Psalm 37:3-4.5-6.27-26.39-40,
Luke 5 :33-39 Full Readings
New Meaning of Fasting
Today's Gospel presents to us two aspects of feasting and fasting. After being asked by the Pharisees about why his disciples are not fasting as John's disciples as wells the disciples of the Pharisees, Jesus tells them that they cannot fast when the bridegroom is still with them, when the bridegroom is taken away, then they will fast. He also brings in two parables of not putting a new cloth on the old one and not putting new wine in old wine skins.
Jesus' reply not only brings a new meaning of fasting but also through the two parables parables, teaches that it is a new Messianic era where everything has been made new and the old can no longer hold. It is the time of recreation and making new, for Jesus came to make all things new and correct what was anti kingdom, thus showing us a right way to follow.
Fasting was one of the fundamental religious practices in addition to prayer and alms giving but the Pharisees did it just as an external sign only not a spiritual exercise. It was just an external observance of law but would not bear them any spiritual gifts. Jesus challenges this attitude and brings in a new meaning of fasting.
When Jesus says that when the bridegroom leaves them they will fast, he gives fasting a new meaning. Firstly, he wants to show that we should not fast for the sake of fasting but we should fast to seek the presence of God, to be with God in our hearts. The only thing we should thirst and hunger for mostly is to be in the presence of God and also God to be in our midst. If we are in his presence, as the disciples were, we don't need to fast but we should feast. If we feel that we have gone away from his presence, then we should fast, thirst and hunger for him.
Jesus also makes it a spiritual exercise which is supposed to detach us from the worldly pleasures, bring us in touch with ourselves and God and then go out with what we have denied ourselves and give them to the poor and needy. He also teaches us that when we fast we should not show everyone that we are fasting but instead be with our God in secret and he will surely reward us.
Reflect today on this new meaning of fasting. How has been your attitude towards fasting and with which motives do you fast? Have you left your old self and embraced the new way of living which Christ Jesus brought for us? Pray today that you will become new wineskins which will keep the new wine brought by Jesus.
Let us pray
Lord, make me new wineskins which will hold your new wine so that I may embrace the new meaning which you have given things. Amen
Be blessed.
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