Surprised by Kingdom Joy (Mt. 9:14-17)

Here’s my message from this past Sunday. You can catch the audio here.

Now back in the day, my kids would more frequently say “yes” when I suggested we hit the trail and do some hiking. One I thing I remember, back when they were littler kids, was this: constantly trying to get them to look up and around and take in the views. Stop staring at the ground, I’d say. Check out that tree. Don’t miss that view. I’d try. But it was a lost cause. At least from my vantage point, they were too much of the time looking down. And missing out.

At first glance, the passage Aaron just read may not seem too relevant to our lives today. This word doesn’t seem to relate too much to our world. A question about a religious practice we don’t really understand. Some word pictures that make things harder, really not easier to comprehend.

But in actuality, these verses are supremely applicable to our lives. Because, we, too, can spend much of our time staring at our shoes. While we miss out on the sunrise. This is what these disciples of John - along with the Pharisees - are doing. And in doing that, they’re turning their eyes from joy.

This morning I’m going to walk through Matthew 9:14-17. We’ll spend some time here listening to what happens here in this word. I’ll make three main points I think Jesus wants us to hear. We’ll finish by thinking then about how we can actually pursue them here in our world.

Our Context: More Than Keeping the Rules

We’ve been walking slowly through the book of Matthew. We’ve seen how Jesus is the King our hearts long for. And how He brings a kingdom we so desperately want. We’re in a section here in Matthew 9, where we see the authority of our King. We’ve looked at His authority over sin as He healed the paralytic at the beginning of this chapter. We witnessed His authority over salvation as He welcomed tax collectors and sinners to His table and into the kingdom. And the last verse of that previous section ties into what we’ll look at today. Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’” Jesus says he’s even in authority over this system they’ve worked their lives around. The King says, “There’s something bigger here than just keeping all those rules.”

A Walk Through Matthew 9:14-17

Well, verse 14 tells us that John the Baptist’s disciples walk up to Jesus and ask him about His followers’ religious practices. And we see the first aspect of this passage here in Matthew - a question - and an explanation - about the devotion of kingdom disciples. They say, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Now according to the Old Testament law, there was really only one fast required - that which took place around the Day of Atonement. That massive annual event in Jewish life - when the priest made a sacrifice for the people’s sin. The disciples of John, though, likely followed the Pharisees - the religious teachers of that day - and tried to go above and beyond - with some regular weekly fasts - to try extra hard to show their sorrow over their sin. To make extra clear their desire for God’s kingdom to come.

Now it seems like there’s a bit of a rivalry going on here - at least coming from the John side. We don’t see this in the Baptizer himself, but it sure looks like it’s the case among his followers. John was an ascetic, going without. They carry on that tradition - while Jesus and His followers seem indulgent. Yeah, hanging out with tax collectors and sinners to begin with. But even partying with them. It sure doesn’t fit with their idea of holiness. So they say, “Jesus, we’re fasting. The Pharisees - our teachers in Israel - they’re fasting. Why are your guys not doing this?” That’s the question. Jesus then gives an explanation - really an illustration - as to why they’re not.

Now I really enjoy doing weddings. I love performing the ceremony. I like doing the counseling beforehand. I dig all of that. I do. But to be really honest, sometimes the reception can wear me out. It takes forever it seems to finish up the photos. When the wedding party finally gets there, it seems like there are 47 speeches to sit through. Before you know it, it’s been 6 hours! You’re famished. Your butt hurts. It’s time to go to sleep.

But imagine if I jumped up and screamed, “Hey, we don’t need to see the bride dance with their third cousin once removed! “I hope you dance” is a TERRIBLE song. Let’s have the cake already. No more horrible speeches. And since I have the mic, it’s great that this couple is so happy, but do they have any idea just how hard this marriage thing is going to be?” Well, talk about a wet blanket. I’d get some cake alright. In the face. Maybe from the mother of the bride. My attitude would not fit with the occasion.

Isn’t that what Jesus is saying here? Listen to verse 15: “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Jesus says, “Read the room, fellas. This is a wedding, not a funeral. This is a time of joy, not sorrow. And beyond that, I’m here. THE bridegroom. There’ll be a time to mourn. Later. You’ll fast, for sure. Then. But the time isn’t now.”

