The Word God Spells

Matthew 9: 14-17
Gn 27:1-5.15-29 / Ps 135

The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, they will fast.
(Matthew 9:15)

Death on the cross was the price
That Jesus paid for our sins . . .
Now that we’re renewed in Christ
Why put ‘old wine’ into ‘new wineskins’?

The disciples of John came and asked Jesus, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9: 14-17)

Reflection

Jesus was not disparaging the Jews’ sacred tradition, but it was not the appropriate time for fasting. Fasting was usually practiced during a time of mourning, or for the repentance of sins, for asking divine guidance or protection, or combined with prayers, to ask for healing or casting out evil spirits. At this time, Jesus was breaking bread with sinners and celebrating the deliverance of His new apostle, Matthew.

Fasting can be a powerful practice for self-denial. Together with abstinence, this discipline of conquering the desire to eat develops our will power to resist the many lures that the devil employs to entrap us. But fasting should not be an end in itself. God does not encourage fasting solely for discipline or self-denial reasons. It is not a Biblical reason for fasting. God has a higher purpose in mind.

The sacrifice involved in fasting is for the purpose of “afflicting one’s soul.” It is not merely inflicting one’s body with hunger, but conditioning one’s spirit to turn in prayer more intimately to the Provider of all things. Fasting must always occur with prayer. “You can pray without fasting, but you cannot fast without praying.” The deliberate abstention from food happens for a spiritual reason: to communicate with the Father on a higher plane. God said, “When you seek me with all your heart, you will find me” (Jer. 29:13,14). When we set aside the cravings of the body to concentrate on praying, we are seeking God with all our heart. And without sustenance, we weaken ourselves before the Lord in order to depend on His strength. To fast therefore is “to humble oneself before the Lord” (Ps.35:13)

It is as “new wineskins” that we accept this “new wine” – this fresh perspective on the essence of fasting. For those of us who are overweight, this is the best time to ask our Lord to give us the willpower to restrain our appetites — but not only to lose weight, but to gain a deeper understanding of His cross.

Help me, O Lord to be able to sacrifice a little, by fasting and abstinence, as my offering to You. Strengthen my will, I humbly pray. Amen.

Matthew 9: 14-15
Is 58:1-9 / Ps 51

Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?
(Matthew 9:15)

If we must go hungry for a day,
Recall that Christ fasted for 40 days.
The "Bridegroom" has been 'taken away',
So why not fast a little today?

The disciples of John came to Jesus, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they will fast” (Mt.9:14-15).

Reflection

The answer of Jesus in this Gospel passage of Matthew has often been regarded by many as a good excuse for ignoring the importance of fasting as part of our spiritual growth. In fact, our Lord was merely referring to the Jewish custom of that time, when fasting was associated with mourning, or praying to God for a need (for rain, to ward off pestilence, or victory against one’s enemies). But there was no need for it at that time, because the Messiah was in their midst. It was a time of celebration, like the coming of a bridegroom to a wedding feast. It simply was not the proper occasion to fast. What Jesus was saying was that the absence of fasting was a testimony to the presence of the Redeemer in their midst.

The season of Lent is the right occasion when Christians ought to practice fasting. It is the time of year when we feel an emptiness, a longing for God’s presence, perhaps due to the painful realization of our sinful nature. People fast because they grieve for their sins, and for this they purposely “afflict their souls” to lessen their feelings of guilt. It is a form of “taking up the cross” to follow Jesus. After all, Jesus did fast for forty days in the desert, but He had no feelings of guilt, nor any reason to afflict His soul. Fasting, therefore, should be more than just a way of atoning for our sins. Nor should it be practiced merely to fortify our faith or increase the chances that God will answer our prayers. What then is the primary reason why we fast during Lent?

First of all, we must understand that fasting is not a church ordinance, but a private matter between you and Jesus. Secondly, fasting and abstinence do not refer only to food. They refer to all material things that distract us from the real purpose of doing or being without — to prepare for an important event. That event is Easter, the return of Jesus our Lord, and His victory over death and sin. Fasting then is preparing for a coming feast! It is the same way that our Church urges us to refrain from eating food at least one hour before receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. It is the best way to prepare our hearts to receive Him. Jesus fasted for forty days to prepare Himself for His ministry. The season of Lent is forty days, from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday. Our Lord requests us to “keep Him company” during this short period of time, to focus on His love and purpose in our life, and not be distracted by things of this world. It’s a small request. Let’s give our share for our own sanctification.

Help us, Lord God, to prepare our souls for the passion and death of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may be worthy to celebrate with Him in His glorious return. Amen.