馬可福音2:18-22 Mark 2:18-22
- 馬克牧師
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
參考書目：每日靈糧天路系列 - 馬可福音讀經
禁食的問題
（太9‧14－17；路5‧33－39）
18當下，約翰的門徒和法利賽人禁食。他們來問耶穌說：「約翰的門徒和法利賽人的門徒禁食，你的門徒倒不禁食，這是為甚麼呢？」 19耶穌對他們說：「新郎和陪伴之人同在的時候，陪伴之人豈能禁食呢？新郎還同在，他們不能禁食。 20但日子將到，新郎要離開他們，那日他們就要禁食。 21沒有人把新布縫在舊衣服上，恐怕所補上的新布帶壞了舊衣服，破的就更大了。 22也沒有人把新酒裝在舊皮袋裏，恐怕酒把皮袋裂開，酒和皮袋就都壞了；惟把新酒裝在新皮袋裏。」
各位平安，我們今天要繼續來讀《馬可福音》，第二章十八節到三章六節。
其實今天這段經文，如果細講的話，內容其實可以分成三個部分，老實說，完全可以講三篇信息。但今天我想試著把這些重點，集中在同一集 Podcast 裡面，所以訊息量可能會稍微大一點，也請大家多一點耐心，跟我一起慢慢走。
一、關於「禁食」的問題
首先，經文一開始談到的是「禁食」。我們知道，在前面的經文裡，耶穌已經開始和法利賽人產生衝突了。法利賽人對律法的解讀不是出於愛，而是出於懼怕，而耶穌作為上帝的化身，祂要來親自解釋律法的原因都是因為祂愛人的緣故。
耶穌竟然在眾人面前，和稅吏這樣的罪人一起坐下來吃飯，這對法利賽人來說，是一件非常不能接受、甚至可以說是「看不起」的事情。接下來，經文就提到眾人提出一個問題：施洗約翰的門徒在禁食，法利賽人也在禁食，但耶穌的門徒卻沒有。
於是他們就問耶穌：「為什麼你的門徒不禁食？」
當時的禁食，其實是什麼意思？當時所謂的「禁食」，其實並不像我們今天想像的那麼嚴重。
一般來說，禁食的時間大概是從早上六點到下午六點，也就是白天不吃東西，到了晚上六點之後，還是可以正常吃飯的。所以某個角度來看，禁食的挑戰性是有的，但比較接近我們今天「中午不吃」的概念，而不是完全好幾天不進食。
耶穌怎麼回答呢？
祂引用了一個當時以色列人非常熟悉的文化背景 —— 婚宴。在當時，婚禮不是一天，而是整整一個禮拜。這一個禮拜裡，新郎新娘不會去度蜜月，反而是把家門敞開，隨時接待前來祝賀的親朋好友。而在這段婚宴期間，有一個很特別的規定：許多宗教儀式是可以暫時不遵守的。
所以耶穌說了一句很關鍵的話：「新郎還在的時候，陪伴的人怎麼能禁食呢？」
意思是 —— 現在正是喜樂、慶祝的時候，不是哀傷、禁食的時候。
新布與舊衣、新酒與舊皮袋的比喻
接下來的第 21、22 節，是非常重要的兩節經文，而且不只是當時，對我們今天的生活也很有啟發。耶穌提到兩個比喻：新布補在舊衣服上，和新酒裝在舊皮袋裡。
我們先來學一點物理學和化學。
先來看新布和舊衣服。舊衣服已經洗過、泡過水，能伸展的部分都已經伸展完了，會縮的的也以經縮水了，基本上不會再改變。但新布不一樣，新布還會縮水。如果你直接把一塊沒有縮水的新布，縫在舊衣服上，等到下次一洗，新布一縮，反而會把舊衣服拉得更破。
再來是新酒和舊皮袋。在釀葡萄酒的過程中，糖分會被酵母菌轉化成酒精，同時產生二氧化碳。這也是為什麼發酵的容器一定要能夠釋放氣體，不然氣壓越來越大，最後整個容器就會被撐破。
舊皮袋已經失去彈性，如果把還在發酵的新酒裝進去，剩下的糖分繼續發酵，最後的結果就是 —— 皮袋破裂，酒也流掉。所以耶穌說：新酒必須裝在新皮袋裡。
耶穌其實不是在談衣服，也不是在教人怎麼釀酒的原則。
這一個比喻，其實有非常多不同的解釋方式。但如果我們單純把它放在「認知」和「生命狀態」來看，就會明白一件很重要的事情 —— 信仰本身，從來就不是一個可以隨便拼湊、縫縫補補的東西。
如果我們只是把基督信仰切一小塊出來，把“一部分”的上帝縫在我們原本的生活、原本的價值觀上，那就很像是把新布補在舊衣服上。這個信仰一定會挑戰我們原有的生活方式、原有的價值排序、原有對成功、金錢、關係、人生的看法。
如果我們不願意讓整件衣服換掉，穿上新人，只想「部分更新」，最後這個拼湊出來的信仰，不是變得很四不像，就是遲早會整個崩潰。如果你做過軟體工程師，你就會知道為什麼所有的電腦和手機在某一段時間之後就需要“重灌”或是來一個全新的版本，因為舊的版本太多補丁，東補西補的後果，還不如打掉重練更好。
而「新酒要裝在新皮袋裡」，其實是在提醒我們另一件同樣重要的事——我們要常常讓自己保持在一個「新的、柔軟的狀態」。當我們不斷學習、不斷把新的知識、真理、提醒收進來的時候，如果我們裡面已經變得又硬、又封閉，這些東西不是進不來，就是進來之後反而造成破裂。
人很有意思，在成長的過程中，到了一個年紀，就很容易把一切「固化」下來，並且告訴自己：「我就是這樣了，不會再變了。」這也是為什麼，很多時候你會發現——對孩子和年輕人傳福音比較快。
因為孩子像一張白紙，沒有那麼多既定觀念、沒有那麼多框架。但對一個已經建立起一整套世界觀、人生觀、價值觀的成人來說，傳福音就變得非常困難。成人有太多固化的思維、太多包袱需要先被拿掉，太多思維的牆要被打破。所以對成人傳福音，真的需要非常大的耐心和力氣。
耶穌在這裡用的這兩個比喻，其實非常、非常深刻。
