Mark 2:16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, seeing that He ate with sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners? 17 And when Jesus heard this, He said to them, Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. And they came and said to Him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? 19 And Jesus said to them, The sons of the bridechamber cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? For as long a time as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 21 No one sews a patch of unfulled cloth on an old garment; otherwise, that which fills it up pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the wineskins, and the wine is ruined as well as the wineskins; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins.
As we have pointed out, following the incident of the Lord's feasting with tax collectors and sinners, the disciples of John, the new-time religionists, and the disciples of the Pharisees, the old-time religionists, asked the Lord why His disciples did not fast. It seems that they wanted the Lord's disciples to join them in fasting. It was necessary for them to fast because, as far as they were concerned, the Messiah and the kingdom had not yet come. Since they were still waiting for the coming of the Messiah and the kingdom, they were fasting. The Lord answered the disciples of John and the Pharisees not in a direct way but by using certain figures of speech. In His answer the Lord referred to Himself as the Bridegroom, and He also spoke of new cloth and new wine. The Lord seemed to be saying, "Why should My disciples fast when they have everything they need to make them joyful? They have Me as the Bridegroom, and they have Me as their righteousness, their new cloth, and also as their life, their new wine. I am everything they need. I am God and Man; I am the Physician and the Bridegroom, the most pleasant person. It is ridiculous for My disciples to fast when they have Me. I am the garment that covers them and beautifies them, and My life is the real wine that fills them, stirs them, and satisfies them. Instead of fasting, they should be full of joy. You ask them to fast. But I tell you it is impossible for them to fast, because the Bridegroom is here with them, the new cloth is upon them, and the new wine is within them." How wise and how wonderful is the Lord's answer, His word concerning the Bridegroom, the cloth, and wine! This is the real gospel--a living Person with righteousness and life. Hallelujah, we have the Bridegroom, and we have Him as righteousness outwardly and as our life inwardly! (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Mark, pp. 85-86. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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