fasting. Fasting is to hunger for God’s presence; it is an act of mourning. Jesus knew that a day would come when he had to leave the earth and all Christians would fast mourning his departure and yearning for his return. Fasting is a yearning for Christ’s return.

God’s presence in the OT was represented by bread in the temple and laid on a golden table! Why bread? Bread is the universal symbol of that which sustains life. But life is more than food (Mat.4:4).  Fasting puts things in perspective. Some people make food the most important thing in their lives. Instead of eating to live, they live to eat. While fasting, we voluntarily relinquish material food to focus on life! Jesus Christ is the bread of life! He is the sustenance of our life. We need him more than anything else.

The unshrunk cloth and the new wine of the new covenant in Jesus Christ could not fit the mold of the Pharisees legalistic wineskins and old garment. They practiced fasting in a very legalistic fashion and snuffed out of it its life giving quality. To follow Jesus is to break away from legalistic traditions that take life out of our relationship with God.

Acts 15:1-11 The Jerusalem Council - Part I

One of the ploys the enemy uses to come against the Church is false teaching. Some men (Jews, of course) had come from Judea teaching that circumcision was a requirement for salvation and that Gentile believers needed to keep the Law of Moses to be part of the Church. Paul and Barnabas debated them, but it seemed to cause enough trouble to require a ruling on the matter. At this point we can see that the Jerusalem church acted as a "mother church" for the work that was taking root in the surrounding areas due to the fact that the Apostles were there. Paul and Barnabas were sent to consult them on this matter, but while they made their way to Jerusalem, they continued to testify what great things God had done among the Gentiles.

Apostles and elders gathered together to settle the matter through much debate. Peter relates to the brethren how God called him to preach to the Gentiles. He offers as proof of God's approval the giving of the Spirit to them just as he did to the Jews. God makes no distinctions. Salvation is by grace through faith and a requirement like this would only become a yoke (burden) to the new believers as it has been for the Jews all these years. Furthermore, Peter argues that such a requirement is to put God to the test sinning against him. It is important to understand that the Law referred to here has to do with circumcision, ceremonies and rituals, including kosher foods.

With the giving of any law, there are dangers that could be depicted as cliffs on both sides of a road. On the one hand, there is the danger of legalism. This is an excessive adherence to the letter of the law missing out on the spirit of the law. Rules and regulations are good, but when taken to extremes they snuff out the life it is supposed to protect in its adherents. Legalism makes adherence to the law a zealous compliance to form and rituals that becomes mechanical, devoid of fervor and passion and therefore, meaningless.

On the other hand, there is the danger of liberalism. This is a disregard for rules and regulations bordering on anarchy and producing chaos. In this view, rules and regulations are meant to be broken bringing freedom. Unfortunately, just like legalism, it enslaves its adherents to less than the law intended. The purpose of the law is to bring order and protect its followers from abuses. Without adherence to the law there is no order or safety. Liberalism produces in its followers an arrogant attitude against authority.

Salvation cannot be viewed as a bunch of dos and don'ts. The Jews were not able to comply with the Law and so it would be for the Gentiles also. No one can keep the Law! Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfill the Law of God and promote justice so that all who trust in him can enjoy the benefits of eternal life. He took upon himself the penalty of our disobedience to comply with the Law and to be able to offer eternal life to all who dare trust in him. The Gospel does away with all the ceremonies and regulations, but it does not do away with the ten commandments - the Moral Law. We are still to strive to obey and please our God, but in grace it is not in our strength, but with God's help. "Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Father, thank you for your Son who gave himself for me to make salvation by grace through faith possible. Teach me to obey your Law that I may please you. Guard my heart from the extremes of legalism and liberalism. Help me walk the straight path you have set out for me in your Word. Amen.

Matthew 23:1-12 Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

Here is an accusation I definitely don't want to hear for as long as I live: that I preach, but do not practice. Ouch! But this is not the only accusation Jesus has lined up for the Scribes and Pharisees. There is more. They were accused of burdening people with nuances of the Law that they themselves did not observe. Legalism is the spirit that takes God's Law and converts it into a bunch of do's and don'ts that people can't keep. Am I placing burdens on people I am not willing to carry?

Here is another one. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. Phylacteries were small leather boxes containing Hebrew texts on vellum (a parchment made from animal skin) worn by Jewish men, either on the left arm or on the forehead, during morning prayer as a reminder to keep the Law. It seems they loved to make them big enough for others to notice. They made them a display of their piety. The fringes were tassels on the edge of men's clothing to remind them to obey the Law. It seems they loved to make them long for people to take notice.

If they went to a party, they loved the place of honor. At the synagogue they expected the best seats. In the marketplace, they expected everyone to greet them and call them by title. Jesus prohibits the use of titles like rabbi, father, and instructor among the disciples as a means to gain recognition and authority over each other pumping their selfish pride. There is nothing wrong with the proper use of titles. Titles describe one's job responsibilities and position within an organization. The misuse of titles to feed one's ego and pride is wrong.

It is easy to fall prey to these traps: to preach and not practice; to become legalistic in the practice of my faith; to burden people beyond God's Word; to seek public recognition; to seek places of honor; to expect people to respect me and call me by my title. I must walk humbly the ministry path lest I fall into one of these pits.

Lord, test my heart and mind. Purify my thoughts and desires. Don't abandon me to my sinful nature. Rescue me from my selfish pride. May I walk in humility before you and others.

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.