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LUKE - Christ, the Savior of the World
A Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Christ according to Luke
PART 3 - JESUS' MINISTRY IN GALILEE (Luke 4:14 - 9:50)
5. Encounters with Strict Religious Leaders (Luke 5:17 - 6:11)
LUKE 5:33-39
33 They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” 34 He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
Christ did not come as a gloomy prophet, preparing people for God through fasts and laws. He is rather, as the bridegroom who brings joy to all his companions and adherents. The Son of Man came from heaven to be united with humanity in a pure spiritual union. His motive was the love of God, his dress was his holiness, his sign was his meekness, and his power was his patience.
The divine Bridegroom asked for his bride who was not mindful about him, but indulged in sexual immorality with the mean spirits of this world. Yet the lover did not reject the sinful bride, but purified her with his blood, and sanctified her with his Spirit. The church is a purified bride of the Son of God. Why does joy not prevail in the human race as long as heaven is united with earth, and God with men?
In the past, the repentant fasted, and struck their bodies hoping that God would bestow plentiful blessings upon them. But now God has appeared through Christ among men. He came with the abundance of his love to the obstinate and disobedient, and brought them eternal joy. Thus fasting ended, and sad prayers did not ascend to heaven any longer. On the contrary, trilling cries of joy spread everywhere, for God arrived on earth. Does your heart participate in the heavenly joy, because the Eternal One appeared indeed among the mortal human beings?
The fanatic Pharisees did not realize the mystery of the Son of Man, but criticized his disciples for their joyfulness. The followers of John the Baptist also knit their brows, and shook their heads at the new godliness of Christians, who lived without fasting like other people, and did not exercise corporal penances to win the kingdom of God.
Those who clung fanatically to the law though they worked for the sake of pleasing God did not recognize Christ, in whom all the fullness of heavenly blessings dwelt freely among us. They wanted to continue with their human good deeds, law-abiding behavior, and gloomy righteousness, so that they might be justified and sanctified. Yet, such was impossible and unworkable.
There is a great difference between the godliness of the Old Testament, and the righteousness of the New Testament. Men of old considered themselves righteous, dressing themselves up with their own deeds as if they were dressed in an ostentatiously bright dress. Such a dress would soon become torn and old, as every man is sinful before his Lord. But Christ came to us with his own righteousness, purified us with his blood, and clothed us with his righteousness. Because of his gracious kindness, every Christian wears the eternal pure white wedding garment. It is impossible to mistake the human and the heavenly gowns one for another. You have either to prepare yourself for God’s wedding in your old, torn gown made of your own righteousness, or to be completely sanctified only with the blood of Christ.
Christ compared the spirit of his age to new wine that does not combine with old bottles woven with thousands of law threads. The love of Christ tears all superficial human judgments, and instead consecrates man to the service of God and the needy. Holy consecration to the service of love is the new godliness of the age of Christ, where the Spirit of the Lord does not break us with prohibitions, commandments, and judgments; but encourages us to a new life in which love is the perfection of law. However, those who live in the past, are used to their hard judgments and gloomy repentance. They do not want to leave that atmosphere, but to sip their laws as mature wine, and refresh themselves with that (wine!). They do not know the power of God’s love. Moreover, they do not know the new wine that entered into the world through the blood of Christ which works in our bodies, and minds, driving out all filthiness from us. Thus Christ called his disciples to new ways of life, and to unique divine power, and delivered them from lifeless rites and judgments. Have you prepared yourself for the wedding of the Son of God? Do you associate with him in his service to the needy and the crowds? Enter into the joy of your Lord and ask help for the poor, and then you will find the divine Bridegroom with them.
PRAYER: O Lord, your Holy Spirit delivers us from our selves, and from the rules of men. Your precious blood clothes us with your righteousness, purity, and majesty. Please help us to continue in your love and peace, so that we may become lively members of your bride the church, and inspire us t good deeds by your great grace.
QUESTION 47: Why did Christ call himself the Bridegroom, and rejected the order of fasting of the Old Testament?