Each one of us have grown up participating in different traditions within our different cultures, some we understand and some we don’t.  If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, I believe all need to be looked through the lens that Jesus talks about here in Mark 2:18-22, message version.

18 The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: “Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don’t?”

19-20 Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”

21-22 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”Throughout Jesus’ ministry he and his disciples were under a microscope, in this passage Jesus challenges their understanding and the true purpose for fasting.

In verses 19-20 Jesus shares it as He was already with his disciples, the King was with them, so being in awww, celebrating his mere presence, because there would come a time He would no longer be with them and fasting would be the way to be as intimate with Him as His disciples were being with Him then.

In this first example in the message version it talks about the bride and the groom, in other translations it talks about the bridegroom.  Another name for Jesus was the bridegroom as the church (you and I) is considered His bride.  He was and is the example for us to live our lives.  Submitting to God and sacrificing His life for us!  These were blowing up the norms, culturally for that day.  Also, what we as disciples are called into, today.

Jesus then parallels this with two other examples, calling himself “Fine silk cloth” and being sewn on old, faded, torn, unmatched clothing.  The new fabric wont match, it will also be torn away time and time again from the old beaten up clothing that was there for a time and purpose but not anymore.Just as you wouldn’t dare put new wine in an old wine skin.  As the new wine sits it is still in a fermentation state which releases gas and makes it expand which would only break the old wine skin.

Jesus came to bring a new way into the world, and it wouldn’t/couldn’t be confined to the old beaten up and brittle ways/ traditions of doing things.  The same holds true today for us, are there old ways of doing things that are keeping you from healing and maturing in Christ today?

Because He has come to set you free! Even today biblical fasting is going against the grain, this is because we are a fallen and broken world.  I think especially in remembrance of this week and Christ and the price He paid, what an awesome opportunity for you to be intentionally seeking Him and the next step you need to take in surrendering your control and growing more intimately closer with Him!  He will meet YOU!

May you find time today for some quiet time seeking to build your relationship with Jesus!Quiet My Soul (feat. Hannah Brooks) - Hudson Taylor Jones (Unofficial Lyric Video)