Fr. Sanctus Mario
Inspiration and Bible Reflections

Jesus Makes Everything New. Second Week Ordinary Time

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Breakfast with the Word Monday Second Week Ordinary Time of The Year B

 

 Mark 2:18-22. 

 

In the gospel of today, some people came to Jesus to ask the reason His disciples do not fast while the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast. 

 

 

Jesus answers that as long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast unless the bridegroom is taken away from them. 

 

Jesus says that it is very absurd for one to sew a piece of an unshrunk cloth to an old garment otherwise the new piece of cloth will tear away from the old making the worse tear, and no one pours new wine into an old wineskin. It will ruin both the wine and wineskin. 

 

 

In essence, Jesus is talking about himself. He has come to make everything new, so, there is no need to dwell again on the past. So, Jesus makes everything new.

 

 

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The Reason

 

 

The point here is that the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast because they are longing for the day God will remember Israel again through the coming of the Messiah. 

 

 

Therefore, they fast so that God will restore Israel again. In essence, Jesus is using this avenue to declare himself as the bridegroom they are waiting for. Therefore, with His coming, there is no need to fast again. 

 

 

 

When the disciples would fast again would be when the bridegroom is taken away from them in preparation for His second coming. 

 

 

The Pharisees and disciples of John fast in mourning because they are yet to believe that God’s promise had been fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  

 

 

So, with the advent of Jesus, they do not know that what they are expecting is already there. They do not know that what they are fasting for is already here with them. 

So, Jesus makes everything new. With Jesus, old things have passed away, and the new things are here. 

 

 

So, with the coming of Jesus, new things have come. Therefore, It is no longer a focus on how they fast. Now it is a relationship with the Lord. 

Therefore, this is the time to focus on the Lord than on themselves and their forms of piety. 

 

 

 

 Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Law.

 

 

In the Old Testament, the mosaic law was the determinant of how holy someone is. 

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Everything the Jews do is determined when they follow strictly what the law says. An average Pharisee fasts twice a week ( Luke 18:12).

 

 

Hence, they think and believe that salvation seems to be from what they do. This is the reason they are proud of their self-righteousness. 

 

 

Fasting at that time was a sign of true piety. So, the people who were asking this question are doing so because they do not see any evidence of the true piety prominent among the pious leaders at that time in the disciples.

 

 

 

Before, they accused Jesus of drinking and eating with sinners and now is the issue of fasting.  

So, for Jesus, His presence is a sign of joy and not that of mourning as evidenced by the pharisaic fasting. 

 

 

A bridegroom indicates the possibility of a feast. So to fast during a time of great joy and festivity would be unthinkable.

 

 

So, instead of mourning, the coming of Jesus brings joy, favour, salvation, and open doors. With Jesus, spirituality is no longer determined by outward expression or by how much we fast but by being a true disciple of Jesus, being close and connected with the Lord. This is when we would have true inner joy. 

 

 

 

It is no longer how far we keep the law, but how close we are to Jesus. By being close to Him, doing what God demands hence becomes our way of life rather than a burden. 

 

 

 Old Things have passed away

 

 

In the two parables of the new cloth and new wine, Jesus is saying that patching an old garment with new cloth is just as inappropriate as fasting at a wedding feast. 

 

 

A wedding, new wine, and a new garment are all symbols of the new things Jesus comes to bring. 

Therefore, going back to the old way of depending on the law, and outward expression of spirituality have given way to mercy, love, grace and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which hence come with the coming of Jesus. 

 

 

 

So in Jesus, the mercy and love of God have taken precedence over the burden that comes with the keeping of the Law. 

 

 

What God requires from us is to be close to Him. Therefore, this is the time to focus our attention on the Lord than our outward spirituality. 

It is no longer how far you have fasted and paid tithes but how sincerely close, you are to God.

It is no longer how far we claim to be holy or how many times we fast every day but how sincere is our holiness. Therefore, God needs more of our relationship than pretence.

 

 

 

 Let the Past Go. 

 

 

Today, Jesus is also revealing the destructive nature of harbouring the sins, grudges, hurts and events of the past.

 

Jesus makes everything new, therefore, It is time to be a true disciple of Jesus and let go of the past. 

 

He will recreate us and make us new creatures again. Allowing ourselves to be always immersed in what happened in the past will always bring problems and failure. In the new year, let us make everything new. 

 

 

Forgive the past, forgive even the things you did not do well and gear up for the future. We cannot be in Jesus and continue to dwell in the past. With Jesus, we are new creatures. So, let us free ourselves from the bondage of the past.

 

 

 

 

May God bless us and give us the grace to remain close to Him. May He be with you today. Amen.

 

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59 Comments
  1. Blessing Chilo says

    Make everything new in us oh Lord through christ our Lord Amen ,f

  2. Ekwem Emmanuela Chiamaka says

    Amen and Amen

  3. Adesanya Ayodeji Mary says

    AMEN

  4. Sis Lois Blessing Paul says

    Amen

  5. Eze, Blessing Chinasa says

    Amen. Lord please help us to serve you in sincerity and truth. May You draw us closer to you.