祂不是在講宗教規條，而是在邀請我們：願不願意讓祂把你的 “整個生命”更新？願不願意持續保持柔軟？願不願意讓神的工作，不只是「補一點」，而是全然交托給祂，讓祂徹底改變你？
新的生命、新的恩典、新的作為，不能只用舊有、僵硬、不再有彈性的方式來承載。如果我們只想把「一點點耶穌」，補在原本的生活裡，卻不願意讓整個生命被更新，最後反而可能造成更大的破裂。
今日的屬靈反思：
耶穌跟我要的不是我把祂拿一點來“修改”我的生活，而是要我把整個生活交給祂，讓祂完全地去更新。我可以從哪些方面開始呢？
下半段經文，我們下一集繼續分享，感謝你的聆聽，願上帝祝福你！
18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting [as a ritual]; and they came and asked Jesus, “Why are John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so?” 19Jesus answered, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is [still] with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them, and they will fast at that time.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. 22No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Peace be with you all.Today, we continue our reading of the Gospel of Mark, from chapter 2, verse 18, to chapter 3, verse 6.
If we were to go into detail, this passage could actually be divided into three sections—and honestly, each section could easily be its own sermon. But today, I want to try bringing all of these key points together into one podcast episode. That means the content may feel a bit dense, so I invite you to be patient and walk through it with me step by step.
1. The Question of Fasting
The passage begins with the topic of fasting.From earlier chapters, we already know that Jesus has begun to come into conflict with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law was driven not by love, but by fear.But Jesus, as the embodiment of God, comes to explain the Law Himself—and He does so out of love for people.
Jesus even sat down in public to eat with tax collectors and sinners.To the Pharisees, this was completely unacceptable—something they looked down on with contempt.
Then a question is raised:John the Baptist’s disciples are fasting.The Pharisees are fasting. Why aren’t Jesus’ disciples fasting?
So they ask Him directly,“Why do your disciples not fast?”
What Did Fasting Mean Back Then?
To understand Jesus’ response, we need to understand what fasting meant at that time.
Fasting in the Jewish context was not as extreme as we might imagine today.Typically, it meant not eating from about six in the morning until six in the evening. After that, people could eat normally.
