Today's Gospel (Mk 2:18-22): One day, when the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting, some people asked Jesus, «Why is it that both the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?». Jesus answered, «How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them and on that day they will fast.

»No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the wine would burst the skins and then both the wine and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!».

Fr Villanueva I Poll understands it this way
Commentary: Fr. Joaquim Villanueva I Poll (Girona, Catalonia)

«How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?»

Today, we can see that, besides fasting on the Day of Atonement (cf. Lev 16:29-34), the Jewish people observe many other days of fasting, both public and private. Days of fast manifested mourning, penance, purification, preparation for a feast or a mission, demand of God's grace, etc. Pious Jews considered fasting an act of virtue of their religion which pleased God. One who fasts addresses God in an attitude of humility; he implores forgiveness for his separation from God while depriving himself of those things that often cause the separation.

That Jesus does not instill this practice into his disciples and followers comes as a surprise for John's disciples and for the Pharisees. They cannot understand it. But Jesus gives them a fundamental reason: «How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?» (Mk 2:19). For Israel's prophets, the bridegroom signifies God himself, faithful Yahweh, and his divine love for men (in contrast to Israel, his not always so faithful spouse). Hence, Jesus is tantamount to Yahweh, and He here declares his divinity: he calls his disciples «the bridegroom's friends», and those who are with him do not need to fast for they are not separated from him.

The Church has remained faithful to Christ's teaching on fasting which, though coming from the prophets and even being a natural and spontaneous practice in many religions, our Lord confirms with a new meaning. Fasting can be used as preparation; it strengthens prayer and contemplation. Jesus fasts in the desert as a preparation for his public life.

Many poor people, not unacquainted with shabby clothes were among those who listened to our Lord. So too were vintners who certainly knew what happens when the new wine is put into old wineskins. Jesus reminds them all that they have to receive his message with a new spirit, one that breaks with conformity and the routines of jaded souls; Jesus proposes something entirely different, not another version of the Law, but a new life altogether.
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I have often wondered how the cloth repair and wine skins fit in to the first part.
Now I understand.
:confused:How do you understand it?:confused:
:)Peace and kindness,:)
Fred

This was very insightful. Thank you for the interpretation.

arcura -

It is my understanding that what Jesus was taking issue with in this passage is the idea that he was one sent from God to proclaim the truth. But the people's conception of the truth and of God needed to undergo a serious paradigm shift because what Jesus was teaching them was radical and in some ways, inconsistent with that they had always believed.

The idea of sewing a new piece of cloth on an old coat is a metaphor (obviously) for how trying to take the words of Christ and simply join them to what I always believed is impractical; especially when what I believe is not the truth. Why? Because what it is that he was teaching forces me to totally forsake what I have believed before, if I am to be committed to his teaching. I may hold very tightly to certain ways of looking at life and at God, but when the truth confronts my worldview, the truth is radical and will force me to embrace it and discard my old vision of reality or continue to hold fast to what I always believed. However, I cannot join Christ's teaching with my philosophy and expect that they will fit together nicely... that is precisely Christ's metaphor. It is impractical. The one will destroy the other. New cloth on old cloth will harm the old and new wine in old skins is hazardous because it will cause the skins to burst.

If I am understanding Christ rightly, his proclamation of the kingdom of God was a call to a radical commitment to his words. Lots of people came in the name of God before Jesus. Many had been committed to the Pharisees and Sadducees ways of looking at life, but when the Son of God came and spoke the truth as it was from God, what were the people to do with it? Is my wisdom greater than the wisdom of God? Is my reasoning more informed... more realistic? Maybe I partly believe Christ but maybe I'm somewhat skeptical. Well, I have to make a choice. I cannot maintain an a la carte theology (I'll believe whatever I want to believe or whatever I'm comfortable with) when the truth of God is so confrontational and requiring of a decision.

It is never an easy thing for anyone to ditch his beliefs in the face of new and compelling information. But if we are to have integrity and real faith, I must decide; even if it is uncomfortable making the decision to follow the truth.

This is my understanding of this passage.

jakester,
Thank you much for your thought on that passage.
I do agree.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

The parables of Jesus are often mysterious and require deep thought. I appreciated reading your post - very well done.

Athos,
Yes without Jesus' explanation of some of His parables they would be VERY mysteious.
Peace and kindness,
Fred