| February 27, 2000 | Feasting with the Groom | Mark 2:18-22
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today deals in brief fashion with some criticism that Jesus encountered for the behavior of His disciples. In just a few short sentences He answers the questions brought up and sends the questioners on their way with something about which to think.
The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees came up to Jesus. Also the Scribes came, as reported in the other Gospels. Apparently they were in the midst of a fast. The situation is that Jesus went to have this meal at Matthew's house and that was in conflict with their fast. Matthew, who was also called Levi, was known for being a tax collector. This meal at Matthew's house was the famous one where Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners and was criticized for doing so. He replied: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Note that John the Baptist was known for fasting and abstaining from drinking fermented drink. Matthew 11:18 tells of John that he came neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a devil. Apparently John followed part of what the Pharisees wanted, as far as eating and drinking, yet he wasn't good enough for them for some reason. However, in our text, the disciples of John find a common cause, somehow, with the Pharisees and Scribes to oppose Christ.
In the ceremonial law of the Old Testament, only one day of fasting was required-the great day of atonement, as Leviticus 16 indicates. A tradition seems to be developed by the time of the Exile of the Jews to Babylon that involved four more days of fasting in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months of the year. The Pharisees, in their legalistic fashion, had expanded the days of fasting to every Monday and Thursday of each week.
Fasting, however, ought to be something done to reflect mourning of the heart. It is a spiritual exercise done on the urging of the heart prompted by the Holy Spirit, rather than according to a strict schedule.
Matthew 6 gives Jesus' commands about fasting: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." The fasting should not be done for show. We are not to fast as a sign of our piety among others. This would be the temptation with scheduled days of fasting.
Now Jesus responds by speaking about a bridegroom and his guests. Who is the bridegroom? Jesus must be referring to Himself here. This idea of God becoming the husband or groom is mentioned in several places in the Scriptures. We have before us today the Old Testament lesson where God demonstrates His loving relationship with us by taking the name "husband." He also betroths us, promising faithfulness forever. Isaiah 54 says: "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." Jeremiah 3: "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you"
When the bridegroom, or as we would simply say, the groom, is present, it is a time for celebration. Remember the parable of the wise and foolish virgins who wait for the return of the groom. When the groom comes, it is time for celebration. So, Jesus indicates that in His physical presence, there would be celebration, not mournful fasting. There is no reason for sorrow.
Now, He says the guests of the bridegroom will not fast while He is present. We are each to understand ourselves as the guests, of course. It is important to note that we are guests. We only get to that heavenly feast by invitation. We don't pay our way or deserve it, but rather are invited as a free gift, through Christ.
The days will come, says the text, when the bridegroom will be taken from them. This is a painful separation to come. This is one of the earliest of Jesus' predictions of His suffering and death. Early on in His ministry Jesus also said: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up" and "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." In both cases, He was predicting His trip to the cross. Here in our text He again speaks of the painful separation of the cross and His crucifixion.
You cannot tell from the translation in front of you, but the text says this separation will take place after a period of days. In other words, it will be some period later than the time in which Jesus was speaking this. Then it implies that the separation will last for a short time, for it says that "in that day" the guests will fast. In other words, the period of fasting during this separation will be near to a single day. That is the day they will fast, not because they are forced by some human law, but because of their deep sorrow over the death of their master. This indeed, we can well understand as having occurred for it is reported that the disciples hid in their houses following the crucifixion. They were harassed by fear and we can well imagine they could not eat.
Next Jesus presents the two parables to make His point. However, in the text before us, it does not clearly identify what that point is which the parables serve to support. In fact, we must read from the prior discussion regarding fasting to see the connection. Jesus is pointing out to the Pharisees that what they suggest, that Jesus' disciples would be fasting like others, would be a situation like the parables.
So, just as it would not make sense to put new, un-shrunk cloth as a patch on an old garment, nor would it make sense to put fresh wine into an old wineskin, it also would not make sense for Jesus' disciples to be fasting while He was with them.
First then, Jesus told the parable with the cloth patch. If a patch were used that was not pre-shrunk it would prove to be a problem. The patch, not having been shrunk, or fulled, which is the technical term, would then shrink as the garment was washed. The garment, being old, would have already shrunk. So, the patch would shrink to the point that it would tear away from the garment that does not shrink with it.
