Need an audience with God? (Luke 5:33-35)

Luke 5:33-35 ³³ And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? ³⁵ The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."

Jesus predicts his death, "the bridegroom will be taken away." And then Jesus tells us that it will be time to fast.  Yet, I don't know a lot of people who fast. 

Fasting in the Bible is interesting.  

• Moses fasted during the time God was giving him the commandments.
• People fasted when they wanted to repent - like King David after he fathered a child with his friend's wife and God told him the child was going to die. 
• People fasted on behalf of others who needed to repent - like the prophets Nehemiah or Daniel or Ezra who asked God to forgive the sins of the people who had turned against God. 
• People fasted when they had a request to ask of God - like Hannah when she wanted a child or like Mordecia when he wanted protection for the people of God or King Darius in order to ask God to protect Daniel from the den of lions.
• People fasted to greive the death of those they loved.
• People fasted to seek God concerning certain matters before them
• Anna fasted in order to live a life of service to God. 
• Paul fasted after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. 
• Cornelius, a pagan, fasted because he didn't know who God was and asked God to reveal himself to him so he could worship him. 
• The leaders of the early church fasted when they sought God's will... or when they commissioned someone into God's service. 
• Paul wrote about married couples fasting together. 
• Jesus told the disciples to fast to cast out certain demons.
• Jesus fasted when he was faced with trials

People fasted as a group and as individuals.  Some gave up all food and water, others just food, others just particular foods.  Some fasted for a meal and some for a long time.  The point of fasting was not to perfect a ritual, but to set aside a time to come close to God and seek God's will or comfort - listening and talking to God.

Yet, there is a wrong way to fast too.  Isaiah 58 describes fasting for the purpose of selfish gain.  God tells those who fast for this reason to go loose the bonds of injustice, let the oppressed go free, share their bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into their own homes - and then he will hear them in their fast.  Matthew 6 says not to fast for show.  Zechariah 7:5 asks if the people are fasting for God or for themselves.  Fasting is about seeking God not seeking gain.

Our world is so busy... how on earth can we find time to fast?  Fasting isn't just missing some meal - it is always coupled with prayer.  And that takes time.  How do we find time to seek God's will?  Most of us want a text message from God instead of putting any effort into our relationship with him.  And with this being our attitude, no wonder most of us don't know what God's vision is for us - even for our very next steps.  We ramble around hoping God will stop us if it is the wrong direction - we throw up a prayer barely thought out.  Yet, God wants us to intentionally enter into a conversation with him so God can give us his vision and the power to follow that vision.

Could it be time to fast? 

Here is a good practical guide to fasting:  http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

New Wineskins (Luke 5:33-39)

A pastor friend of mine had been a pastor for a while at a small church that was going no where.  In fact, it had been going no where for longer than he had been the pastor there.  Oh they met on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, but he knew something was missing.  The church was really just a clubhouse for long time members, their grown children, and a few grandkids.  And despite a nice neighborhood growing up around the church over the years and a trickle of visitors, no one ever joined - or if they did, they didn't stay for very long.  And even though they tried hard to hide it and act gracious and dignified, there was always a mess going on somewhere in the church - affairs, substance abuse, child abuse, sometimes even worse stuff - if you can imagine worse stuff.  So he decided to take some classes for pastors about building the foundation for a healthy church.  After taking these classes, he begin to really preach clearly the way of Jesus for the first time.

He told them that Jesus taught us to demonstrate his love to those we wouldn't normally associate with, to serve those with our resources who didn't deserve it, to welcome outsiders into the church and treat them better than we treat ourselves, and to take care of one another by being in a deep committed relationship with one another speaking truth in love to each other.  To live holy lives walking with God and forsaking acts in our personal and business lives that hurt ourselves and others.  He begin to suggest practical ways to accomplish these things.  Their response was "We have been doing things this way for a hundred years. We like it this way." In other words, they thought their old wine tasted good and they wanted to keep drinking it. They weren't concerned that their church was just for themselves.

But Jesus comes with new wine ("This is my blood - the wine of the new covenant poured out for you") and he isn't going to put it in old wine skins. He wants to transform us completely so we can do the things he has called us to do: serve outsiders treating them better than ourselves, love each other more than we love ourselves, practice forgiveness, mercy, and grace.


Luke 5:33-39 ³³ And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? ³⁵ The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." ³⁶ He told them a parable also: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, `The old is good.'"

There is a famous quote, "What is wrong with most churches today is that the members haven't yet decided to follow Jesus."  I think this is true - many of us haven't given Jesus permission to transform us - we aren't sure we will like the new wine.  We have joined a club that supports our lifestyle and makes us feel good about ourselves - we drink old wine.  But Jesus wants to change our entire way of living and being.  Let him!  Drink the new wine.

God desires mercy from us - not sacrifice (Matt 9:9-13)

Matthew 9:9-13 ⁹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. ¹⁰ And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹² But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

Jesus is quoting the prophet Hosea:  "For God desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).   The people of Hosea's time were much like the Pharisees of Jesus' time.  In fact, they are like many religious people (including Christians) today.  They were great at all the religious stuff - doing the temple ritual complete with sacrifices and offerings, keeping a long list of rules, etc.  They thought they were tough stuff religiously - they thought that they had found a way to force God to bless them.  Wrong!  Their sacrifices, offerings, and rule keeping got them no where with God.  Nor do ours today.

