What Old Testament practices relate to the question posed in Matthew 9:14? Framing the Question Matthew 9:14: “Then John’s disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?’” Their concern centers on fasting. To see why they expected regular fasts, we trace the Old Testament foundations that shaped both Pharisaic custom and John’s austere lifestyle. The One Commanded Fast: Day of Atonement • Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:26–32 “You are to afflict yourselves and do no work… it is a day of atonement.” • “Afflict yourselves” was understood as abstaining from food (cf. Isaiah 58:3). • This sunset-to-sunset fast (10th of Tishri) was the only fast explicitly mandated by the Law of Moses. Widespread Voluntary Fasts in Israel’s Story • Times of crisis – Judges 20:26: Israel fasted before battle after heavy losses. – 2 Chronicles 20:3: Jehoshaphat “proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” • Times of repentance – 1 Samuel 7:6: Israel fasted while confessing idolatry. – Jonah 3:5–10: Ninevites fasted; though Gentile, this mirrored Israel’s practice. • Personal grief or intercession – 2 Samuel 12:16: David fasted for his sick child. – Ezra 8:21–23: seeking safe passage, Ezra “proclaimed a fast… to humble ourselves before our God.” • Prophetic calls – Joel 2:12: “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” – Isaiah 58:6–7 contrasts true and false fasting. Exilic-Era Fast Days That Became Tradition Zechariah 7:3–5; 8:19 lists four annual fasts commemorating tragedies surrounding Jerusalem’s fall (4th, 5th, 7th, 10th months). These were not in the Torah but became nationally observed. From Tradition to Routine: Twice-Weekly Pharisee Fasts • Luke 18:12 records a Pharisee saying, “I fast twice a week.” • Rabbinic sources place these on Mondays and Thursdays, extending voluntary piety into fixed practice. • By Jesus’ day, this frequency had become a badge of religious devotion. John the Baptist’s Ascetic Pattern • Matthew 3:4 highlights John’s simple diet and clothing, echoing Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). • Luke 1:15 links John to a Nazirite-like lifelong separation. Numbers 6 shows Nazirites abstaining from wine; John’s disciples likely adopted other rigorous disciplines, including frequent fasting. Shared External Signs of Fasting • Sackcloth and ashes: Esther 4:1–3; Nehemiah 9:1. • Bowed head and rough garments: Psalm 35:13; Isaiah 58:5. These physical markers reinforced the inward “affliction of soul” (Leviticus 16:29). Connecting Old Testament Practice to Matthew 9:14 • John’s disciples and the Pharisees both stood in a long line of earnest fasters—some mandated (Leviticus 16), many voluntary yet venerated (Judges, Samuel, Ezra). • Over time, these voluntary fasts solidified into scheduled rites (Zechariah’s four fasts) and even twice-weekly habits. • Seeing Jesus’ disciples break with this well-established rhythm raised the question: “Why not fast like we do?” The Old Testament backdrop explains why their expectation felt natural—and why Jesus’ contrasting answer (Matthew 9:15–17) carried such weight. |
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