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Introduction: When Jesus called
Matthew, also known as Levi, to be His disciple, Matthew rejoiced
and celebrated with a feast (Luke
5:29). The Pharisees attacked Jesus for this feast from
one angle and then another. According to Matthew
9:14, they even provoked John’s disciples to question
Jesus. These two groups asked, “Why don’t your disciples
fast?” In His wisdom, Jesus explained and left no room for
criticism. However, since He answered in parables, we may miss His
answer’s real meaning.
While the normal approach to Jesus’ reply deals with the
difference between the Old and New Covenants or the difference
between the old and new man, I believe the real thrust of Jesus’
answer is about true worship. Take note of Jesus’ three part
reply, looking all the while at your own worship. Discussion: I. To fast would have been ritualism, not true worship (Luke 5:34-35). A.
Jesus’
first response was, on the surface, simply a statement about the
propriety of fasting for His disciples. As it would be
inappropriate for the friends of the bridegroom to fast during the
time of their friend’s wedding feast, so it would be
inappropriate for Jesus’ disciples to fast while He was with
them. However, Jesus had not taught His disciples that fasting was
forbidden or useless. He knew full well that the time would come
when fasting would not only be appropriate but also natural for
His disciples. Delving a little more deeply, we get past issues of
propriety and find a gentle rebuke against John’s disciples and
cutting condemnation of the Pharisees. B.
When Jesus
said His disciples did not fast because they were friends of the
bridegroom, He tacitly claimed that the others fasted because they
were not. This must have stung John’s disciples. After all, if
John was the friend of the bridegroom, as he claimed in John
3:29-30, should not his followers also be friends? If John
rejoiced, should not His disciples also rejoice? The scriptures do
not tell us how the transition from John to Jesus was to work
precisely. Nor do they tell us what God thought of those who clung
to John during this time instead of turning to Jesus as the two
did in John
1:35-37. Nevertheless, Jesus’ point must have been
clear. Jesus’ disciples did not fast because they had accepted
what John taught. They knew the bridegroom was indeed with them.
How could they fast? Instead they would rejoice. C.
Additionally,
Jesus’ answer cut to the heart of what was wrong with all of the
Pharisees’ worship. If Jesus’ disciples fasted at such an
inappropriate time, it would not be heartfelt worship,
demonstrating devotion to God. Rather, it would have been
ritualistic action, keeping up appearances and hypocrisy. In fact,
it would have been just like the Pharisees’ fasting. They fasted
twice a week (Luke
18:12). But it was not out of devotion to God. Nor was it
worshipping in spirit and truth. It was ritualism to appear holy
before men (Matthew
6:16). They cleansed the outside, appearing to be devoted
to God, but not the inside, being truly devoted (Matthew
23:25-26). If Jesus’ disciples had fasted at that
inappropriate time, it would have been nothing more than what the
Pharisees always did, empty ritualism. D.
What about
our worship? Are we friends of the bridegroom? Are we worshipping
because we are convicted about Jesus? We are here now, but is our
worship from the heart? I will be the first to say that our
feelings and emotions must never govern our worship. But I will
also be the foremost to say that our worship must be from the
heart (Romans
6:17). That is to say, what I want must never dictate how
I worship. However, I should want to worship properly. Worship
must never become ritual. No act of worship should be rote, being
done without thought or feeling. Why are you at this assembly? Is
it to keep up appearances? Is it to mark assembling off your
checklist of things to do this week? Or is it to be the friend of
the bridegroom, devoting yourself to Him, glorifying Him? II.
Ritualism
destroys not only the worship but also the worshipper (Luke
5:36-38). A.
No doubt,
John’s disciples could not be condemned for mere ritualism. I am
sure they were fasting from the heart. Their master was in
Herod’s prison. Their shortcoming was not insincerity but rather
not following their own master’s teaching. Therefore, the second
part of Jesus’ reply would not apply to them as it did to the
Pharisees. B.
In vs.
36-38, Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate why His
disciples did not fast. Fasting would be as useful to His
disciples at that time as using a new patch to fix an old garment
and putting new wine into old wineskins would be. 1.
No one would
put a new patch on an old garment. Why? Because when the patch
began to shrink it would pull against the already shrunken old
garment and instead of mending it, would make the tear worse. The
patch would be worse than useless. It would be destructive. 2.
No one would
put new wine into old wineskins. Why? Because no matter how
tightly you seal the wineskin, you could not stop the
fermentation. There would already be activated yeast in the
wineskin from the old wine that would start the process. The old
wineskin would burst as the fermentation process produced gas
stretching the skin beyond capacity. The skin and the wine would
both be destroyed. C.
What is
Jesus’ point? Jesus’ disciples did not fast because such
fasting would be no more than ritualism and therefore would be
useless to them. In fact, it would be worse than useless. It would
destroy the worshipper. Fasting, when used appropriately is a
wonderful act of devotion to God, turning your back on the desires
of the flesh to devote yourself to the things of the Spirit.
However, when an act of worship is no more than ritualism and
outward appearance, it is vain. This is reminiscent of Matthew
15:8-9. If the disciples had fasted in this manner, they
would have been honoring God with their mouths, but their hearts
would have been far from Him. The worship would be useless and
would have been destructive to the worshipper. D.
This kind of
worship is also mentioned in II
Timothy 3:5. It has a form of godliness. That is, it
appears to show devotion, piety and reverence to God. But, in
fact, it denies the power of godliness because it is not really
about God at all. Notice what kind of person worships this way by
reading the context from II
Timothy 3:1-9—selfish, ungodly blasphemers. III.
Take care
not to worship simply by “taste” (Luke
5:39). A.
The third
part of Jesus’ reply goes in two directions. It answers both why
the Pharisees and John’s disciples fasted and also why Jesus’
disciples did not. It is very much like a man’s palette, that
is, his tastes. A man who has been drinking old wine will not
immediately go to new wine, because his palette has become used to
the old. No matter the reality or what anyone else thinks, he will
stick with what he has become used to, until by degrees his
palette changes. B.
Just so,
John’s disciples would not easily accept the teaching of Jesus
even though their own master had endorsed Him. They had become
used to following John and his ascetic ways. Going after this new
teacher who acted differently (Matthew
11:18-19) would not come easily. C.
The
Pharisees would not easily accept the teaching of Jesus, because
they were all too used to their empty ritualism. Their worship,
not being in spirit and truth, was carnal. Since they had trained
and disciplined themselves in carnality, they would not easily
discern the spiritual truth of the worship Jesus taught. This is
Paul’s point in I
Corinthians 2:14. D.
Finally,
neither would Jesus’ disciples be easily swayed to follow after
the forms of the Pharisees or the disciples of John. They had now
become used to the worship and devotion they had learned from
Jesus, their Master. The asceticism of John and the ritualism of
the Pharisees would not be appealing to Jesus’ disciples, who
really had tasted what was better. E.
This third
reply provides comfort and issues a warning. It provides comfort
for those who have become accustomed to true worship. Their tastes
will be used to what is true and will stand on end when what is
not true is introduced. However, it also provides a warning. We
have to make sure that true worship and obedience molds our
“tastes” and not allow our “tastes” to mold what we think
is true worship and obedience. Far too often churches are
dismantled by people who are convinced that their way is the right
way, when all they are pushing is their own “palette”. Conclusion: What about you? Why do you worship the way you do? Is it because of ritualism, personal taste or out of true devotion to the bridegroom? The answer to this question is not just about what you will get out of this assembly. The answer to this question will determine what you hear in the Judgment. If Jesus were to return right now and you were judged based on your worship during this assembly, what would be the outcome?
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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