Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:33-39

 

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is being challenged by the scribes and the Pharisees. These Jews were generally very legalistic and believed in the literal meaning of the law. They said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers; … but yours eat and drink.” Fasting was a major part of the Jewish lifestyle so why was Jesus letting his disciples avoid fasting? Jesus replied, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” So what is Jesus really trying to tell the disciples? The disciples of Jesus were feasting in the presence of Christ. They were celebrating His very presence among them.  Now was not the time to fast, but the time to celebrate because in the near future he was going to be taken away from them.

 

Jesus explains this in a parable about placing new wine in old wine skins. If you place new wine in old skins, the fermenting wine will cause the wine skin to burst. New wine needs to be placed in new skins. Jesus is trying to explain to the disciples that there are times when old traditions are appropriate and times when we need to let the new traditions begin. This relationship/discipleship with Jesus was new and exciting. Jesus filled them with the Holy Spirit and they were alive and celebrating. Why would you fast when you’re feasting on the Holy Spirit? While there is nothing wrong with old traditions; new traditions can be just as rewarding.  And in this case, bring us closer to God. This also goes for fasting and feasting; there is a time to fast and a time feast. When we walk with Christ we are feasting in his presence, but when we need to atone for our sins, it is a time to fast.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can feast in your presence.

Help me to find your presence in my prayers and my fasting.

May you become a tradition in my life which frees me from the bonds of sin.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon