Read Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22 and Luke 5:33-39. The Law only dictated one fast, once a year on the Day of Atonement. However, Jewish tradition dictated that all religious Jews observe certain fasts mourning past events in Israel’s history. These were: A fast in July (17th day of Tamuz) commemorating the capture of Jerusalem, in August (9th day of Ab) commemorating the burning of the Temple, in October (3rd of Tishri) commemorating the death of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar following the capture of Jerusalem, in January (10th of Tebeth) commemorating the beginning of the attack on Jerusalem and in February/March (13th of Adar) commemorating the plight of the Jews in Esther’s day. In addition to this, the Pharisees fasted regularly on the second and fifth day of each week. The disciples of Jesus were not observing at least one of these traditional fasts. This raised some questions on the part of the disciples of John and the religious leaders.
1. What was their question?
Why didn’t Jesus’ followers mourn and fast like everyone else? The thinking was that all genuinely religious people would humble themselves before God in mourning and repentance and seek His favor by fasting.
2. In answering this question, our Lord uses three analogies. What are they?
a. The attendants of the bridegroom do not mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. They will mourn when He is taken away from them.
b. People do not put a patch of new cloth on an old garment. It will shrink and make the tear worse.
c. One does not put new wine into old wineskins. They will burst, and the wine and the wineskins will be lost.
3. Luke adds another statement our Lord made regarding old and new wine, “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” What do you think He means by this statement?
Once a person is used to specific traditions and ways of doing things, they will not want to change. They will think the old ways are good enough and not want to embrace the new; this is the inertia of tradition.
4. What does our Lord mean by these three analogies?
They did not need to fast yet. How could they fast when they were with the Messiah? The day would come when He would be taken from them, and then they would fast. The relationship I have with these men is something new and different; it will not fit the old framework of your traditions, and it cannot be contained within the current system of worship!
Read Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5. The Old Testament Law said that if someone was walking by or through your property and passed by a fruit tree or through a field of grain, they had the right to eat from it (Deuteronomy 23:24-25). One Sabbath, the disciples of our Lord passed through a grain field. While the older King James states it was a cornfield, it must be noted that the meaning of the word “corn” has changed since King James’ day. Then it was used of what we now call wheat. What the disciples picked was wheat, not what we call corn. They picked some grain and, by rubbing the ripened heads of grain between their palms, they removed the husks, then they ate it. This was observed by the Pharisees, who immediately thought they were breaking the Sabbath law. Their problem with the disciples was not so much their picking or eating the grain but their rubbing it between their palms to remove the husks. They thought this was thrashing grain and, thus, was work and forbidden on the Sabbath. It is important to note that God in His Word had not declared this to be wrong. It was man’s traditions, not God’s law, that was being broken here!
5. What answer did Jesus give the Pharisees when they asked Him why His disciples were breaking Sabbath Law?
Our Lord did not point out that they were only going against man’s traditions, not the Law itself; instead, He pointed out exceptions made to the ceremonial law in the Old Testament. There was a more significant issue than the distinctions between the Law and man’s tradition, namely, the purpose for the Law to begin with. Finally, He noted that He, as Messiah, had authority over these laws, which meant He could suspend or change them Himself.
6. What do you think Jesus means when He states, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”?
God’s purpose for the law was that it serves and helps man. When it did not do so, it should be changed.
Read Matthew 12:9-21, Mark 3:1-12 and Luke 6:6-11. This was a trap. The religious leaders were waiting. They knew this man with a withered hand would be there and wanted to have the opportunity to accuse Jesus of working on the Sabbath when He healed this man. Again it should be noted that, in healing this man, Jesus would not be breaking any Old Testament law, only man’s traditional interpretation of that law. According to their interpretation of the Law, He could speak to the man on the Sabbath, but He could not physically touch the man in administering ointment or medication.
7. By asking the man to come forward, Jesus masterfully changed the center of focus away from Himself. Now the issue is this man and his need. What does the law say about doing good for this man? What questions did Jesus ask these religious leaders?
Is it lawful to do good or harm, to save life or destroy it?
8. Why do you think Jesus was angry at this point?
These religious leaders had absolutely no concern for the man who needed healing. He was only a tool to be used to attack our Lord. They did not care whether he was healed or not.
9. Was it wrong or sinful for Jesus to be angry? Explain.
No. His anger never controlled Him.
10. What was our Lord’s response to the opposition of these religious leaders?
He left and went elsewhere. At this point in His ministry, He avoided conflict whenever possible.
The Applications:
What are the applications of these passages to our lives today? Identify as many as you are able.
1. Many things, if not most, practiced in the church today are based upon man’s tradition rather than having been directly instituted by the command of God. Would you consider a person unspiritual or unspiritual if he or she chose to worship on Saturday rather than Sunday, or chose not to celebrate Christmas or Easter, or chose to use wine in communion rather than grape juice, or chose to pour or sprinkle instead of immersion as the mode of baptism, or chose to pray and sing with their hands raised upward or not to do so, or chose not to use any kind of musical instruments in worship? These are all men’s traditions.
We must be very careful about judging others according to whether or not they follow our traditions. While I do believe that baptism by immersion is the best picture of what baptism is to represent, I am forced to admit that God only commanded us to baptize believers. He did not explicitly tell us the mode that we must use. While I am firmly convinced using grape juice is a much better choice in our culture than wine, I know that Jesus and the disciples used wine as well as most of the church throughout its history. While I think Sunday is the best day to worship God, I am forced to admit God did not tell us when, where, or how often to meet together. He did not tell us what kind of music, if any, to use in worship, what kind of instruments, if any, to use, what order of service to follow other that we were to do all things decently and in order. He actually tells us very little compared to the regulations He set down for Israel in its worship. We should be cautious about judging others, and remember a servant stands or falls to his own master, not to us.
2. Everyone must deal with rules and regulations. We are responsible for obeying them; we may even have a part in enacting or enforcing them. One thing we must learn from this passage is that rules, regulations and guidelines, whether governmental or dictated by tradition, are to be a help to people, not a hindrance. Making, enforcing or obeying rules and regulations is not a cold mechanical thing to be done as an end in itself without regard to the needs of the individual. If the enforcement of a rule or the practice of a tradition does not benefit but hurts those for whom it is made, then it needs to be modified or abolished.
3. Anger is a normal God-created emotion that, taken by itself, is not wrong or sinful. We may even be angry for the wrong reasons, but still, the anger itself is not sin in itself. Sin takes place when our anger dictates our actions and controls us. Scripture tells us to be angry and not sin and not to let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26). This means we are to be in control of it, not it of us. God has given us the ability to control our emotions and not be controlled by them.
It is a characteristic of children that they do not control their emotions. As they mature, they should learn how to act in various situations and how not to react; that is, they learn to control their emotions. We cannot use as a defense or excuse for our actions the idea that we were carried away or overcome by anger. This neither justifies nor excuses our actions, for we are held responsible for being in control regardless of the emotions we may feel.