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Answer
In Matthew 9, Jesus responds to a question from John the Baptist’s disciples: “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” (verse 14). In reply, Jesus shares three parables: the parable of the bridegroom and his guests, the parable of the old garment, and the parable of the wineskins (verses 15–17). This same dialogue is also documented in Mark 2:18–22 and Luke 5:33–39.
The inquiry posed by John the Baptist’s disciples reflects their confusion. If Jesus was indeed the Messiah for whom John was paving the way, why did Jesus’ teachings on fasting differ from John’s? John emphasized the importance of fasting (Luke’s account includes prayer as well). The Pharisees followed a similar practice. However, Jesus’ disciples did not adhere to such regulations. In fact, they were known to “eat with tax collectors and sinners” «And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? », (Matthew 9:11).
It is worth revisiting what the Mosaic Law stipulated regarding fasting. The Jews were only required to fast one day annually, on the Day of Atonement «And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: », (Leviticus 16:29,31) «It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. », (Leviticus 16:29,31). That was the extent of the fasting requirement under the law. Any additional fasting was voluntary.
Concerned. So, the fasting mentioned in Matthew 9:14 is not the same as what was prescribed in the law; it was one of the many “traditions of the elders” «For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. », (Mark 7:3) added to the law.
Note that John’s disciples mention that they fast “often” «Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not? », (Matthew 9:14). The Pharisees at the time had adopted a rule of fasting twice a week, and it seems that John’s disciples had followed suit. The prayers mentioned in Luke 5:33 are those associated with these same ritualistic fasts—that is, public prayers to accompany the public fasts, done as a matter of course in following man-made rules. Jesus spoke against such fasting and prayer in Matthew 6 as part of the Sermon on the Mount.
In His response, Jesus provides three short snapshots of everyday life to illustrate the need for change:
1. The Parable of a Bridegroom with His Guests.
Jesus says, “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” «And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. », (Matthew 9:15). A wedding feast is a time of joy. Fasting, conversely, is a sign of sorrow or distress. Fasting during a wedding feast would make no sense. In this metaphor, Jesus is the Bridegroom, and His disciples are the guests. The disciples don’t mourn while Jesus is present in this world. They rejoice in that.their Messiah and Lord has arrived.
Jesus stated that His disciples would fast on the day when He was “taken from them” «But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. », (Mark 2:20). With these words, Jesus was not establishing times of regulated fasting and prayer as an official part of church life; instead, He was referring to the sudden event of His departure from His disciples (through arrest and crucifixion), which would be a day of mourning. During that distressing period when Jesus’ disciples lost their Lord, they would fast.
Believers under the New Covenant practice fasting and prayer today. However, there is no obligation to do so, particularly in a ceremonial, ritualistic, or formal manner (observing specific fasting days, reciting particular prayers, etc.). Old religious rituals and traditions are outdated under the New Covenant. When you embrace Christ in faith, you abandon the human-made rules mandating fasting on specific days and praying in specific ways.
2. The Parable of the Old Garment.
Jesus went on to say: “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” «No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. », (Matthew 9:16). Fabric naturally shrinks with washing. Jesus’ listeners understood that adding a new patch of material to an old garment would only worsen the issue. When the new patch inevitably shrinks in the wash, it will detach from the older garment, causing an even greater tear than before. In this analogy, the old garment represents the system of rules and traditions of men; the new patch symbolizes the ways of Christ. Jesus was not interested in merely “patching up” the old religious system as pPracticed by the Pharisees; He was establishing a new covenant, even as He fulfilled the law (see Matthew 5:17).
3. The Parable of the Wineskins.
Finally, Jesus said, “Neither do people 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” «Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. », (Matthew 9:17). New wine expands during the fermentation process, pressurizing its container. If fresh wine was poured into a new wineskin, there was no problem— the skin was supple enough to stretch, thus accommodating the expansion of the liquid. But, if new wine was poured into an old wineskin that had lost its elasticity, the wineskin would burst at the seams under the pressure, and all the wine stored in it would be lost. In this parable, Jesus again emphasizes the fact that He is doing something new. The old expectations— such as the expectation that everyone must fast on certain days set by the religious leadership— were inadequate. It was time to adjust expectations. Jesus’ ministry was not going to fit neatly into preconceived ideas and tired rituals. An inflexible adherence to the old ways was going to result in spiritual loss.
Luke’s Gospel provides an additional statement Jesus made concerning this parable: “And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better’” «No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.», (Luke 5:39). This is a commentary on the attitude shown by John’s disciples and the Pharisees. To paraphrase, we could say, “Those (such as the Pharisees)Those who cherish their traditional rituals and customs may find Christ’s new teachings unappealing. It is common to hold onto the past practices, just as it is natural to prefer matured wine to fresh wine.”
You cannot blend ancient religious customs with a newfound belief in Jesus. Jesus completed the law; hence, there is no longer a necessity to uphold it. There is even less reason to persist with outdated, human-made rituals. Jesus cannot be incorporated into a performance-based religion: “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness is obtained through the law, then Christ died for nothing” «I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.», (Galatians 2:21, NKJV).
