Luke 5:33-39

Applebury's Comments

The Complaint About Fasting
Scripture

Luke 5:33-39 And they said unto him, The disciples of John fact often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink. 34 And Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days. 36 And he spake also a parable unto them: No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good.

Comments

They said unto him.According to Matthew 9:14, it was the disciples of John who raised the question about fasting. The Pharisees took up the issue and asked, Why do your disciples eat and drink? John's didn-'t and the Pharisees-' didn-'t. They implied that Jesus and His disciples were doing wrong by eating and drinking with the publicans and sinners.

while the bridegroom is with them?Jesus answered the complainers with the illustration of the wedding feast. It wouldn-'t be fitting to hold a fast at a wedding; even John's disciples would see the correctness of His position. The time for fasting would be when the bridegroom was taken away. Jesus is the Bridegroom, His disciples are the attendants. After the crucifixion, He was to ascend to the Father. It is appropriate for the disciples to fast while awaiting His return (Acts 13:2).

a piece from a new garment.A second illustration enforces His argument. Fasting while Jesus was with them was just as much out of place as putting a piece from a new garment on an old garment. There is a tendency for people to resist change. Jesus said, No man having drunk old wine desireth new. Jesus understood why they didn-'t want to see the time-honored custom of fasting set aside even while He was with them.

Summary

The chapter begins with the account of two dramatic incidents in Jesus-' Galilean ministry of healing and teaching. It continues with the account of the beginnings of the tide of complaint against Him that reached its crest at Calvary.
On the shores of Lake Genessaret, a crowd had gathered to hear Jesus speak the word of God. He sat in Simon Peter's boat and taught the people. When He finished speaking, He said to Peter, Put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. Peter, experienced fisherman that he was, said, We toiled all night and took nothing, but if you say so we will let down the nets again. They did and the miracle took place! So many fish were caught that the nets were breaking and the boats were beginning to sink.
When Peter saw it, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. But Jesus said, From now on you shall catch men. Then the disciples left all and followed Him.
A man who was full of leprosy came up to Jesus and said, If you will, you can make me clean. Jesus said, I will; be clean. And again a miracle happened; his leprosy was gone!
Jesus told him to tell no one, but go and show himself to the priest. Instead, he told everybody what happened, and crowds came to hear Jesus and to be healed. Then Jesus withdrew into a lonely place to pray.
The great popularity of Jesus was bound to arouse the opposition of the leaders of the Jews. He healed a paralytic after He had forgiven his sins, but they complained that He was speaking blasphemies. They reasoned that only God could forgive sins, but they were unaware of the deity of Jesus and that the Son of Man had authority on earth to forgive sins.
They complained about His association with publicans, but Jesus answered, Those who are in good health do not need a physician, but the sick do. They complained that He did not observe the time-honored custom of fasting, but He answered by showing that fasting was out of place while He, the bridegroom, was present. The time would come, however, when fasting would be appropriate. He implied that He would not be with them always, for He was going to the Father.
His answers to the complaints were clear and adequate, but the enemy was interested only in destroying any confidence the people might have in Him. They kept it up until the people were persuaded at His trial to cry out, Away with him; let Him be crucified.

Questions

1.

Under what circumstances did Jesus teach the lesson about becoming fishers of men?

2.

Where did Jesus do most of His teaching?

3.

What are the other names for the Sea of Galilee?

4.

What name did Luke use.

5.

How did Jesus use the miracle of catching fish to teach the lesson about fishers of men?

6.

Why did Peter protest when Jesus said, Put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch?

7.

What is the meaning of the word master which Peter used in addressing Jesus?

8.

How does it differ in meaning from Lord?

9.

How did Peter show his confidence in Jesus?

10.

What did Peter say when he saw that a miracle had happened?

11.

What basic mistake did he make?

12.

What proof is there that it was a genuine miracle?

13.

When did Jesus perform another miracle like it?

14.

What was Peter's response at that time?

15.

Who were the sons of Zebedee? What were they to Peter?

16.

Although the word catch literally means take alive, what point did Jesus make in using it?

17.

What did the disciples do after they witnessed the miracle?

18.

What are the facts about the cure of leprosy in Bible times?

19.

In what ways is the disease of leprosy like sin?

20.

What were the O. T. regulations about leprosy and its cure?

21.

Who are the three O. T. characters who were stricken with leprosy because of their acts of sin?

22.

What did the leper say to Jesus?

23.

Why did Jesus forbid him to tell about his healing?

24.

Why did he disobey?

25.

Why do some disobey the gospel command to tell the good news to all the world?

26.

What was Jesus-' attitude toward all the sick who were brought to Him?

27.

Why did He withdraw to a quiet place?

28.

How was Luke able to write such vivid accounts of the ministry of Jesus?

29.

What are some of the facts about Jesus-' prayers?

30.

How can the story of Jesus become a living reality to us?

31.

What was the primary purpose of Jesus miracles?

32.

Why did Jesus and the apostles teach in the synagogues of the Jews?

33.

Who were the Pharisees?

34.

What are the beliefs of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?

35.

Who were the scribes? What was their work?

36.

Where was the principal opposition to Jesus located?

37.

Why did Jesus carry on the greater part of His ministry in Galilee?

38.

What is meant by seeing their faith?

39.

Why did Jesus forgive the sins of the paralytic before He healed him?

40.

Explain the reasoning of those who said that Jesus had spoken blasphemies.

41.

What is meant by the heart as the term is used in Scripture?

42.

How does the gospel act upon the heart?

43.

Which was easier for Jesus to say, Your sins are forgiven or Arise and walk?

44.

Why did Jesus say to the paralytic, Arise and walk?

45.

What was the reaction of the people to the miracle of healing the paralytic?

46.

Who was Levi? What was his other name?

47.

What did Levi do after becoming a follower of Jesus?

48.

What was the attitude of the Pharisees when they saw Jesus at Levi's feast?

49.

How did Jesus answer their complaint?

50.

How did Jesus answer the complaint about fasting?

51.

What was implied by His remark?

52.

What does the Bible say about fasting on the part of Christians?