Mark 2:18-22
There
are certain things that are expected of religious people. These might change
depending on the culture, but there will be expectations placed on those who
claim a spiritual connection. For those who claim to be Christians, the
expectations are high. In the past here in the United States, Christians didn’t
smoke, drink alcohol, dance, swear, play card games or dress certain ways. The
expectations were almost universal. And when someone violated those
expectations, they were socially shunned.
And
Scripture states certain expectations for Jesus-followers which cross time and
culture. I will give you one example. Christians should never rape. It doesn’t
make any difference what culture you are in or in what period of history, rape
is always wrong for Jesus-followers. Even in cultures where rape is an accepted
part of the culture at large, Christians should not participate. There is no
wiggle room or arguing about the definition of rape. Rape is wrong. Sexual
violation can never be a tolerated behavior. “Love” doesn’t change that.
Just
as there are prohibited behaviors for believers, there are also proscribed
behaviors, things that we must do if we claim to be Jesus-followers. For
instance, we must gather together as believers in worship and encouragement of
one another. That might look different in a Muslim country under the cover of
darkness than here in the West, but it must still take place.
In
Jesus’ days here on earth the Jewish expectations of a “good Jew” were very
well spelled out. One of the things done was fasting. The Pharisees were the
most religious people around. They kept careful tabs on their behavior, and the
behavior of others. They were not afraid to point out other’s failures. Don’t
you just hate it when people do that to you!
Jesus
did not live up to their expectations as a Jewish Rabbi, a teacher, let alone
as a Prophet. He and His disciples didn’t look like any other group of teachers
and students. They didn’t have proscribed dress or religious restrictions like
the Pharisees did. And some people notice this point it out to Jesus and His
disciples.
Jesus
answers that there is an appropriate time to fast, but this is not that time.
There will be a time in the future when fasting is appropriate for the
disciples. They will fast then. Fasting now would not fit with the new and
complete revelation of God in Jesus. Trying to fit fasting into the picture
would ruin the message of completion and fulfillment that Jesus is bringing.