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18当下，约翰的门徒和法利赛人禁食。他们来问耶稣说：“约翰的门徒和法利赛人的门徒禁食，你的门徒倒不禁食，这是为什么呢？”19耶稣对他们说：“新郎和陪伴之人同在的时候，陪伴之人岂能禁食呢？新郎还同在，他们不能禁食。20但日子将到，新郎要离开他们，那日他们就要禁食。21没有人把新布缝在旧衣服上，恐怕所补上的新布带坏了旧衣服，破得就更大了。22也没有人把新酒装在旧皮袋里，恐怕酒把皮袋裂开，酒和皮袋就都坏了；惟把新酒装在新皮袋里。”
对于那些质问耶稣为什么不禁食的人，耶稣的观点很简单:犹太教在最虔诚的层面上，就像文士和法利赛人所表现的那样，完全脱离了上帝的拯救计划。他们当喜乐的时候却哀哭，因为他们厌弃救主耶稣，他们坚守自己旧的律法和规矩，要靠着行为赚取救恩。因此，他们与耶稣的拯救毫无关系。他们内心被自以为义充满;而耶稣却宣扬神的恩典。他们否认自己有罪;而耶稣却呼唤人为罪悔改。他们对自己的宗教狂热感到自豪;而耶稣却宣扬谦卑。他们拥抱外在的仪式和传统;而耶稣却呼唤人内心的完全改变。他们喜欢人们的认可;而耶稣却带来了上帝的认可。他们的仪式陈旧死板的;而耶稣带来了一种动态的关系。他们提倡的是一种靠律法得救的体系;而耶稣提供了白白的救赎。”这就是旧衣服和新布，旧皮袋和新酒所比喻的含义。
我在这些经文中发现的应用是这样的。禁食常常与悔改联系在一起，但如果悔改不能把你带到耶稣面前，只会让你悲伤和害怕。无论我们认罪多少次，祈祷多少次，发多少誓言，如果我们不能在耶稣里找到赦免和救赎，我们就一无所有。所以你要尽可能多地和新郎待在一起。深深地喝下他赦免的新酒。脱下那破旧的罪的衣服，穿上他为你预备的公义的袍子。
祷告:神啊，求你为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵。不要丢弃我，使我离开你的面。不要从我收回你的圣灵。求你使我仍得你救恩之乐，赐我乐意的灵扶持我。阿们。(诗篇51:10-12)
Mark 2:18-22: John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. They came and asked Jesus, “Why is it that John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus said to them, “The friends of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then on that day they will fast. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the patch shrinks, the new tears away from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” (NIV)
I found this summary of these verses from John MacArthur: “Jesus’ point to His questioners was simply this: Judaism at its most devout level, as exemplified by the scribes and Pharisees, was completely out of touch with God’s plan of salvation. They were mourning when they should have been rejoicing, because they had rejected Jesus the Savior and clung to their own rules and regulations to earn salvation. Consequently, they had nothing in common with Him. They were consumed with self-righteousness; he preached divine grace. They denied they were sinners; he preached repentance from sin. They were proud of their religiosity; he preached humility. They embraced external ceremony and tradition; he preached a transformed heart. They loved the applause of men; he offered the approval of God. They had dead ritual; he offered a dynamic relationship. They promoted a system; he provided salvation.”
The application I find in these verses is this. Fasting was often associated with repentance, but repentance that doesn’t lead you to Jesus will only leave you sad and frightened. No matter how many confessions we make, or how many prayers we pray, or how many vows we vow, if we do not find forgiveness and salvation in Jesus, we are left with nothing. So spend as much time with the Bridegroom as you can. Drink deeply of the new wine of his forgiveness. Throw off the old and tattered clothing of your sin and wear the robes of righteousness that he has provided for you.
Prayer: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Amen. (Psalm 51:10-12)