Christianity is a religion, but our relationship with Jesus is much deeper and more intimate than just a religious duty or activity. As we get further into the gospel of Mark, we discover how Jesus interacts with his disciples and those who oppose him. In our scripture reading today, we encounter the disciples of John, the Pharisees, and Jesus. Jesus had just left the dinner with Matthew, and other tax collectors came to ask Jesus why his disciples were not fasting as they were. Even though the Old Testament law only required fasting on the Day of Atonement (which was once a year), the Pharisees fasted twice a week. They would fast on Mondays and Thursdays each week, as they sought to perform religious activities that they thought pleased God. It was probably one of these days when Jesus had dined with Matthew, and the Pharisees’ disciples wondered why Jesus’ disciples were not fasting as they were. This encounter and question opened the door for Jesus to speak about his relationship with his disciples. Jesus was much more concerned about the relationship the disciples had with him than some non-biblical command that the Pharisees had.
In the text, we will find 3 illustrations Jesus uses to explain why his disciples are not fasting at this time. We will take each of these illustrations and unpack them to help us better understand the need for a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus.
Illustration 1: The Wedding Guest
I imagine all who will read this have been to a wedding. Weddings often include refreshments and cake at minimal cost, and many also include full meals. The reason for this is that a wedding is really a party to celebrate the marriage of the bride and groom. We don’t go to weddings with that somber, reflective attitude. We go with a heart of celebration!
In this illustration, Jesus is the bridegroom who is present with the people. While he was present, the disciples were to celebrate and feast with him because his presence would soon be gone. “Jesus did not condemn fasting – he himself fasted (Luke 4:2). He emphasized that fasting must be done at the right time for the right reason.” (Life Application Commentary). And the season and time were not for fasting but were for feasting with the Lord (the bridegroom).
This illustration was a clear indication that Jesus is the Messiah, and his presence among the disciples was a time of celebration and commitment. Marriage is a commitment, and when we come to faith in Christ and become his disciples, we commit ourselves to him and his Word. There will be a time when the bridegroom is no longer with them, and with that will come a time of fasting by his disciples. Fasting for his disciples means a time of repentance, commitment, and focus on the Lord amid difficulties and trials.
Illustration 2: The New Piece and Old Garment
“In the first parable, attempting to unite the gospel of Jesus and the old religion of Judaism – exemplified by the Pharisees’ ritualistic fasting- is as foolish as trying to patch an old, worn-out garment with a new, unshrunk piece of cloth. When the new piece becomes wet, it will shrink, tear away, and make an even larger hole.” (Christ-Centered Commentary).
You cannot combine the ritualistic rules of the Pharisees with the grace of the gospel. That kind of religion will cause bigger issues and holes in one’s life than we can ever imagine. The Pharisees themselves were unable to keep the laws that they created, and when you add to that the expectation of living in the grace of the gospel, we have no hope of holding that religious act together. The gospel of grace is not compatible with the religious works of the Pharisees.
“The gospel offered grace; Judaism offered law and rule keeping. The Christian was never meant to be a sect of Judaism; rather, Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism.” (Life Application Commentary). Jesus’ life and work on the cross and in resurrection were the fulfillment of the law. The law pointed to the need for the Messiah, and Jesus is the Messiah who fulfilled the law’s commands. We cannot sew the work of the law into the gospel because the gospel of Christ is the fulfillment of that law.
Illustration 3: The Wine and Wineskin
The third and final illustration is a continuation of the second illustration. New wine into an old wineskin (those that had been dried out) would only cause the old wineskin to burst open as the new wine continues to expand in fermentation. “In the ancient world, the skins of goats were stripped off as nearly whole as possible. Their natural elasticity and flexibility, as well as their strength, would allow the skin to stretch and securely contain the new wine as it fermented and expanded. However, if you put new wine in old wineskins that had become brittle and weak, when fermentation took place, the expansion would burst the skins, and both wine and the wineskins would be lost.” (Christ-Centered Commentary).
The last two illustrations in the scripture reading speak to the radical nature of Jesus’ coming. Jesus is the new cloth and the new wine. He has come to fulfill the law of the Old Testament and, with that, bring about the New Covenant of the gospel. Jesus and the gospel are not just an add-on to the Old Testament or Covenant, but were the fulfillment of the Covenant and the introduction of the New Covenant.
As Christians, we are to live in the grace of the gospel. Our works are the indication of our faith, just as James says in James 2:14-17. “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Works are not what save us, but are what show the faith that we have in the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Conclusion:
“Jesus did not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism with its rules and traditions. His purpose was to fulfill it and start something new, though it had been prophesied for centuries. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth to offer all people forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. The gospel did not fit into the old, rigid, legalistic system of religion. It needed a fresh start.” (Life Application Commentary).
It is Jesus + Nothing = Salvation. Those who wanted to keep the Old System but add Jesus to it wanted “The Law + Jesus = Religious Faithfulness”. The gospel does not allow us to add anything to Jesus for salvation or to the relationship we have with God because of the reconciliation we have through Christ.
So, live the faith of Christ and the hope and the promise of the gospel. Add nothing to the Word of God and let your actions be those of the gospel working itself out of your soul.
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