Tasting the New Wine -- Being Religious Rather Than Acting Religiously

Then John the Baptist’s students went to Jesus and asked him, “Why do we and the lay-ministers fast so much, but your students never do?”

Jesus answered them, “A groom’s friends aren’t sad while he is still able to hang out with them, are they? But everyone knows that a time will soon come when he won’t be able to hang out with them anymore. Then they’ll be sad and then they’ll fast. Nobody sows a piece of un-shrunken cloth onto an old article of clothing, do they? Because as the cloth shrinks, it ends up tearing itself away from the garment, and it makes the hole even worse. Nobody puts unaged wine into aged wineskins because if they do the wineskins burst. The wine drains out, and both the wine and the wineskins are ruined. Instead, put unaged wine into unaged wineskins and both will be around for a long time.”

~ As Matthew Tells It
The New Peace Treaty: A New Translation of the New Testament

Religious people fast -- it's like a law! The Jewish Torah (usually translated as "the Law") requires fasting only one day a year -- on the Day of Atonement also known as Yom Kippur. Other than that, there were no requirements to fast.

Yet, it was understood that Jews fast, and Pharisees fast a lot because that is what religious people do -- they do religious things to show you how religious they are. Some people fast because they want to show people how pious they are. The more they fast, the more pious they must be. Jesus had already addressed this in the Sermon on the Mount where he instructs the crowd and His disciples to fast in secret. He tells them not to announce their fasting in any way, but to look and behave normally so that no one will know of the sacrifice they are making. If you want to sacrifice food for a certain period of time, great! But if you go about announcing it, then it becomes more about your ego than it is about devotion or sacrifice.

But even still, let's assume that many people fasted for the right reasons that extend beyond showing how religious and pious they are. Pharisees and many others fasted often even though they were only required to fast one day a year because by observing fasts which were not prescribed by the Law, they hoped that their extra devotion would bring about an early coming of the Kingdom. That is not a bad reason to fast -- to hasten the coming of the Kingdom. So by Jesus and His disciples partying and not fasting, it was not only a shocking way for a religious leader to behave, it -- in the minds of other religious people -- did not foster the coming of the Kingdom. In fact, by not fasting, they were hindering the coming of the Kingdom.

"SO WHY WOULD JESUS HINDER THE COMING THE OF THE KINGDOM IF HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS GREAT RELIGIOUS LEADER?" IS THE QUESTION BEHIND QUESTION ASKED BY JOHN'S DISCIPLES.

Jesus response is that there is a new way to be pious -- living outward for others, rather than focusing inward on one's self. Fasting, praying, and other acts of devotion are important, but they are between the person and God. What brings about the Kingdom is LIVING IN THE KINGDOM RIGHT NOW! Outward shows of religious life -- fasting, praying, alms-giving -- are to be done in secret. If you believe doing those things hastens the coming of the Kingdom, then by all means do them -- in secret. But if you want to REALLY make a bold declaration about faith and devotion to God, and REALLY hasten the coming of the Kingdom, then feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, cast out demons, and live the way Jesus lived and told His followers to live. Jesus is the embodiment of the Kingdom of God, so living like Jesus brings that Kingdom near --

AND IF WE ALL LIVED LIKE JESUS FOR JUST ONE DAY, LIVING THE WAY JESUS TOLD US TO LIVE FOR JUST ONE DAY, THEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WOULD BE HERE!

It would spring up and burst forth upon this world! And after we had tasted it for that one day, we would want to taste it forever!

This is the understanding behind Jesus' response to John's disciples. The Kingdom is often depicted in prophetic literature as a banquet -- specifically, a wedding banquet. Part of the wedding is the celebration -- there is food, dancing, happy conversation. It would be silly to have a wedding and require everyone to fast and to ban dancing and other acts of celebration, and require everyone to only speak in a solemn manner about solemn things. So while the wedding party is going on, there is no need to fast -- fasting would undermine the wedding celebration.

Jesus is something old done in a new way. Old structures, old customs, old acts of devotion and piety cannot be used to contain Him. He will tear through the old and burst those structures with His new piety. Jesus, of course, honors the old -- He follows the Torah and instructs on it -- yet, He looks beyond the surface of the old, and delves into the spirit of it. Jesus lives the "spirit of the law" if not the law itself. The Torah cannot contain Him. His "new" teaching bursts the limits of the "old" law. If the two are sewn together, the "new" teachings of Jesus will tear a hole in the "old."

This means that it is no good for His followers to mix and match. It is no good to use the Old Testament to justify a bigotry or hatred or violence and then use the New Testament to claim love, grace and forgiveness for ourselves.

IF WE CLAIM THAT LOVE, GRACE, AND FORGIVENESS FOR OURSELVES, THEN WE MUST CLAIM IT FOR OTHERS AS WELL -- EVEN THOSE PEOPLE WE ARE TRYING TO CONDEMN WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT.

If we try to mix and match, then the whole fabric of faith tears, then the whole "new" wine we hope to taste will burst the "old" skin and we lose both the old and the new. If we want to taste the new wine, then we must put it in the new skin, which is the new, dynamic reality of the Gospel -- the Gospel for all, not just the Gospel for us and those whom we deem to be worthy.

So the disciples of John the Baptist went to Jesus and asked Him, "Why aren't you acting the way a religious person is supposed to act? We and the Pharisees are acting like religious people, why aren't you and your disciples?"

Jesus replied with: "Because we aren't acting!"

© 2013 Bishop R. Joseph Owles

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Coyote Poetry

"Jesus replied with: "Because we aren't acting!""
Thank you for the history and the knowledge. Men can twist the bible to fix their purpose. Jesus taught us to know love and forgiveness. Today love and forgiveness is still feared. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and wisdom.
Coyote