Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 God’s Word Translation

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Thoughts

In chapter 2, Jesus was asked why his disciples didn’t fast like John’s disciples and the  Pharisees. Then Jesus talked about wedding guests not fasting while the groom is still with them. And then he talked about patching an old garment with a new piece of cloth, and putting new wine into old wineskins.

Have you ever given much thought to Jesus’ response to the question of fasting? Sometimes we become so familiar with passages of scripture that we hear them and don’t think about them.

Let’s quickly dissect these verses, shall we? 

First, it’s important to note that a twice weekly fast was not dictated by the Law. The Law given by God through Moses only required one fast, to be done on the Day of Atonement. It was the Pharisees who came up with the idea of a twice weekly fast. You probably know that they added a tremendous number of “laws” that the Jews were required to follow. The more of these “laws” you followed, the more “spiritual” you were thought to be.

In terms of the wedding scenario, that one seems fairly obvious. Jesus was saying that to fast during the wedding feast was silly. Jesus was, in this parable, equating Himself with the bridegroom, and while He was here on Earth, it was a time of celebration because He came to fulfill the prophesies of the coming Messiah.

The prophesies of the old cloth and old wineskins are similar to one another. A patch of new cloth on an old garment will shrink when it is washed, tearing the old cloth. New wine, or grape juice, will ferment. This produces gas (mostly carbon dioxide), which stretches the wineskin. An old wineskin would burst under the pressure.

So what is Jesus’ point? Jesus brought a new kind of a faith. A new covenant based in grace and faith in Him. You cannot mix this new covenant with a slavish adherence to a works based religion, even if doing so makes you feel righteous. We can’t earn righteousness, despite our best efforts. Righteousness is credited to us, based on faith in Christ.