Why Are John’s Disciples So Worried About Jesus’ Disciples Fasting?

WHY DON'T THEY FAST? The question from John’s disciples shows that they missed the point that Jesus just made.

- Matthew 9:13-14.

- In v. 14, John’s disciples come and ask about why Jesus’ disciples aren’t fasting. In other gospels, it gives us more information that the Pharisees were in the mix here as well (Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33), since they also practiced regular fasting. This is a question that comes immediately after Jesus’ statement in v. 13 about God desiring mercy, not sacrifice. And coming right then makes it an example of completely missing Jesus’ point.

- The question in v. 14 speaks volumes about how they (John’s disciples and the Pharisees) defined their religion. They saw that Jesus’ disciples weren’t fasting and they thought it was enough of a breach of mandatory religious practice that it required confronting Jesus about it. (Note that it must have been a pretty big deal for this to be an issue they would confront Jesus concerning.) This was important to them and they couldn’t comprehend what Jesus could be thinking.

- In contrast to the Great Commission, you might say here that they are concerned about Jesus’ “great omission.” Why leave fasting out of the picture for His disciples?

- Now, I want to answer these questions, but before I do with the next point on your sermon outline, let me pause for a moment and talk about fasting.

- If you read the rest of the New Testament, fasting is commended. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount presumes that His disciples will fast. Paul fasts, for instance during the Road to Damascus experience. So the point we are going for here is not that fasting is terrible and no one should ever do it again.

- On the other hand, it’s also important that we note that weekly fasting was not required in the Old Testament Law.

- There is a requirement to fast on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). See Leviticus 16:29, 31. Later some other days of fasting would be added to the expected behavior for a faithful Jew. Important for what we’re talking about here, though, is this point: the Pharisees fasted twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays) as common practice (see Luke 18:12). Obviously, with the disciples of John coming to Jesus here with their complaint, they also had some practice of regular fasting each week.

- I want to unpack this more throughout the remainder of the sermon, but for now let me simply make the point: this weekly requirement to fast that seems to be the basis for the complaint from John’s disciples had no basis in Scriptural command. While fasting is to be commended, that doesn’t mean that is was commanded as mandated by the disciples of John and the Pharisees. That means what John’s disciples are complaining about in v. 14 was not the violation of a Scriptural command. What was it then? We’ll get into that in a moment.

THE HEART OF GOD: His heart desires mercy, not sacrifice.

- Matthew 9:13-14.

- To figure out what all is going on here, let’s go to the previous verse for a moment and ponder it. In the larger story there Jesus is accused of eating with tax collectors and sinners – presumably horrible, disqualifying behavior for a religious leader. In v. 13 Jesus explains why it isn’t merely permissible that He is doing this, but it actually illuminates the center of the heart of God.

- Jesus tells them that He wants mercy, not sacrifice. This doesn’t mean that sacrifice is worthless or will never happen (after all, several of the disciples will eventually die for their faith). No, it means that the heart of God is moved most by a desire to see mercy extended to the least of these. Mercy is what He desires most.

- I think this idea ties in perfectly with Jesus discussion elsewhere of the two greatest commandments. They are, of course, to love God and love people. The second one is crucial on this point. The reason that Jesus states that He desires mercy is that He loves people and wants to see them made whole. This is the heart of God – to see mercy shown to those away from Him that may know that He loves them. The love and mercy are two sides of the same coin.

- This is precisely the reason that the question from the disciples of John is so striking.

- What is their question about? It’s about sacrifice!

- As we noted earlier, there is no requirement in the Old Testament for the Jews to fast twice a week. It’s a requirement that some have voluntarily taken upon themselves as a part of the expression of their faith. It is a sacrifice they are making as part of their faith. They’re giving up eating two days a week as part of their faith. It’s a sacrifice they’re making.