Now there’s a lot there, so let me unpack it a bit. First, the whole wedding, bridegroom thing. Back in the Old Testament, God calls Himself a bridegroom. And the people of Israel His bride. Hear how the prophet Isaiah puts it:

Is. 62:4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married;

for the LORD delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

Is. 62:5 For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.

Now John the Baptist seemed to recognize Jesus’s identity. He basically calls himself the best man in John chapter 3, verse 29.

John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

There’s definitely no jealously here in John. And standing next to Jesus brings him great joy. The bridegroom had come.

Jesus here spells that out for John’s followers. He’s God. The groom coming for His people. This great love story - that was spoiled by the fall into sin - was coming to this epic ending. Or rather the beginning - of God and His people - in loving fellowship - forever and ever.

And for that reason, second, it wasn’t time to fast. John is in prison at this point. We’re not sure why his boys didn’t get the message from him. But Jesus is telling them here: “This is a time for celebration. For joy, not mourning.” What they were doing was out of place. It was along the lines of screaming out, “Get on with it,” at the ceremony. Or blurting, “This won’t last a year” at the reception. Or wearing black clothes and angry glares. Jesus is saying, “Everything you’ve been fasting for, longing for, is here, right before your eyes. The kingdom has come. I, the King, am here. I get your question, but you’re completely missing the point.”

Don’t miss, though, what else the King says. "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Now this no doubt made their heads spin even more, as they didn’t have categories for the bridegroom, the king, coming, and then leaving again. They thought the Christ would come back, kick enemy butt, sit on His throne, and it would be happily ever after from there.

But of course, they hadn’t fully grasped the extent of their sin. And what was needed to make everything right again. And Jesus here is talking about the cross. After He dies, yes, then. But even after He is raised, and ascends to heaven, there would again be a time to fast. But the time wasn’t then. Because the King was still there.

Now we know this is the right way to understand this, as we see fasting in the early church. It’s throughout the pages of the book of Acts. And more on this later, but fasting should still be a part of our life today. Here we see a question - and an explanation - about the devotion of kingdom disciples. Fasting isn’t bad. And there would be a place for it down the road. But it doesn’t make sense when you’re right in front of the King.   

Let’s look now at the second aspect of this passage. We see some pictures - and a point - about the nature of Christ’s kingdom. Jesus moves from the wedding illustration to two more word pictures. They’re images that explain why fasting has changed. They make a bigger point about the nature of the kingdom. Let’s hear verse 16 again. “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.” Now I’m not sure how many of you have patched an article of clothing. But back in my day, in the glorious 80s, patching your jeans was the way to go. But as Jesus explains here, you can’t take an unshrunk piece of denim and sew it over a hole on a pair of worn-in jeans. Right? If you do, when the new cut of denim shrinks, it’s going to tear both fabrics up, and you’ll be left with a bigger hole.

Or have you ever tried to put a water bottle into the freezer? Or maybe an aluminum can of coke? What happens? You ruin the bottle. You’re left with a mess. As the water, the liquid, freezes, it expands. It puts pressure on the container until there’s a breaking point. That’s what the Lord is talking about in verse 17. “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Back in that day, wine or water bottles were - no joke - made out of animals. You’d cut off the feet, take off the head - and I assume clean it all thoroughly - and you’d sew most of those openings up - except likely the neck where you’d pour your drink from. You’d be left with something you could carry around and drink from.

Now as these wineskins aged, they’d get brittle. They’d grow hard. And if you filled one up with wine that hadn’t yet fermented, you’d have a problem. As the wine fermented, and the gases built up, you’d have the same problem of the can in the freezer. It would split out the wineskin, and the bottle and the beverage would both the ruined. Jesus says, “But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” And in saying that, He’s again making a bigger point about the nature of His kingdom.

Well, what is that point? I like the way D.A. Carson puts most things, but his explanation here is golden:

“These illustrations show that the new situation introduced by Jesus could not simply be patched onto old Judaism or poured into the old wineskins of Judaism. New forms would have to accompany the kingdom Jesus was now inaugurating; to try to domesticate him and incorporate him into the matrix of established Jewish religion would only succeed in ruining both Judaism and Jesus’ teaching.” (D. A. Carson)

Jesus is saying, “My kingdom is something altogether different. Those old garments, those old wineskins - they weren’t bad or anything. They were good. They just all pointed to me. They were all fulfilled in me. You can’t just keep pursuing the same old practices or you’re missing the point, people.”

