Fasting 101

Matthew 9:14-17

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so we didn't really go to school. Sometimes we forget how important he really was. What he did for this country is pretty important. Here's a video I found just to remember what he did for us:


Thank you Martin Luther King Jr.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting
The reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:14-17;&version=31;

This passage was rather interesting and important. The topic is on fasting. At first reading the passage was a bit confusing so I had to kind of research on it to comprehend it. Here's what I've deciphered.

The first part is the question that the disciples asked. Why did the people that followed Jesus not fast? Looking into Jesus's response:
"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast."
If the bridegroom is present, why would his attendants mourn? The first thing to get from this is why people fast in the first place. According to this response, people fast to mourn. So in the past, when people were mourning for God and needed Him, they were fasting for Him. That's the first important part: why we fast.

What exactly does the answer mean? Well, if I'm comprehending this correctly, he's actually symbolizing Himself and making a huge claim. If we replace "bridegroom" with Jesus, it might make more sense to us. Here:
How can the guests of Jesus mourn while he is with them? The time will come when Jesus will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Make sense? Now if this statement is true, there are two things to consider. First, Jesus as a bridegroom. In the Old Testament, God has referred to Himself as the husband of Israel many times. Looking at Isaiah 54:5, "For your Maker is your husband. The Lord Almighty is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." There are many other passages like this. Thus, if this is true, then Jesus is proclaiming that He is indeed the son of God, or God.

The second part to this is the answer to the question. The followers are not fasting because God is here! Why would they be sad if the very being that they praise and worship is present before their eyes?!! Jesus is here! There's no time for sorrow. It's time to rejoice! Thus, that's why they were not fasting! Now if you read what comes next, He's also foreshadowing His death. He says that when the bridegroom is taken away (as in Jesus will die on the cross), then the people will mourn, and fast. Thus, while He's here, there's no reason to fast. Interesting huh?

The latter part to this passage is also important. Jesus refers to old garments and why we would not patch it up because it would ruin it. He also says you would not put wine in an old wineskin because it would rip. Rather you would want to put it in the new one. This was rather confusing at first but I think what He's trying to say is that after He is gone, we need a new setting to fast in. Before Jesus came, people fasted because they needed Him. They were full of sin and needed to be cleansed. Then Jesus came, so people did not need to fast. Finally once He leaves, people will be renewed. Thus, we would no longer fast to yearn for Him to come. Rather, we're fasting for something new, that He would come again. Or we're fasting as new, cleansed individuals. We're no longer old wineskins. We need new ones. We're saved. Now we're fasting for His second coming. And that's the real reason we're fasting now.

I don't know this was quite revealing and interesting to me. Now when I fast, I know why and what for. Let's try to keep this in mind the next time we fast.

Summary:

Jesus Questioned About Fasting
14-15 John's disciples asked why Jesus' disciples did not fast. Jesus replied that while the bridesgroom is there, there is no reason for the attendants to weep.
16-17 Jesus also said that there is no reason to patch an old garment or poor wine in an old wineskin because it will result in a worse condition.