March 5 – Fasting or Feasting?

Matthew 9:14-17

Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”  And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Fasting has roots in the Jewish holidays. (See February 18) Religious Jews continue to follow their traditional holidays, and fast on Yom Kippur, as well as several other special holidays. The point of Jesus’ disciples NOT to fast was that the bridegroom was with them—so it was a time to celebrate---to feast!  There would be time for fasting when the bridegroom (Jesus) was taken away.

The analogy of putting the unshrunk cloth on an old garment or new wine in old wineskins---is that both would be ruined as time went on---the unshrunk cloth would eventually shrink and tear the old garment even more. The new wine would be only be put into new wineskins so as not to destroy the old wineskins. Both these examples are as sad as not celebrating at the wedding feast.

So what would be an analogy for today?  To buy the finest chocolate ice cream and beautiful serving dishes and then give up eating dessert and never enjoy the ice cream or the pretty bowls. Fast or Feast? During this time of Lent, I've heard the several people suggest that instead of giving up something (fast) that we add (feast?) a new habit---like that of a simple act of kindness every day.  What a good suggestion---there is still time to change a habit. Are you willing to make a change?

Lord, help us to see how and when we should celebrate your life and you with fasting or with feasting.

© 2011 by Mickey M. Hunacek.  All rights reserved.