The impact of a universal King on earth

By John Pearring

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070420.cfm
Amos 9:11-15
Matthew 9:14-17

The Pharisees and John the Baptist’s followers have something in common — conflict with Jesus. Jesus' disciples aren't fasting. Since John and his followers' have an assumed alliance with Jesus, they expect he and his followers to act like proper Jews. “Why aren’t you doing things the way we do them? Who do you think you are?”

This challenging setting for today’s gospel reminds us that Jesus isn’t affiliated with one side of an issue or another. Jesus "is" the issue. To fast is to mourn the presence of God in the midst of creation, missing since Paradise was lost. Abstinence of food also is a preparation. The Hebrew people prepare for the Messiah, the Christ's expected arrival. The Hebrew nation's long history centers around fasting in preparation. In that religious commitment they witness to the world. 

With blithe yet blunt force, Jesus calls himself the Messiah, the Christ. 

“I am the bridegroom,” he tells them. To paraphrase his statement, “I am the one whom history describes will restore everything.” He tells them to break their fast because he, the Messiah, is with them. He also tells them he will leave them and the fast will return. Things will be different, though. He lays the foundation for the Holy Spirit's indwelling and for his Body and Blood to be eaten in order to transform their bodies. 

"People do not put new wine into old wineskins," he says.

The Messiah's coming changes everything. The earth's tectonic plates realign land and water. Jesus realigns all relationships to God through himself. In effect, the Jewish religion has seen the coming of the Lord. The former structures of authority bend to a new, cosmic, universal King. If Jesus is the Messiah the Jews should celebrate, which his followers do by not fasting. 

By continuing to fast the Pharisees and the Johannine community do not recognize that the Messiah has come. Jesus upends their religious world, not by dismissing fasting but by inserting himself into the purpose for fasting. By invoking a temporary break of a single religious practice, fasting, Jesus explains he is the Messiah. He is the reason to celebrate. 

We religious folks have our pet issues, our Church model, our liberal or conservative bent, and even our personal version and personality of God. Faith is so complex. How do we center ourselves with so much complication? Jesus uses eating and fasting to explain himself.

Religion and its religious practices form us. Fasting is just one of them. Regularly finding time for worship is another. Many of us say the rosary. Reading scripture keeps us aware of God's purpose and presence. There are so many subjects and issues in religious life that we can get bogged down in performing them rather than uplifted because of them. That's OK.

We can't be fully aware of every individual religious practice's purpose, at every moment. We have our favorites. We forget and therefore refrain from many of them. Each of us, though, can explain the reasons for those religious activities and beliefs that we hold dear. We practice relgious behaviors in order to remember God, and to honor him. We don't know everything. But we do know a few things. In our limited abilities we exercise worship and we submit to God, just like we exercise our gifts. In the world there are a few musicians. A few scientists. A few birthing mothers. A few priests. A few teachers. 

Together, we reveal all the gifts of the world. And together, we worship and honor one God. Not all of us fast. Yet, quite a few of us know about it. It's been explained to us. In Jesus' time fasting permeated the Hebrew life.

John the Baptist, likened to both Isaiah and Elijah, builds a following of Jews who reckon the imminent arrival of the Messiah. John is a gatherer of disciples who practice repentance and austerity. Though a large and growing sect, they still only represent a few within the Jewish nation. In number, they were similar to the size of the Pharisee’s intimate gaggle of leaders. The two groups were similar also in the practice and outward display of fasting. Though diametrically separate on many aspects of Jewish practices, both the Pharisees and the Johannine community held most religious beliefs in synch. 

Fasting helps weather a person, toughen them for the spiritual conflict of the Messiah’s coming conquest for consolidation of power and truth. Through bodily and mental toughening, in the wilderness no less, the Johannine community contrasted with the Pharisees who live in luxury and respect. Yet, both spiritual communes shared an allegiance on fasting.

We, too, have our liturgical and religious expressions, our sacred mantels of practice. Again, this is both natural and necessary. These individual skill sets and operating modes of religious life mark us as God’s people for a purpose. We witness the source of our faith and the hope of our love. Each of us witnesses some likely difficult yet holy essential aspect of Christian life.

While being “Catholic” intentionally represents the umbrella of Christian theology, Catholic membership is limited to less than 1/2 of the world's Christians. We have 17 officially acceptable forms of the mass, and long historical tradition. Still, our faith expression has not kept all Christians under one roof. Catholics, mature and informed orthodox-minded folks, recognize our human failure at Catholic (universal) holiness. For two eons, we have seen our brothers and sisters in schism, protest, and denominational divides. Yet, we live much like each other. We are distant relatives, but still part of one body. 

Once unified under our returned King, though, I'm certain our differences will weirdly, but logically, make sense.

Like the separated Pharisees and John the Baptist’s community -- two very different Hebrew people -- we also wonder who does Jesus love more? What practices and expressions are more appropriate? What elements of faith, like fasting, are incontrovertible? What things must all Christians or all Jews do?

Well, what seems an uncomfortable question for God, is not the question at all. Jesus is the question. We can ask each other the measures of appropriate behavior and even agree. Our agreement does not mean that we’re better or worse at aligning with God, any more than our disagreements. The larger question is who Jesus is. The smaller question regards what is proper.

Fear that we’re not doing something right, or worry that others — ardent in their efforts — are doing something quite wrong, both of these, should bring us to our knees. This is where God speaks. If God allows some other style of worship, or emphasis upon doctrine, or even structure of authority, we should pause.

I am not speaking of heinous immoral behavior or heresy. When faced with these, though, we should check our response with prayer and prompts from the Spirit. God speaks to us. Jesus exemplifies how God answers us. For the Johannine community Jesus spoke as God with an unexpected answer.

The Johannine community questioned Jesus with a practical concern. Would the proposed Messiah counter the Jewish common practice of regulatory fasting? Were they, Jesus’ followers, exempt? Could they still be considered Jews if they were not devoted to the law?

Confusion raised this question. Sects who went too far afield were suspicious. The Johannine community itself had been pushed 20 miles from Jerusalem. Into the desert. Even they, though, remained faithful to the Torah and its practices. 

Jesus did not upend the Word or the law in his answer. He claimed to be the Word in the flesh. The Word and the Holy Spirit’s leading stood in their midst. The immediacy of God’s presence, physical access to God incarnated, changed the axis of authority.

“I am here,” he told them. It was time to rejoice, but only for a little while. He laid the foundation for the people of God to witness and heal and restore creation. The Kingdom was at hand, with Jesus at the helm. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit would enter all who would accept the gift.

Nothing would be the same.

Oh, fasting will still be necessary. It remains a common Judeo-Christian bond. And upon Jesus' return, we’ll feast with abandon, and fast no more.

Our King will be among us in the flesh, in the Spirit, and under the authority of our loving Father. Forever.