Day 35 - Luke 5:33-35

A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal

Day 35

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.”

This is a parallel passage to Matthew 9:15 which was discussed on Day 12. I thought it prudent to revisit now, near the end of my fasting period as a reminder that the “bridegroom” Christ is not with us. Certainly for Believers he is always with us, so to speak, but in the actual physical sense he is not. As addressed in the Gospels, particularly here in Luke.

Jesus was taken away from them and then it was up to the apostles to go out and be “fishers of men.” As I’ve mentioned a number of times now, the practice of fasting is all but gone. At least in the western church. It is another pitfall of our comfort. Our desire to be comfortable has outlived our desire to serve Christ. The western church is, by and large, an apostate desecration of what God wants of us. Comfortable setting, comfortable air conditioner, comfortable band, comfortable message, comfortable 501(c)(3) yoke of slavery to the anti-Christ government.

The “bridegroom” is no longer with us and we seek after comfort. We seek the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. As a church! That is what the church seeks. Pathetic, disappointing, anti-truth, and anti-God. That is the doctrine of most churches today. They are concerned about membership, attendance, how much is in the offering plate, and what programs they can incorporate instead of being concerned with the people and speaking truth to the people, even when it is difficult. “Church leaders” lean into their own cowardice to try and grow their congregation instead of doing what they are commanded and let God handle the rest.

Just prior to the passage for today Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to be one of his disciples. Levi, a tax collector. The outcast of the outcast was called to be a disciple of Christ. This in itself is a miracle since the Jewish society and religious system alienated him. They looked at tax collectors as scum. The very worst that a Jew could be would be a tax collector. It is fair to say that they hated tax collectors. They were looked at as traitors who sold their nation and their people out for material gain. They were right. That is what tax collectors did. Often times they increased whatever the proscribed tax was so that they could skim off the top from what was going to Rome too.

That is likely true if Levi too. Luke 5 also discusses the great banquet that Levi held, which included a bunch of other tax collectors and “sinners.” Yet, Jesus feasted with them. The ruling authorities, the Pharisees, clearly objected to this behavior. Jesus essentially responds by telling them that his purpose was to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous. Not that there are righteous amongst us, yet Jesus likely ascertained that even telling the Pharisees at this juncture that they were not righteous either would not have had his intended consequences. That would come later and all throughout Christ’s ministry; even at the end (see Matthew 23, Luke 11:37-54).

Nonetheless, Levi’s faith showed itself as true. Here in the very beginning when he had a feast to celebrate the bridegroom, instead of a fast to mourn the bridegroom and even in the end when he was martyred for his belief. Church tradition holds that he was killed at the order of the King while standing at the church alter. Matthew was willing to leave this world behind. He was willing to give up his comfortable life, his wealth, and even his friends (even if they were also castaways like he was) for the truth.

Like so many, Matthew was put to death by wicked government. The King of Ethiopia ordered his death by sword because Matthew would not condone the King’s lust for a woman. Christ wouldn’t condone such lust, just as he wouldn’t condone the lust for membership in a church. There are no easy places to serve God’s Kingdom. Anyone whom God has ultimately used greatly in His Kingdom has always paid a price for their convictions. As Matthew did long after holding a feast for the bridegroom.

I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.