Matthew 9: Fasting, Wineskins, and Garments

Well, today I read Matthew 9. This chapter contains what has got to be my favorite Jesus story. It’s the one where he calls the bluff of the Pharisees who tell him that anyone can just go around forgiving people.

Anyway, I’m not here to talk about that one – although I could. I’m writing because I have some questions about the way jesus approaches a question about fasting. The disciples of john the Baptist come to him at dinner and mention that while they and the super-religious Pharisees fast regularly, they have noticed that jesus and his disciples do not. Jesus responds with three analogies: one about a bridegroom who is still hanging out with his buddies before the wedding, one about new wine in old wineskins, and one about a new patch on old clothing (“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”). Immediately after this interaction, jairus, a temple official come to jesus with a pressing need concerning his dead daughter and very quickly the context surrounding fasting seems, to me, to come to an end. What I don’t get is how a few comments about wineskins and garment patches relate to the initial question about fasting. I resisted the urge as best I could to peek at the footnotes and see if they had any wisdom to offer. I generally dislike footnotes in my bible because I don’t trust them and I’ve been in too many bible studies where people just contribute to discussion by reading the footnotes everyone has in their own bible. Also, footnotes are typically very brief and I’d like to entertain the possibility that more explanations are open for debate. I’d much rather take the opinion of a person I know; someone I trust and respect when it comes to biblical matters. Unfortunately, against all my better judgment, I read the footnote and the explanation was quite simple: jesus was alluding to the fact that his kingdom was new and differed greatly to the one understood by john the Baptist and the Pharisees. Ok, easy enough. I consulted my friend, ken, and he corroborated the story so I guess I’m satisfied with the insight provided by the editors, but he also added a bit. Ken placed the passage in the context of an earlier statement jesus makes in chapter 6 where he says, “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill.” That’s what the wineskins and patches were! The disciples could not attach the ministry of jesus to the old mosaic law because the two were incompatible. Jesus had no intention of wrecking the older system and that could only be done by not trying to fit the his with old. In fact, this whole idea is unveiled very clearly in chapters 5-7 where jesus tells the masses tons of stuff like, “you have heard (this) before, but I tell you (that).” This little dialogue with some john-the-Baptist cronies was just an extension of his earlier sermon on the mount, ultimately reiterating the revolutionary concept behind his whole mission. Jesus was ground-breaking and he was here to bring a whole new way of life.

Personal application? Well, I never knew the old way of doing things. I think I may have fasted two times in my life, once for sure. In fact, I wasn’t even there when jesus was describing his “new” and “revolutionary” way of doing things so I wouldn’t be very good at contrasting the two, but I love realizing how radical jesus was and because of that I think this section of the bible is very important. I don’t need to know about fasting and about the way things used to be to know that jesus’ way still holds appeal in a human culture that gets bogged down in patterns of self-interest and trendiness (at least in my neck of the woods). The fact of the matter is that I am still bombarded with stimuli that tell me to look out for myself and my agenda or to side with someone who will. No matter what the issue, people in my culture are drawing lines in the sand and giving me two options for everything: agree or disagree. And it’s always set up so that I am petitioning to fall into favor with someone. No one ever tells me to turn the other cheek or to love my enemy; that the meek, the merciful, and the pure in heart are blessed ; and certainly no one has ever dared to tell me that I am a sinner, incapable of making it by myself. This is not one of those passages that make me want to go out and tell people about jesus and it’s not illustrating some huge theological or philosophical principle. but it does, however, make me want to get to know jesus and his ideas more and try to approach my friends, my circles, and my culture with the same sort of revolutionary attitude that he had. I like it.