  6. CHARLES EZEJI says

    Amen

  7. Onukwugha Florence says

    Thank you Father for this wonderful reflection… Lord Please, Let the old things in my life Pass away and let good things dominate my Life in Jesus name Amen….Stay Blessed…

  8. Mary says

    Lord, make everything new in our lives. Amen

  9. AWUZIE INNOCENT S. says

    Amen for your prayers fr.🙏

  10. Angela Madu says

    Amen
    May God help us to live a life worthy of emulation ,being conscious of what we are doing, barring in mind that we might be the first Bible somebody is reading.

  11. Otokpa Elijah says

    Amen

  12. James Mailoushi says

    Amen

  13. Kaycee Omeke says

    Amen
    Thank you Fr.

  14. Chinyere Ezemelue says

    Lord Jesus Christ, I need your strength to carry on. Teach to practice sincere holiness. Mary undoer of knots pray for me. Amen

  15. Adichie Chizoba says

    Amen. Let go of our past life and looking ahead of the future. Thank you father

  16. Agbo Boniface Onjefu says

    Amen

  17. Stella Ekwemalor says

    Amen
    Good morning Padre
    May God continue to help us all
    Amen
    Remain blessed Father

  18. Ogwa Oluchi Rose says

    May the Lord give me the grace to build a stronger relationship with Him…. And the grace to forget the past and hope for a better future… Amen

  19. Anyiam Cornelia says

    I pray to you mother Mary to undo this knot of unforgiveness and to forget the fast in my life so that I can face the future through Christ our Lord, Amen.

  20. Obika Chidimma says

    Amen, thanks Fr.

  21. Ugwu Obianuju says

    Amen

  22. Olomu Chinedu says

    Amen.
    The part “forgive the things you didnot even do well” is something I have never thought of of.
    Thank you for the insight

  23. Christian says

    Amen

  24. OJIOGBU JACINTA says

    Amen

  25. Chiamaka says

    Amen. Thanks fr.

  26. Chiamaka says

    Amen.

  27. Maryann obiano says

    Amen,thank you Fr and bless you too

  28. Helen says

    Amen and Amen🙏🙏 thank you Padre. May God in His infinite mercy and Grace bless you richly, abundantly and completely.

    Thank you Jesus for coming to make everything new again. Lord, we wait on You🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

  29. Munachimso onuoha says

    Father bless me with hand work and a good and faithful husband and give me the grace to remain close to you. May you be with me all days of my life in Jesus name I pray amen

  30. Dorothy Mary Iyinbor says

    Amen thanks Padre

  31. Grace Momoh says

    Thank you fr for all the aspiring word of God and words of encouragement. We pray for God’s wisdom ,zeal, strength and grace to dwell in the present and not in our past through Christ our Lord. Amen.

  32. Ada Ndubuisi says

    Amen. Thank you Jesus.

  33. UGWOKE OSCAR CHUKWUEMEKA says

    May god give us the grace to leave the outward self righteousness and be sincere and close to him to gain all he has promised us. Amen

  34. Ogechi Anugwom says

    Amen 🙏

  35. Dr Nicholas Onyia A. says

    Amen and amen. Remain blessed fr

  36. Adeline Chidimma says

    Amen and Amen. God please help me, my friend Joseph and my siblings to forgive and forget our past and embrace the future. Help us to be close to You always.

  37. Jude Uchenna Onah says

    Amen and Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

  38. tony chukwudozie says

    Amen and amen O God may you grant me the grace to forget things of the past.in Jesus name Amen

  39. Regina Mobu says

    Amen!

  40. Nonye Maduka says

    Amen

  41. Gabriel-Martin says

    Amen Fr.

  42. Ifeoma Ugwueze says

    Amen. Lord, please, come and renew my life and that of my family. Make everything new in our lives in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen

  43. Blessing Anne says

    Amen in

  44. Mbama Christiana says

    Eternal God, give us the grace to forge ahead rather than looking back at our past. May Your presence bring eternal joy, love and peace in our lives. Amen

  45. Carmela U. Ekwem says

    Amen! & Amen! Thanks & God bless you too Fr.

  46. Dr Chinwe Agwoile says

    (Singing)Draw me nearer, draw me nearer, Lord! Draw me nearer, nearer to Thee! Give me the grace to eschew bitterness and rancor; live a holy life so as to always remain close to You, IJMN! Remain richlyblessed, Padre!

  47. Rosemary Umeze says

    Amen. Thank you Padré

  48. Joy Chidiogo Ikeoha says

    Amen. Joy is assured in my life and family. Amen.

  49. Michael Jones says

    Amen.

  50. Chisom Egwudike says

    Amen

  51. Ibeawuchi Monica says

    Amen

  52. Juliet says

    Amen

  53. Ani Chinonyelum says

    Well done Padre

  54. Mrs Nora Nkoli Anabiri says

    Amennnnnnn

  55. Ezeagu Anuli says

    Amen, Lord give us the grace to forgive our past and face the future on a clean sheet

  56. Enibe Jacinta Amara says

    Amen

  57. Olojede Stephen says

    I am a New creature in Christ Jesus.
    Amen in Jesus name.

  58. Mercy E Johnny says

    Amen, Lord Jesus, draw me closer to urself, Amen. Thank you Padre

  59. Eririogu Fidelia says

    Amen Thanks father

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