Instead Jesus wants us to offer hesed to one another just like God has offered it to us.  The New Testament translates the word as mercy, kindness, compassion, even grace.  The Old Testament associates the word with God's covenant to us where God offered us mercy, kindness, compassion, grace even though we can't do anything to merit it.  God wants our response to his hesed to be an offering of hesed to others.

In other words, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that God wants them to offer mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace to the tax collector and other sinners.  Tax collectors were the most detested people in Jerusalem.  They took their fellow Jew's money and gave it to the Roman occupiers of Jerusalem while pocketing a good chunk for themselves.  They hurt their fellow Jews and strengthened the oppressors for their own gain.  They offered no mercy to their own people in order that they might get wealthy.  But Jesus says to offer even them hesed.

This is what God wants from us... to offer everyone hesed - mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace.  Even those who are wrong, even those who hurt us, even those who haven't asked and don't want forgiveness.  This is the way of Jesus.  Of course, Jesus demonstrated this teaching throughout his life and on the cross.  Demonstrate hesed today!

*****

Luke 5:27-32 ²⁷ After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." ²⁸ And he left everything, and rose and followed him. ²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" ³¹ And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Mark 2:14-17 ¹⁴ And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. ¹⁵ And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Not just a nice guy (Mark 2:1-12)

I hear the comment a lot that goes something like, "I like Jesus' teachings, but I don't believe that he was anything more than a good teacher."  But I have a hard time with that comment.  If someone comes to me and claims to be God - but I don't believe they are God, then I am not prone to agree with - or even listen to their teachings.  Rather, I would be forced to think they were mentally ill and somewhat unstable.  To me, accepting the teachings of someone who is crazy is kin to drinking the koolaid offered to me by a crazy person.  I think that to truly accept Jesus' teachings, you have to accept him too.

Jesus says in these verses that he has the authority to forgive sins.  The Jews he is speaking to know that only God can do that.  No human can. 

I love Jesus' teachings, but I also love him and I believe he was who he claimed to be.  I believe he has the authority to not only forgive my sins, but to transform me into someone who is whole - just like he transforms this paraplegic.  

Mark 2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. ³ Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" ⁸ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? ¹⁰ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- he said to the paralytic-- ¹¹ "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." ¹² And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

**** Below is the story from Luke's perspective:

Luke 5:17-26 ¹⁷ One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. ¹⁸ Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; ¹⁹ but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. ²⁰ When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." ²¹ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" ²² When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? ²⁴ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- he said to the one who was paralyzed-- "I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home." ²⁵ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. ²⁶ Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

Letting Jesus down. (Luke 5:14-16)

This is the weirdest thing.  Jesus heals a man and then warns the man not to tell anyone! 

Mark 1:43-45 43 After sternly warning the man whom he had healed, Jesus sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But the man went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.


Jesus knows the man isn't going to keep the secret.  And by not keeping the secret, Jesus' life is going to become a lot harder.  He won't be able to go into town openly - he will have to stay in places where crowds can gather - he will have to struggle to find time and quiet places to get alone to pray.   The man's loose tongue changes Jesus' whole ministry plan. 

Yet, Jesus heals him anyway!  He didn't have to.  He chose to.

You know... I find this true in my own life.  Jesus transforms me - my thoughts, my desires, my actions - even my physical body.  He does it even though he knows that I am still going to fall back into my old ways of living and let him down.  Yet, he does it anyway!!!  He heaps grace and mercy upon me filling me up again after I fail!!  And it just makes me want to serve him all the more... giving up my thoughts, desires, and actions - letting him turn them into his mature and faithful child! 

Let God heap his grace and mercy on you this day!  He knows you will mess up again sometime.  We all do.  But just keep accepting it and letting it transform you more deeply!

**** Other gospel accounts of this story...


Luke 5:14-16 ¹⁴ And Jesus ordered the man with leprosy whom he had healed to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them." ¹⁵ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

Matthew 8:4 ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

Jesus chooses (Luke 5:12-13)

Luke 5:12-16 ¹² Once, when Jesus was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." ¹³ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. 

The man who approaches Jesus looks horrific - he is covered with leprosy.  The man is considered unclean by Jewish law.  He is not supposed to get close to anyone.  This is how they kept diseases at bay. 

But imagine what life would be like if your family put you out of the house - if the town made you live outside the city limits - if no one ever got close enough to even hug you? 

The man breaks the law by coming to Jesus.  Jesus breaks the law by touching him. 

Who do you need to touch today?  Who might not have been touched in a long long time?  Reach out like Jesus did!

*****

Perspectives of the other gospels:

Matthew 8:1-4 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; ² and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." ³ He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Mark 1:40-45 ⁴⁰ A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." ⁴¹ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

Get alone and pray (Mark 1:35-38)

After a marathon day of healing and casting out demons...

Mark 1:35-38 ³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷ When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." ³⁸ He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." ³⁹ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
 
Luke 4:42 - 5:1 ⁴² At daybreak Jesus departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose." ⁴⁴ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus had a discipline of getting up early - getting alone - and praying.  What do you supposed the trinity talked about?  Do you think this time is where Jesus got focused on the things of God?  Is it how he kept himself from being persuaded by well meaning people to stay in one town when it was time to move on to the neighboring towns?  How will you get focused on the things of God today so that you won't be distracted by other's goals and aspirations?  What conversation will you have with the trinity today?