Luke: 5:33-38
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
This passage in the bible has always troubled me. I understand the first part when the Pharisees ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast like John the Baptist's disciples and the disciples of the pharisees. Jesus did not support fasting in the legalistic manner or as a traditional practice, but He Himself fasted privately and expressed fasting as a voluntary action for spiritual benefit. In other words, fasting was not required by Jesus, but instead is something He encouraged for spiritual well being and to commune closer with God.
The passage goes on discussing how the Bridegroom is with the people and they are in celebration, there was no need for fasting, but after the bridegroom (Jesus) was gone, there would be much time and need for fasting for his disciples. At this point, the disciples were following Jesus around and from what I can tell, they were watching and learning from His example. They had not been sent out to do the work of the Lord yet, thus, they did not have any reason to fast for spiritual guidance. Their guidance was with them every day!
The third part of this section is what always gets me. Jesus tells the parable of the wineskin and how we wouldn't patch an old wineskin with new skin nor would we put new wine in a old wineskin, because it would burst. If that isn't confusing enough, He goes on to say that no one wants to drink the new wine from a new wineskin, but that the "old is better".
Okay, so the first part of the verse (36), you can't put a new patch on an old wineskin because it will not hold, there is not enough stretch in the new material, thus it will not hold. That makes sense in terms of material/cloth. But how does it apply to me? Maybe it means that when we accept Christ as our savior we cannot hold on to our sinful ways because God (the patch) cannot be with sin, thus we will continue to be worn and tattered and sin will continue to show through.
The 2nd part (37), putting new wine in the old wineskin, I think it might be saying the same thing. we cannot be filled with the holy spirit when we are still embodied in sin. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an "old skin". How would the light of Christ shine through an old skin? If we stay the same after we accept Christ, what is our witness? There is no witness. Then the question remains, did we truly accept Christ? If we did, the bible says that we are "anew" and that we will not want to continue in the sinful ways of the past. That we will want to serve Christ and we will desire to be "different" than we were. That our eyes will be open to sin and we have the Holy Spirit to help guide us to the path of Christ versus the path of sin.
So, the 3rd part (39). It says, "And no one after drinking old wine wants to new, for he says, 'The old is better'. " What????? Is this saying that even though we hear the truth of Christ we won't accept it because we are afraid? My commentary says, "Jesus was indicating the reluctance of some people to change from their traditional religious ways and try the gospel." In this case, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and was focusing on the ritualistic practice of fasting. I think there was a deeper meaning here. The Pharisees have been following Jesus around, trying to catch Him breaking "their" rules; seeming almost afraid of what the truth of Jesus meant. Were they afraid that they might be wrong in following and believing that Jesus was who He seemed to be? They were afraid to give up the laws and regulations that they had been following for so long. These practices had become so set as a "have to" they seem to have forgotten the reason why God called them to fast, burn offerings, etc. They had been told that One would come who would save all, but it was as though they were blind or maybe just afraid to believe that Jesus was truly the answer.
Well, so how does that apply to me? I might be stretching a bit, but being a Christian I am called to follow the will of God. Am I so comfortable in this wineskin, this world, this moment, this time, that I'm afraid or not listening to God's call? How open am I to doing God's will in my life? How open do I make myself in hearing God's call? Do I get so caught up in the demands of a day that I forget to stop and listen to God's voice and His desires for me?
In my mind, I know that God's will is supreme to all other things in my life, but do I open my heart to truly accept what God is calling me to do? I know there have been times where I have been open to His calling (moving to Iowa, moving to Clarinda) even though I did not know the purpose of His call. Is He calling me now to something else? Am I truly listening? Or am I pushing Him aside saying, "I'm okay right now. We are getting settled things are going nicely, please wait off a bit longer Lord with the 'boat rocking'".
