Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 2:18-20

John the Baptist was the forerunner, preparing the way for Jesus. However, there were stark contrasts between the different ways in which the two cousins operated. John is known for his ascetic lifestyle. His diet and clothing both reflected an austere approach. He encouraged his disciples to fast, a practice that was in line with the teaching and example of the Pharisees.

Jesus’ approach is very different. He readily accepts hospitality and he is therefore often found sharing a meal and in deep conversation. He talks about feasts and banquets, using them as an image of the Kingdom of God.

The religious leaders, and others, criticised him for this approach, inferring that a bit of self-discipline might be a good thing. Jesus’ response is that the important thing is to do the right thing at the right time. Different approaches have their place, and it is a case of timing, not that one is right and the other wrong. He uses the example of a wedding, pointing out that it is a time for celebrating and feasting, not for fasting.

The real point is the question of choice, and the ability to decide whether to feed or to fast. If you have no food, that is not a matter of choosing to fast. Jesus is offering the different possibilities. As John Davies and John Vincent (Mark at Work) explain it – “The righteous are fasting. To fast means not just to go hungry; it means to share in a community’s abstention from celebration. The righteous are already in a community, either the community of the Pharisees or the community of John. They are already in a feast, so fasting is a proper option for them. Up till now, the sinners have not been able to fast; they have had no choices; all they could do was to go hungry. They have not been in any community which could celebrate, so they could not abstain from celebrating either.”

In other words, this is far more about belonging than it is about behaviour. Jesus is relating to the excluded, the ones who have not had a choice. Different behaviours are right in different situation, and we ought to consider what that says to us, but what is more important is building the right kind of community and, with that, behaviours and other matters of choice will fall into place. As Davies and Vincent say – “When the wedding ceremony is over, when the new community is made, then they will also be able to fast. They will be in a community which can choose whether to feast or fast.”