Fasting – giving up something such as food in order to spend time in prayer – provides a unique opportunity to meet with God without distraction. It emphasises our dependence on God and helps us to focus on him. 

The disciples of John the Baptist wanted to know why Jesus’ disciples weren’t fasting (v 14). Jesus explained to them that his disciples had no need to fast – they were daily in the presence of God, even if they didn’t realise it! For them, it was a question of timing which they didn’t yet understand (v 15). He alluded, for the first time in this Gospel, to his forthcoming death, but the disciples did not pick up on it. 

Jesus had no problem with fasting in itself (see Matthew 4:2; 6:16–18). But a new era was coming when the old rules of religion would give way to the joy of God’s kingdom. At that time, wine was kept in leather wineskins – and (like new patches on old clothes, v 16) you never put new wine in old ones because they would burst (v 17). With Jesus’ presence, and his forthcoming resurrection, things were changing. New wineskins were needed for the new wine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God; / fill me with life anew’.¹

Did Jesus rule out fasting by his disciples (v 14)? Apparently not, as he has already given them guidance in how to fast.² Perhaps John’s disciples are referring to a particular regular ritual of fasting that Jesus’ disciples did not adopt.³ Jesus implies that when he is crucified his disciples will mourn (v 15), but before then – and, for all Christians, following Jesus’ resurrection – it is a time of rejoicing! There will be times when it is appropriate for us to fast and seek God, as we await the full inauguration of his kingdom and mourn for a broken world, but Jesus’ words encourage us always to come back to a place of joy: Christ is alive and has invited us to feast with him.

In this context, Jesus’ references to garments and wine appear to imply that the kingdom he is launching is so new and fresh that all the traditions and customs that have gone before cannot hold it. He is not encouraging the wholesale rejection of the Jewish Law: he has come to fulfil, not abolish, the Law and the Prophets.⁴ Rather, he implies that his followers should resist manipulating the gospel to fit into particular rituals or traditions.

Two thousand years on, we can fall into the trap of treating this new wine as having aged. Vintage wine is very nice, but it’s no longer fermenting with energy and creativity. Likewise, it’s easy to carry on with faith practices and formulas of speech that might once have been fresh and gospel-driven but have now become merely comfortable. The good news, however, is ever new! Let us resist the temptation to prioritise our particular forms of faith culture over the freedom of the gospel to shock and offend and blow the Spirit into manicured lives.

Pray that you may know afresh ‘his incomparably great power for us who believe’.⁵

¹ Edwin Hatch, 1835–89  ² Matt 6:16–18  ³ Nolland, Matthew, p390  ⁴ Matt 5:17  ⁵ Eph 1:18,19