Section 48
Jesus defends his disciples for feasting instead of fasting with three parables
Capernaum
| Matthew 9:14-17 | Mark 2:18-22 | Luke 5:33-39 |
|---|---|---|
| 14Then the disciples of John came to Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but your disciples do not fast?” | 18Now the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees were fasting. So some people came and said to Jesus, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” | 33Then they said to him, “Why do the disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” |
| 15Jesus said to them, “Can the bridegroom's attendants mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wineskins burst, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But new wine is put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” | 19Jesus said to them, “Can the bridegroom's attendants fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the garment's new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine bursts the wineskins, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” | 34Jesus said to them, “Can you make the bridegroom's attendants fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, they will fast in those days.” 36He also told them a parable: “No one puts a patch from a new garment on an old garment. Otherwise, he not only tears the new garment, but the patch from the new garment does not match the old garment. 37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins and will itself be spilled, and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and then both are preserved. 39And no one after drinking old wine immediately desires new wine, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ” |
Notes
Capernaum
Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry, is no longer inhabited. Although abandoned after the Islamic conquest of the seventh century, the earthquake of 747 A.D. left the town desolate, and only remains are left. It was once a thriving town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. As you pass the vibrant colors of the bougainvillea, eucalyptus and palm trees at the entrance, you are reminded of the fertility of the soil and the mild climate.
Only part of the city lies within the walls of the Franciscan compound. To the east of the walls is another part of the city owned by the Greek Orthodox Church. Most of the city in which Jesus ministered lies unexcavated, eastward along the shore and northward toward the hills. You can see black basalt stones in the fields, indicating the remains of buildings below the soil. This lovely village, with its white limestone synagogue and black basalt houses, gives evidence of its prosperity over several centuries.