The other piece to this section is the discussion of following Christ. Up until this point, the Pharisees had to work hard for forgiveness and the forgiveness of others. Jesus was showing them that He was the promised one who would put an end to all of that work and would take all the sins of the world upon Himself. Through Christ we are given the Holy Spirit who guides every Christians' life and we are content to rely on Him regardless of our worldy situations, we can feel the grace, love and protection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not have to do anything on our own, but instead we can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, clear the path and bring us to the end safely. Does this mean we will not suffer, of course we will. We live in a fallen world, which includes sin all around us. The choices others make impact our lives, the choices we make that are not of God's will have consequences, but God can make a beautiful masterpiece out of a mess.
So, whether I got these verses figured out or not doesn't really matter since God's Word is "God Breathed". What these verses mean to me today may have a total different meaning later down the road. God speaks to us through His Word, that is why the Bible is a book you can read over and over again and it will never be the same. The beginning may be the same and the end, the historical pieces stay the same, but the impact it has on my life is always changing. The message that I hear is what God wants me to hear at that moment.
What has God's Word said to me today? I need to be content in every situation that I'm in, knowing that God is in control. I need to open my ears and heart to hear God's leading in my life. I need to put on a "new wineskin" every day and allow Him to cast away the things of old and make me new so that others will see His glory shine.
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for your Word. Thank you for giving me a way to listen to your leading in my life. Thank you for causing me to stop and take a few moments this morning to be with you. Lord, you are always with me and always there for me. Where others fail or pass on, I will always have You. Lord, help me to be "new every morning" allowing you fill my mind, heart, and soul with Your desires for my life. Lord, I want to be your child, I want to do Your will. Guide my steps. Guide my heart and my mind to always be open to your desire in my life. Thank you God for sending Your Son so that I do not have follow the traditions of old and try to save myself, but instead, you send Jesus to pay the price for my sins so that I can turn to You directly for forgiveness and most of all so that I can talk with You directly about my life and what Your desire is for my life. You are an awesome God and You have such an wesome plan for my life and my families life. Help us to hear your voice and follow your leading!
In Jesus Name Amen.
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
This passage in the bible has always troubled me. I understand the first part when the Pharisees ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast like John the Baptist's disciples and the disciples of the pharisees. Jesus did not support fasting in the legalistic manner or as a traditional practice, but He Himself fasted privately and expressed fasting as a voluntary action for spiritual benefit. In other words, fasting was not required by Jesus, but instead is something He encouraged for spiritual well being and to commune closer with God.
The passage goes on discussing how the Bridegroom is with the people and they are in celebration, there was no need for fasting, but after the bridegroom (Jesus) was gone, there would be much time and need for fasting for his disciples. At this point, the disciples were following Jesus around and from what I can tell, they were watching and learning from His example. They had not been sent out to do the work of the Lord yet, thus, they did not have any reason to fast for spiritual guidance. Their guidance was with them every day!
The third part of this section is what always gets me. Jesus tells the parable of the wineskin and how we wouldn't patch an old wineskin with new skin nor would we put new wine in a old wineskin, because it would burst. If that isn't confusing enough, He goes on to say that no one wants to drink the new wine from a new wineskin, but that the "old is better".
Okay, so the first part of the verse (36), you can't put a new patch on an old wineskin because it will not hold, there is not enough stretch in the new material, thus it will not hold. That makes sense in terms of material/cloth. But how does it apply to me? Maybe it means that when we accept Christ as our savior we cannot hold on to our sinful ways because God (the patch) cannot be with sin, thus we will continue to be worn and tattered and sin will continue to show through.
The 2nd part (37), putting new wine in the old wineskin, I think it might be saying the same thing. we cannot be filled with the holy spirit when we are still embodied in sin. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an "old skin". How would the light of Christ shine through an old skin? If we stay the same after we accept Christ, what is our witness? There is no witness. Then the question remains, did we truly accept Christ? If we did, the bible says that we are "anew" and that we will not want to continue in the sinful ways of the past. That we will want to serve Christ and we will desire to be "different" than we were. That our eyes will be open to sin and we have the Holy Spirit to help guide us to the path of Christ versus the path of sin.
