New Testament: Mark 2.21

To read the Bible in a year, read Mark 2 on February 18, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

People questioned Jesus about his disciples not fasting, whereas, the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees did fast. 

Jesus gave three illustrations to explain why his disciples were not fasting, but why they would later. In his second illustration, he said: 

“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.”

– Mark 2.21 

The disciples of Jesus did not have a reason to fast as long as he was with them, but when he left, (referring to his death), they would then have reason to fast. 

Timing matters when it comes to the things that we do as followers of Christ. There is a time to fast and a time to eat, and getting those times mixed up does not work well. It is like sewing a piece of unshrunk cloth to an old garment (one that has already shrunk), because it will not work. When you wash the patched garment, the new piece will shrink and make the original tear worse. 

As Solomon taught in Ecclesiastes 3: 

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die…

– Ecclesiastes 3.1–8 

Wise is he who knows when to plant and when to pluck up what is planted, when to kill and when to heal, when to mourn and when to laugh, when to seek and when to lose, and so forth. 

Questions: 

• Do you know when to fast? 
• Have you ever fasted? 
• If you never have, why not? 

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