Red Letter Bible Study--Matthew 9:9-17 (Jesus eats with sinners and answers questions about fasting)

 Matthew 9:9-17 (Mark 2:13-17, 18-22; Luke 5:27-32, 33-39)

Jesus is still calling disciples!  Matthew (or Levi) is the newest disciple, a tax collector.  He followed Jesus immediately, just as the others;  he invited Jesus to a meal at his house, where he was hosting other tax collectors and sinners (Luke just calls them "others").  The pharisees (a Jewish sect, known for their strict observance of traditional and written law), who always seemed to be lurking around Jesus, questioned His motive for eating with such people.  Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 back to them.  Other Pharisees and disciples of John the baptizer were fasting (absence of limiting food for a religious observance) and wondered why Jesus and His disciples weren't.  Jesus referenced Isaiah 62:5, referring to Himself as the bridegroom.  Then He tells them a parable (according to Luke), a comparison.  

Tax collectors worked for the Roman government, and were not highly respected among the Jewish people.  The fact that Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple surely aggravated lots of people, but the Pharisees were always outspoken.  Jesus tells them "Maybe you should go back and read the sacred text of the prophet, Hosea."   As self-proclaimed experts on everything sacred text, they would have well known what He meant.  So after questioning who Jesus is eating with, they question why He's even eating at all.  Others are fasting, why aren't they?  Jesus says no one likes the guest who comes to a wedding feast and says "No thanks, I'm dieting".  (Amen, right ladies???)  It would be considered rude to ignore this lavish feast when the guest of honor is present.  Jesus calling Himself "the bridegroom" or the "guest of honor" would've made sense to the Pharisees too, based on their knowledge of Isaiah 62:5.  Jesus tells the Pharisees, through a story meant to encourage you to see a deeper meaning, that He's not terribly worried about the old rules and regulations right now.  You can't cut a patch out of a brand new shirt to mend an old shirt, because then you've ruined both!  You can't put new wine into old wineskins, because as it ferments, it expands and will explode the old skin. This basically means that Jesus is neither trying to ruin the old ways by patching it with something brand new, nor is He going to try to blow the minds of His new followers with all of the old ways. As the new followers drink the "new wine", they WILL come to a greater understanding and love for the foundation of the old ways.   Although it comes across as a slam, Jesus is showing all there that He is for them.  He has not come to get rid of the old way (which He WROTE!!!) but He will fulfill all that's required--Mercy rather than sacrifice. 

This story changes me by reminding me that the Old and New testament both teach that the unwavering, stubborn love of God requires us to show mercy rather than sacrifice, and to truly know God over going through the motions.  The Pharisees were all about the rules, and the rules have their place only when they are pointing to the bigger picture of the guest of honor,  Christ Jesus, who is making all things new.