33 They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."
34 Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."
Asked why the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often fasted and habitually prayed and His disciples kept on eating and drinking, Jesus responds in an insightful manner. First, He points to the lack of necessity for those actions among His followers. Why should they be fasting if Jesus was with them? “The fullness of the Godhead bodily,” as Paul states in Colossians chapter one, walked among them. There was no need to fast and pray for more. Surely, their glass overflowed. Secondly (and I am not sure if His disciples even caught this point), a time was approaching when His followers would fast and pray –He was to be taken from them. The old adage “You never miss the water ‘til the well runs dry” was probably oh too true among Jesus’ followers! I am reminded of two of His disciples walking on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Jesus approaches them but they did not recognize Him. He asks them what they were discussing. Downcast, they respond by informing Him of all that had occurred over the past few days adding: 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Luke 24:20-21 (NIV)
Jesus’ response tickles me: 25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? Luke 24:25-26 (NIV)
In our common vernacular translated: “Hell-o...anybody there???? Wake up fellows, this had to happen!” We so often plan out how things are going to come out that we leave out room for “patches of God light” in our dark woods. God will simply not be placed into our neat little boxes. He acts and we can pay attention and get on board with Him or we can be left behind in the dust. You see the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting for the fullness of God. Jesus was the fullness and He came so that God could fill them. John Piper quotes it perfectly:“At great cost to Himself God gave us what we needed above all things: Himself for our enjoyment forever.” Jesus states it this way:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)