Category:Question about Fasting (subject)

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The Question about Fasting refers to an event in the Ministry of Jesus. The episode is narrated in the Gospels of Mark (2:18–22), Matthew (9:14-17), and Luke (5:33-39).

• People : Jesus of Nazareth -- John the Baptist

< Life of John the Baptist : Annunciation to Zacharias -- Visitation of Mary -- Birth of John the Baptist -- Child John the Baptist with Jesus -- Young John the Baptist in the Desert -- Preaching of John the Baptist -- Baptism of Jesus -- Question about Fasting -- Messengers from John the Baptist -- Death of John the Baptist -- Question about Authority -- Relics of John the Baptist >

Overview

Jesus engaged a controversy with the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees about fasting. The controversy was in reality about the messianic age: contrary to the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees, Jesus claimed that the bridegroom had come and was present, therefore his disciples did not fast.

The presence of such controversy in the Gospel tradition demonstrates that in spite of all efforts at showing a perfect continuity between John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, their respective movements remained separated.

Question about Fasting, in ancient sources

Gospel of Mark

...-> Cleansing a Leper -> Paralytic at Capernaum -> Recruiting the Tax Collector -> Question about Fasting -> Lord of the Sabbath -> Man with a Withered Hand -> Multitude at the Sea of Galilee ->...

Mark 2:18–22 (NRSV) -- [18] Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" [19] Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. [20] The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. [21] "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. [22] And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."

Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:14-17 (NRSV) -- 14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:33-39 (NRSV) -- [33] Then they said to him, "John's disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink. [34] Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? [35] The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." [36] He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. [37] And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and 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 wine, but says, 'The old is good.'"

Question about Fasting, in the arts

External links

• Wikipedia