Dining With Jesus

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

DINING WITH JESUS

Mark 2:18-20

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" 19 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

NIV

First off, we should deal with this idea of fasting. Why did the Pharisees fast? Why were the disciples of John fasting? Why wasn’t Jesus and his disciples fasting? What we have discovered is the Pharisees had many different reasons for fasting, such as to have a lucky dream or ward off bad dreams or to interpret a particular dream, or to obtain the things they wished for. There is an ancient text called the Ta’anit, Rabbinical writing which has over thirty-five reasons and thus days of fasting. It may have more to do with tradition more than truth. We modern-day Christians may have developed far too many traditions to live by rather than living by the truth. Nevertheless, there is far more here than meets the eye about fasting. This question, this reason for questioning why Jesus and his disciples do not fast, as they do, gives us a clue as to how not to live as a believer. What we see the Pharisees doing is that they busied themselves with censuring the conduct of others, rather than rectifying their own. In addition, it appears as they set themselves up as an example for others to regulate their piety just like the Pharisees. They wanted people to take on their customs and traditions. And if that isn't bad enough, it seems they compared themselves with others, only so they would be able to distinguish and exalt themselves. This was religious but may have had nothing to do with spiritual worship of God. We too should be careful not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, after all, we are but sinners saved by the grace of God. When we start thinking in terms of our lists we make of how to live a holy life, we may be getting more into traditions of past believers thinking than actually looking at the truth. What we also need to consider is how Jesus answered their question. Jesus was not concerned about the traditions of the Pharisees or their rabbinical writings. Life is about surrounding the truth of God. Of course, Jesus used an example they would be familiar with. He spoke of the bridegroom and his guests. While Jesus is here, or the bridegroom, why would anyone fast, it is time to eat, drink and be merry. As far as Jesus being taken from them, it did happen, at least in the physical sense. But Jesus also said that he would never leave us nor forsake us. We just considered a while back about the words given to John in the revelation when Jesus stand that he was at the door knocking, and if we hear his voice and open that door, he would come into us and dine with us and we with him. So then, in the context, we still have the bridegroom with us and there seems no reason for us to be sad and put on sackcloth and fast. Yes, maybe some things we are told need much prayer and fasting such as when His disciples asked why they could not drive out the demons. We will get to that in the ninth chapter of Mark, but what we need to see is that Jesus did not say, prayer and fasting, in the Greek the words and fasting were added, as some manuscripts include them, but not the ones used in the canon. So then, Jesus did not say that they had to pray and fast. However, he did teach that if or when we do fast, for some spiritual reason, not to ever look like we are fasting, or tell anyone that we are fasting, our fasting should be done in secret, then our Father will reward our fast. That is the truth about it. So then let us live by the truth and enjoy our time dining with the bridegroom.