Matthew 7:7-29 "Measuring Up"

The portion about the tree and its fruit is a tough passage for me. I think my first impulse has always been to use it as a measuring stick for judging other christians, but i know that i should probably focus it more on myself than on anyone. i know it's not proper to judge other people, but why does the passage read, "by their fruit you will recognize them"? anyway, i guess that's all i have to comment on. i need to spend more time making sure that i bear good fruit and not worry so much about others. but that response reeks of catholic guilt syndrome; i shouldn't be walking around feeling guilty in my christianity -- i've been made okay by christ! so what's a brother to do? maybe i don't need to worry about rules and lists and measuring sticks for being a decent christian. a friend of mine says that the basis for his whole ministry - in fact, his whole life - is founded upon two principles: "loving the lord, my god with all my heart, soul, and strength" and possessing a christ-centered love for others. those two attitudes of love should be the fruit i try and produce in my life. i think that other incidental decisions will flow as biproducts of my interest in loving god and others. lord, help me to love you and to love others with the love you have given me.

Hebrews 12 -- Chastisement?

HEBREWS 12: CHASTISEMENT, ESAU, AND CONSUMING FIRE

This portion of the New Testament spends the first 11 verses discussing “chastisement.” It speaks of the love associated with being chastised and how punishment doesn’t feel good in the immediate, but is looked back upon with at least mild gratitude.

Several questions arise:

1. how does god chastise us today? Was Katrina a form of divine chastisement? Can an unplanned pregnancy or the loss of a job be god’s way of telling us we are need of more faith in him? When exactly are we chastised by him?
2. can god’s chastisement come through the earthly authorities like police and judges?
3. if we don’t detect any chastisement, does that mean we are not being chastised? If so, does that mean that we are not loved/sons of god?
4. verses 12-17 list several examples of personalities that call for change: those who hold bitterness between friends, those who do not keep peace, the profane (like Esau), and fornicators. So my question is: are there benchmarks to be reached? When have we had enough chastisement to cure any bitterness or profanity we may possess? I suppose this could be my biggest question about the bible, period – when do we reach “good enough”? (secretly, I don’t think there is a good enough, but without a goal to shoot for sometimes I get the impression that god is playing with a stacked deck).
5. I reckon the first 11 verses on chastisement are pretty straightforward, but after that, it seems that author drops the whole subject and moves on to talk about Moses and the things that can be shaken on earth. Maybe it’s just the KJ translation, but I could not make hide nor hair of the last half of chapter 12.

Conclusions?

Casi: Maybe it is that God lets things run their natural course in the way of chastisement. I have noticed that he seems to do this in many other areas (healing, for example), why wouldn’t it be the same for this particular action. Perhaps it is that God simply uses our authorities - the government, our parents - as an extension of his authority instead of raining down fire on us like he did in the days of Sodom and Gomorra. Perhaps God lets us suffer the consequences of our own actions, getting an STD for promiscuity, or going to jail for theft, instead of appearing to us personally to punish us. Maybe Hurricane Katrina happened because of the change in weather patterns, and maybe my uncle lost his job because the company had to downsize and God can use those things for his purposes, but that’s it. And maybe I do lose my job because I lied to my boss and I need to grow up and learn to face the consequences of my actions like a son faces the discipline of his father.

Andy: But if this is the case, how does this address those of us who are not promiscuous thieves? Are not people who make fewer rash decisions still in need of frequent character realignment? Just because I don’t overtly steal from others or break god’s commands when it comes to promiscuity does not mean that I have a righteous character. furthermore, for every individual who does get arrested or afflicted with an std, there are many more who continue with similar behavior consequence-free. No, this theory definitely has holes and I’m still left wondering how and why the lord will chastise me. I reckon I’m missing something crucial.

Casi: However, because the Bible does say that god punishes his sons, maybe bad guys get away with doing bad things because God is more concerned with making sure that his loved ones get punished for their misbehavior. Another important point for consideration is that you or I cannot possibly know all the consequences Joe might be facing for his promiscuity or whatever other sin if he does not show it on the outside: guilt and remorse, conflict in future relationships, destruction of past relationships, emotional baggage, transference of the std (sorry, a little stuck on this one), etc. etc. All I’m saying is that I don’t think God causes cancer to punish you for cheating on your income taxes. He’s a logical God and he made the universe to follow his rules.

Andy: I don’t think god is logical. He’s operating on a whole different plane. His thoughts are not our thoughts. The phrase “god-thing” comes to mind as does, “god works in mysterious ways.” I suspect that god seems logical when our ends appear to align with his but beyond earthly wisdom when we cannot figure out the how or why.