TEXT: Matthew 9: 14-17 – “Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
We are continuing our look at Jesus ministering to individuals in our study of Matthew. Yesterday we saw Him minister to a Tax-Collector – Matthew. Today, let us view Him ministering to some of the disciples of John the Baptist.
We must start with a look at the inquiry as presented in verse 14. They come with a surface question: they want to know why His disciples do not fast? Often when people come and ask us questions about our faith or practices, this is a surface question – they really carry an underlying thought about something. So, considering this question – in view of Jesus’ answer – what was their underlying concern? They were really concerned about the fact that the disciples didn’t worship the same way as they had been worshipping. After all, “We have always done it this way.”
So, to answer their question and underlying concern, Jesus used three illustrations in verses 15-17. First He spoke about the bridegroom (look again at verse 15). Jesus reminded them that the wedding guests don’t mourn while the groom is with them. Consider this - do we act differently at a funeral and a wedding? Of course we do. So, He was telling them that as long as He was in their presence, they should be celebrating! The truth holds for us today – with Jesus in our presence, we should be celebrating.
Then Jesus used a picture of an old garment (verse 16). He reminded them that an old garment is not patched with a new unshrunk cloth. The new would rip the old cloth, thus damaging it even more. His third illustration along these lines was about an old wineskin (verse 17): New wine is not put into old wineskins. Again, the new wine would split the old – thus rendering it useless. So, is He telling them that we are to abandon the old ways? Should we never seek the new? NO!
The point He is making is – THE MESSAGE NEVER CHANGES, BUT THE METHODS WILL! We are never to change the message of the Gospel – but we can show it forth in new ways. In both yesterday’s and today’s lesson, we see the need to change from the old to the new. Matthew left his old ways to be a disciple of Jesus – have we done this? And even those who have been involved with “Christianity” may need to be reminded that we need to leave the old behind and embrace the new.
Today, help someone be blessed in finding the new – the true – in Jesus
Christ.
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