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| Luke 5:33-35 |
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Lesson # Luke 5:33-35 Study Material - Luke 5:33-35 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Luke 5:33-35 33 And they said to Him, 'The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers; the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same; but Yours eat and drink.' 34 And Jesus said to them, 'You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 'But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.' Ok. So I am waiting all day for those certain to come e-mail's regarding my blonde humor from yesterday, because I have these great responses all stored up for what I just knew would be coming my way, and not one e-mail came. Bummer! No fair now writing just to get a copy of my response. Maybe all of you are party animals and have been to these types of parties, so you know what kinds of things to expect from folks. Anyway. Now we have the party and those who attend the party, but complain (in their hypocrisy) about the indulgences (priests definition) being partaken by folks at the party. This is a view of an ascetic. An ascetic is one who views his/her life through the eyes of self denial. They restrain themselves from various indulgences such as foods, drinks, sex, entertainment, and so forth. Very dull life by the way! The ascetic renounces material comforts. They lead a life of self discipline (as they define it) and call that life style their spiritual devotion. They may practice meditation in various forms, and this is supposed to release the soul from the bondage of the body, and lift it up to a plane with deity. Where did this ascetic idea come from? Hinduism and Buddhism. These are subtle infiltration's of religious ideas that worked their way into Judaism in the last few centuries B.C. The concept of self sacrifice in the place of Christ's sacrifice was to make one a better person, and to help gain a more personable relationship with God. It is a total rejection of Christ's work on the Cross. The temple sacrifices took on the meanings of these self sacrificial objectives rather than the work of Christ on the Cross. Each person can through their self denial (fasting) rise above them self and achieve a level that will be acceptable to God, or so the idea went. This is wrong of course. These three verses point out several things. First, the priests were insulted that the followers of Jesus (disciples) were not following their ideas of self denial (fasting). Second they equate themselves as leaders, with Jesus and John the Baptist. They view this ministry not as the first advent of God, but as another brilliant person with unusual skills who has acquired a following that appears to be growing to levels that they currently have or aspire to have themselves. Next, there is a competitiveness in their words. Self righteous people suffer from insecurities. They compete with others to defeat them, to beat them down either verbally, or in some fashion to make themselves look better or superior to those whom they view as a threat to their self image. The ascetic is in fact a weak person whose philosophy of life is flawed. No man can rise on his own above his own sin nature, a nature that genetically saturates the entire body of the person. The soul is in effect influenced by the overwhelming power of that sin nature. There is only one means of countering the sin nature and that is through the entire realm of Bible doctrine. They compare their ministries, their club if you will, with that of Jesus ands John. They look at Jesus as just another person. Now Jesus throws them a curve - the bridegroom curve. Probably had them scratching their heads since this concept has never before been revealed in the scriptures. Jesus gives a hint as to things to come, the Church Age. He states that while He was here, He was referring to Himself as the Bridegroom, then there was much food, much nourishment (His teaching). If the table is full, then eat, because there will be a time when the table will have less food (He will not be physically present on earth after the ascension). We have already seen that much more teaching was made available while Jesus was here on earth, than was recorded. The world was overwhelmed with His Wisdom. We today have only that which was recorded in he Bible. We are in effect, fasting. Fasting has another meaning. The self denial we need to practice is not from foods or beverages, but from the patterns of life that are promoted by the sin nature. This self denial (denial of leading a life style promoted by the sin nature) is to be replaced with Gods pattern of life - spiritual maturity ( a pattern of life based on Bible doctrine). That is true fasting. Anything that an unbeliever can do (such as not eating food) has nothing to do with the spiritual life. The Bridegroom concept probably went right over their heads. He refers or hints to all, that He is going to be with them for a time, then He will leave them (still a Bridegroom) and be gone for an unspecified time period. Note too that the Bride is not mentioned. She (believers from the Church Age dispensation) does not exist yet (at the time of this conversation). 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