This is similar to asking the disciples of Jesus to participate in the fasting in which the Pharisees and disciples of John were involved. If Jesus were to ask the disciples to fast, He would end up putting them into a state which could harm them spiritually.
The second parable is regarding putting fresh wine into old wineskins. Fresh wine undergoes a process of further fermentation and the pressure in the container that holds it will increase. Old wineskins, usually made of goat skin, will lose their flexibility and will not be able to withstand the pressure increase of the fresh wine. If the old wineskin would break, then the wineskin would be useless and the wine would also leak out. Both would be lost.
Again, the situation is compared the Pharisees suggesting that Jesus demand that His disciples fast like others. This would be a situation which might bring them damage.
As we consider this Gospel lesson then, let us apply it to our own selves generally. To do that, we need to step back and look at the larger issue Jesus was dealing with here. The issue that came up was His disciples' non-participation in the fasting of others. However, step back, and you see the larger issue is the works of one's life. Are works such as fasting appropriate? We might conclude, in reading our text alone that Jesus was suggesting that fasting was wrong, at least while He was present. This is not consistent, however, with Matthew, where, as reported earlier, Jesus says: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do..." Here we can see He is not condemning fasting. So good works, works of piety such as fasting are appropriate.
The larger picture must be that Jesus deemed the fasting was not appropriate for the disciples at that time. It was not appropriate in the same way that un-shrunk cloth is not appropriate for patching old cloth and the same way that new wine is best not stored in old wineskins. In other words, the disciples of Jesus were not in the right frame of mind to take on fasting.
So, how can fasting be misunderstood? How can other works like fasting be misunderstood? Quite simply, they can be misunderstood to be works that justify us. They can be understood as works that make us right with God. If you fast in such a way, at such a time, then, so the thinking goes, God will not be angry with us. This is the corruption of works righteousness, plain and simple. It is the idea that it is not pure grace that saves us, but rather we are saved by doing certain things ourselves.
Perhaps you think that such ideas are not very common. I would have to confess that I hear such ideas in the way people speak and the way they act to such a frequency that it makes me uncomfortable. You can hear people comment about other works, but not usually fasting. You hear how people treat works such as, prayer, church attendance, their confirmation, giving money, serving in congregational offices, reading the Bible, having and daily devotions as something which turns God to be on their sides. These are good works if done in the true Gospel-spirit. If they are done, however, to earn something from God, they become works which rob us of the purity of the Gospel.
Now, you need to apply this idea to yourself. Ask yourself where you struggle with this idea that your actions make you right with God. It seems to be a part of our fallen human nature that wants to drop into this kind of thinking.
Christ shows us that this kind of thinking does not mix with the pure Gospel. It does not mix like a new patch does not mix with old cloth. It does not mix like new wine in an old wineskin. Justification by works does not mix with the wonderful gift of the righteousness of Christ.
We cannot even take the old garment of justification by works and try to patch it up with the gospel. They will not coexist. Instead, the corruption of justification by works will take over and rip off the patch of the gospel. If we live thinking that any of our works justifies us, even partly, then we are living in rejection of the gospel.
The new cloth and new wine of the gospel demands to be pure. It demands to be free of other corrupting thoughts. We keep the Gospel pure when we keep it very simple, as simple as Christ upon the cross. That single event is the Gospel. Every work we needed to save us was combined into the one sacrifice of our Savior as He was crucified.
Everything required to be saved was done for us on that day the Bridegroom was taken from the guests. That was the day on which they fasted out of true fear and horror over what they thought was all wrong. Instead it was a day that was all right. Christ upon the cross earned us the forgiveness of our sins. That one work earned for us the righteousness from God. It gave us the free gift of life and salvation.
Because we have these gifts, we look forward to the heavenly wedding banquet in the physical presence of the Bridegroom. There, there will be no need for fasting. Instead we will enjoy the bountiful goodness of being in the presence of our Lord.
Today, we still await the feast to come. However, we do have a foretaste of that feast in the Lord's Supper we are blessed to receive today. Our Lord does come to us in His very body and blood to bless us. Today we feast on the forgiveness we have in Christ. He is the Bridegroom who offered His very life for us. He is the host of our meal today. Come and be blessed by the one who offers the feast, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.