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"Love for the truth" is not the same as “…the love of the truth” (see 2 Thessalonians 2.10). Love for truth can be experienced in virtually any field. The love of the truth is only experienced in the religious arena. The love of the truth is the love that is produced by embracing the truth; it is the fruit of the truth in the life of a faithful follower of God. We continue our study of this vital subject.

“Then they [certain of the scribes and Pharisees] said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?’ And He said to them, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.’ Then He spoke a parable to them: ‘No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, “‘The old is better.”’” (Luke 5.33-39).

Neither love for the truth, nor the love of the truth would have approached Jesus as was done in the story just cited. The interest of the querists clearly was not one which was seeking answers; rather, it was seeking self-justification! Jesus had demonstrated repeatedly that He was more than human; He was human, but He was certainly not ordinary in every sense. His miracles and His doctrine had completely demonstrated this fact. Yet, in spite of the fact that His deeds vindicated His claim to be the Son of Man, He continued to be hounded by those who wished to discredit Him and derail His mission. This was no more and no less than that type of assault.

Buried in Jesus’ response is a nugget well worth finding. As an expositor, we must approach this passage like any other and allow it to speak to us. The original question posed was about fasting, specifically asking why Jesus’ disciples did not fast. This was set against the background of others who fasted often; Jesus’ disciples were not in step with the actions of the rest of the religious world of that region. This fact (in the warped mind of his questioners) demanded an answer! Those who approached him set themselves up as the standard and, by implication, condemned all others. In Jesus’ response, He rejected this implication, returned to basics, and responded to the true issue (not the ad hominem argument that was being implied).

Basics demands that words and terms be properly defined. To Jesus’ questioners, fasting was a religious ritual which one elected to perform (like deciding whether or not to go to the temple or to go another day). It was an elective which depended upon the need to demonstrate one’s religion to others. Jesus attacked this misconception! Our study of the general subject of the love of the truth will continue with His attack against this misconception and explore the real meaning of fasting and of His response!

The love of the truth grows when we resolve to love its author more and more each day!

Questions:

1. Against what standard was Jesus and His disciples being judged?

2. Did Jesus accept this standard? If not, how did He go about showing that it was the wrong standard?

3. When the definition of words makes a difference in how truth is perceived and applied, how should we react? Just how important can words be?

4. Who introduced new wine-skins and new wine? Why did He do this? Was this illustration connected with the question that had just been posed? If so, how?

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

3 steps to peace...