The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 91

were (11eting at the very time when Matthew them. The bridegroom shall be taken away gave hie fe11et. Thie wlie not one of the from the1!1. 'fhe Greek word (lurap9fi) con- fasts prescribed by the Lo.w; had it been eo, veys the idea of a painful severance. And it would have been observer! by our Lord. then will they fast in that day ( b, /,,,f, 11 -r-ii 'rhere were, however, fo.ete obeerved by the l,µ.lp,), This is the tr □ e reading. Arter Pharisees which were not required by the our Lord's death, his disciples frequently Lo.w : there were two in po.rticu!Br of a fasted 118 of necessity, and went throu"h voluntary nature, mentioned by the Pharisee much privation and trial. And eo it mi~t (Luke xviii. 12), where he says, "I fast be for the most part with all who will Jim twice in the week." It was a custom, ob- godly in Christ Jesus, until he returns to served by the stricter Pharisees, but not of take to himself his kingdom, when there legal obligation. It was not correct to say, will be a glad and everlo.sting festival. but thy disciples fast not. They fasted, no Ver. 21.-No man seweth a piece of new doubt, but in a different spirit: they did oloth-the Greek ia (&a.1<ous a.-yv&<t>ov) un- not fast to be seen of men-they followed dresaed cloth, cloth newly woven, and beforn the higher teaching of their Master. It is it has been dressed by the fuller-on an remarkable to find the disciples of John old garment. The latter part of this verae here 118soci11ted with the Pharisees. John is better rendered, as in the Revised Version, wos now in prison in the fort of Machmrus. thus: Else that whioh should fill it up taketh It is possible thnt jealousy of the increasing from it, the new from the old ; and a worse influence of Christ may have led John's rent is made, The meaning of the wonh, disciples to 11ssoci11te themselves with the is this: An old garment, if it be torn, Pharisees. The point of this particular should be mended by a patch of ohl attack upon Christ was this : It is as material: for if II patch of new material is though they said, "You claim to be a new used, its strength or fulness takes away teacher sent from God, a teacher of a more from the old garment to which it is sewu; perfect religion. How is it, then, that we the old and the new do not agree, the new .a.re fasting, while your disciples are eating drags the old and tears it, and so a worse and drinking?" The disciples of John rent is made. more especially may have urged this out of Ver. 22.-"Bottles" in this verse is better 1:eal for their master. Such an unworthy rendered literally wine-skins (a.<T1<oh). And 11:eal is too often s~en in good men, who love no man pntteth new wine (olvov v.!ov) into to prefer their own leader to all others, for- old wine-skins; else the new wine will getting the remonstrance of St. Paul, burst the skins, and the wine perieheth, and " While there is amongst you strife 11nd the skins ; but they put new wine into contention, are ye not carnal, and walk fresh wine-skins (a.<T1<ous 1<a,vous). The sense after the mo.nner of men?" is this : New wine, in the process of fer- Ver. 19.-The Bridegroom here is Christ, mentation, will burst old bottles ma,le of because he espousE1d the human nature, and, wine-skins not strong enough to resist the through it, the Church to himself in his strength of the fermenting fluid; so that holy inco.rnation. This holy union he there is a twofold loss-both that of the began by his gro.ce on eo.rth, and he will bottles and that of the wine. And there- consummate it gloriously with his elect in fore new wine must be poured into bottles hea.ven, when "the marriage of the Lamb me.de of fresh wine-skins, which, by rea.;on shall have come, and his wife shall ho.ve of their strength and toughness, shall be made herself ready." Hence John the able to resist the fermenting energy of the Baptist calls himself the friend of the new wine. And by these very o.pt illustra- Bridegroom, tho.t is, of Christ. The sons tions our Lord teaches us that it is II vain ( ulol) of the brideohamber 111·0 the special thing to attempt to mingle together the friends of the Bridegroom, those who are spirituo.l freedom of the gospel with the old admitted into the closeEt fellowship with ceremonies of the Law. To attempt to him. The expression is a Hebraism, like engraft the living spiritual energy of the "the children of disobedience," and mo.ny gospel upon the old legal ceremonio.l now 1>ther similar forms of expression. So long, o.bout to pass away, would be as fatal a. then, o.s the bridegroom is with them they thing as to piece an old garment with new cannot fast. But the days will oome when mo.terio.l, or to put new wine into old wine- the bridegroom shall be taken away from skins. '.rhere is here, therefore, a v11l nable them, and then shall they fllBt, It is e.s lesson for the Christian Church, namely, ta> though our Lord said, "It is not surprising treat new converts with gentleness 11nd con .. that they should not care to fast as long 118 sideration. they enjoy my presence: but when I am Ver. 23.-lf there is a rapid sequence in to.ken from them, then shall they fast." this part of the narrati vo, the fasting re- Ver. 20.-This is the first occo.sion on ferred to in the 111st verses may have taken which our Lord alludes to his removBl from place tile day before. St. Luke ( vi 1) hen1  88 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [en. n. 1--28.