So yes, fasting was a challenge—but it was closer to skipping lunch than to going several days without food.
Jesus’ Response: A Wedding Feast
How does Jesus answer?
He points to a cultural image that everyone at the time would have understood: a wedding feast.
In ancient Israel, weddings did not last one day—they lasted an entire week.During that week, the bride and groom did not go on a honeymoon. Instead, they opened their home and welcomed guests at any time.
And during this wedding period, there was a special allowance:many religious obligations were temporarily set aside.
That’s why Jesus says something so striking:“How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?”
In other words:This is a time for joy and celebration—not mourning and fasting.
The Parables of New Cloth and New Wine
Verses 21 and 22 are incredibly important—not just for Jesus’ time, but for our lives today.
Jesus gives two short parables:
· New cloth patched onto an old garment
· New wine poured into old wineskins
Let’s borrow a bit from physics and chemistry to understand them.
New Cloth and Old Garments
Old clothes have already been washed and soaked.They’ve stretched as much as they ever will. Whatever was going to shrink has already shrunk.
But new cloth is different—it hasn’t shrunk yet.
If you sew unshrunk new cloth onto an old garment, the next time it’s washed, the new cloth will shrink—and it will tear the old garment even more.
New Wine and Old Wineskins
Wine fermentation works the same way.
As grapes ferment, sugar is converted by yeast into alcohol, producing carbon dioxide in the process.That’s why fermentation containers must allow gas to escape—otherwise pressure builds up until the container bursts.
Old wineskins have lost their elasticity.If you pour new, still-fermenting wine into them, the remaining sugar continues to ferment, pressure builds, and the result is simple:the wineskin bursts, and the wine is lost.
That’s why Jesus says,“New wine must be poured into new wineskins.”
What Jesus Is Really Saying
Jesus isn’t giving fashion advice.And He’s not teaching winemaking techniques.
This parable has many interpretations, but if we look at it in terms of our mindset and the state of our lives, one truth becomes very clear:
Faith is not something that can be pieced together or patched up.
If we take just a small piece of Christianity and sew “part of God” onto our existing lifestyle and value system, it’s like patching new cloth onto old clothes.
True faith will challenge:
· our lifestyle
· our priorities
· our understanding of success, money, relationships, and life itself
If we are unwilling to change the whole garment—to put on the new self—and instead settle for “partial updates,” the faith we piece together will either become distorted… or eventually collapse.
If you’ve ever worked as a software engineer, you understand this perfectly.After a certain point, systems don’t need more patches—they need a full reinstall.Too many fixes layered on top of an old system eventually cause more problems than starting fresh.
Staying Soft: New Wine Requires New Wineskins
“New wine in new wineskins” also reminds us of something just as important:we must remain new and soft.
As we continue learning and taking in truth, knowledge, and spiritual insight, if our hearts have already become rigid and closed, these things either won’t enter at all—or they’ll cause damage once they do.
There’s something very human about this:As we grow older, we tend to solidify everything and say,“This is just who I am. I won’t change anymore.”
That’s one reason why sharing the gospel with children and young people often happens more quickly.
Children are like blank pages.They have fewer fixed assumptions and fewer mental frameworks.
But for adults—who already have fully formed worldviews, values, and life philosophies—receiving the gospel can be much harder.There are hardened ways of thinking to unlearn, emotional baggage to remove, and mental walls to tear down.
That’s why sharing the gospel with adults requires immense patience and love.
A Deep Invitation from Jesus
The two parables Jesus uses here are profoundly deep.
He isn’t talking about religious rules.He’s inviting us to ask ourselves:
· Are you willing to let Him renew your entire life?
· Are you willing to stay soft and teachable?
· Are you willing to let God’s work be more than just “a small adjustment,” and instead fully entrust yourself to Him for total transformation?
New life, new grace, and new work cannot be carried by old, rigid, inflexible structures.
If we only want to add “a little bit of Jesus” to our existing lives, without allowing full renewal, the end result may actually be greater brokenness.
Today’s Spiritual Reflection
Jesus isn’t asking me to take Him and slightly modify my life.He’s asking me to give Him my entire life, so He can completely renew it.
Where can I begin doing that today?
We’ll continue with the second half of this passage in our next episode.Thank you for listening.May God bless you.
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