Slices
Prepare
Have you been hurt by a friend? Of course you have; most painful wounds come from people we love and trust. A harder question is: whom do you need to forgive?
Bible passage
Jesus questioned about fasting
14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’
15 Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
16 ‘No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’
Explore
The context of today’s passage is conflict. In verses 3 and 4 Jesus deals with teachers of the Law and in verse 11 with Pharisees. We shouldn’t be surprised by opposition from them. John the Baptist’s disciples, however, should have been on Jesus’ side, yet in verse 14 they come with a rebuke veiled in a question. They meant: you aren’t doing things properly; you aren’t teaching your disciples to fast (that’s not true – see 6:16).
Jesus responds with three illustrations. Which speaks most to you? The wedding (v 15)? Repairing clothing (v 16)? Wine storage (v 17)?
Wineskins were made from animal hides, treated to reduce bad taste and sewn up to make a container. Over time they became tough and brittle. Adding wine that’s still fermenting (ie producing gas) to a vessel that cannot stretch equals a waste of good wine (v 17).
The point is: the kingdom of God is a continuation of the old (it’s still ‘wine’) but it’s also radically new. Religious practices like fasting and praying are important, but in God’s kingdom what matters most is how you relate to the bridegroom (v 15): Jesus.
Respond
Does your faith resemble the way John’s disciples prized duty and religious practices? Fasting and other things have their place, but Jesus comes first. How can you ensure you don’t fall into the same trap they did?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 1 Kings 3–5; 1 Corinthians 11
Pray for Scripture Union
At this early stage in the financial year, thank God for financial provision and for our dedicated supporters. Pray that through the coming year he will continue to provide so that we can reach more and more children and young people.
Because a strong start begins with smart preparation
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