So, the 3rd part (39). It says, "And no one after drinking old wine wants to new, for he says, 'The old is better'. " What????? Is this saying that even though we hear the truth of Christ we won't accept it because we are afraid? My commentary says, "Jesus was indicating the reluctance of some people to change from their traditional religious ways and try the gospel." In this case, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and was focusing on the ritualistic practice of fasting. I think there was a deeper meaning here. The Pharisees have been following Jesus around, trying to catch Him breaking "their" rules; seeming almost afraid of what the truth of Jesus meant. Were they afraid that they might be wrong in following and believing that Jesus was who He seemed to be? They were afraid to give up the laws and regulations that they had been following for so long. These practices had become so set as a "have to" they seem to have forgotten the reason why God called them to fast, burn offerings, etc. They had been told that One would come who would save all, but it was as though they were blind or maybe just afraid to believe that Jesus was truly the answer.
Well, so how does that apply to me? I might be stretching a bit, but being a Christian I am called to follow the will of God. Am I so comfortable in this wineskin, this world, this moment, this time, that I'm afraid or not listening to God's call? How open am I to doing God's will in my life? How open do I make myself in hearing God's call? Do I get so caught up in the demands of a day that I forget to stop and listen to God's voice and His desires for me?
In my mind, I know that God's will is supreme to all other things in my life, but do I open my heart to truly accept what God is calling me to do? I know there have been times where I have been open to His calling (moving to Iowa, moving to Clarinda) even though I did not know the purpose of His call. Is He calling me now to something else? Am I truly listening? Or am I pushing Him aside saying, "I'm okay right now. We are getting settled things are going nicely, please wait off a bit longer Lord with the 'boat rocking'".
The other piece to this section is the discussion of following Christ. Up until this point, the Pharisees had to work hard for forgiveness and the forgiveness of others. Jesus was showing them that He was the promised one who would put an end to all of that work and would take all the sins of the world upon Himself. Through Christ we are given the Holy Spirit who guides every Christians' life and we are content to rely on Him regardless of our worldy situations, we can feel the grace, love and protection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not have to do anything on our own, but instead we can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, clear the path and bring us to the end safely. Does this mean we will not suffer, of course we will. We live in a fallen world, which includes sin all around us. The choices others make impact our lives, the choices we make that are not of God's will have consequences, but God can make a beautiful masterpiece out of a mess.
So, whether I got these verses figured out or not doesn't really matter since God's Word is "God Breathed". What these verses mean to me today may have a total different meaning later down the road. God speaks to us through His Word, that is why the Bible is a book you can read over and over again and it will never be the same. The beginning may be the same and the end, the historical pieces stay the same, but the impact it has on my life is always changing. The message that I hear is what God wants me to hear at that moment.
What has God's Word said to me today? I need to be content in every situation that I'm in, knowing that God is in control. I need to open my ears and heart to hear God's leading in my life. I need to put on a "new wineskin" every day and allow Him to cast away the things of old and make me new so that others will see His glory shine.
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for your Word. Thank you for giving me a way to listen to your leading in my life. Thank you for causing me to stop and take a few moments this morning to be with you. Lord, you are always with me and always there for me. Where others fail or pass on, I will always have You. Lord, help me to be "new every morning" allowing you fill my mind, heart, and soul with Your desires for my life. Lord, I want to be your child, I want to do Your will. Guide my steps. Guide my heart and my mind to always be open to your desire in my life. Thank you God for sending Your Son so that I do not have follow the traditions of old and try to save myself, but instead, you send Jesus to pay the price for my sins so that I can turn to You directly for forgiveness and most of all so that I can talk with You directly about my life and what Your desire is for my life. You are an awesome God and You have such an wesome plan for my life and my families life. Help us to hear your voice and follow your leading!
In Jesus Name Amen.
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