So there’s our walk through verses 14 through 17. There’s a question - and an explanation - about the devotion of kingdom disciples. And some pictures - and a point - about the nature of Christ’s kingdom.

Here’s the main point I want you to walk away with today. His kingdom will shatter our expectations and surprise us with celebration, if we’ll open our hearts to the possibility. I want to walk through that sentence here right now.

His Kingdom and Our Expectations

First, His kingdom shatters our expectations. Now the people in Jesus’s day weren’t expecting the kind of kingdom Jesus would bring. They weren’t waiting for the type of King that he would be, either. But both were what they truly needed. And it’s the same for us today.

They wanted to keep going on with their same old practices, all the while they were completely missing the point. Those old garments no longer were the right fit. Those old wineskins were no longer up to the job.

Back when I kicked off the Sermon on the Mount, I made two points that I think are relevant to our discussion today. The gospel extends far wider than we tend to think or imagine. To sex, to money, to worry, and to anger. To how we interact with our neighbor, even to our enemies. As Kuyper once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

The gospel also goes deeper than we tend to think or imagine. It penetrates far below our external actions - either for good or bad - and gets to our internal motives. Christ says, back in chapter 5, verse 20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Christ isn’t impressed with our cute little rituals that don’t go deep. He’s not concerned with outward appearances but rather with the inner realities of the heart.

Jesus wants every part of us to submit to His reign. And He wants us in the depths of our being. Now this leaves us in this difficult place, where we realize that our old methods with trying to deal with the problem aren’t sufficient. And it seems overwhelming, until we realize the point Jesus is making. And the only pathway to live in the Kingdom he brings. He wants us to see our need. And realize that we can’t just throw a band-aid on to a gaping wound and expect it to make a difference.

I’ve been reading this great book by a British guy named Christopher Watkin, and he makes this case what we all operate by what he calls an n-shaped dynamic. What’s he mean? Well, look at the letter n, at least the lower-case version. He explains, “We offer something to the god (the left-hand, upward stroke of the n) and the god responds with a blessing (the right-hand, downward stroke); we make a sacrifice, and the god gives us a reward; we expectantly scratch god’s back, and the god obligingly scratches ours.” He goes on: “in both its religious and secular versions, the n-shaped dynamic moves from performance to prize. It is the default human setting, and the default mode of our society: achievement brings reward, and you do what you must to get what you want.” This is the way of technique, Watkin explains.

The Kingdom Jesus brings isn’t all about getting these practices just right. And somehow impressing the person of God. As Watkin says, there’s also a secular version of this. We try to be the best person. The most generous. The most socially conscious - best mom, best husband - whatever what it would be. And we seek approval. Maybe from a god, but maybe not. Maybe from others. But most of all from ourselves.

This isn’t the way of the kingdom. It’s not what our King came to bring. Those old methods won’t work. They really never did. We have a new mentality. Where we see our deep need. We’re no longer comparing ourselves to others, and wondering why they’re not doing this or that. We realize that we don’t begin to measure up ourselves. And we turn and gaze at the glory of God.

He hands us this new garment, this robe of righteousness. It has no holes. It doesn’t need patched up. And we can stand in God’s presence. He pours us this new wine. He gives us His Holy Spirit. And it makes us feel much better inside than these dumb attempts to perform for Him and others. His Kingdom shatters our expectations. But the King builds us - and them - back up to something far more beautiful.

His Kingdom and Our Celebration

Second, His kingdom surprises us with celebration. Isn’t that the point Jesus is making here? “You guys should be celebrating!” Jesus comes on the scene, and what’s the first sign he performs? In John 2, He turns water into wine. Where? At a wedding feast. Jesus gets the party started. And he goes around making religious people really uncomfortable.

Often when people think of our faith, they think of something boring and stale, of lots of standing and kneeling and trying not to sin too much. The kingdom Jesus brings shatters our expectations, because it’s all about celebration.

The Kingdom is here. No, our joy isn’t perfect now. We’re still in a fallen, sinful world. But there’s still so much to be grateful for, to be joyful about. But one day our joy will be full. Revelation 19 talks about a wedding in the future, flying through the sky, coming down to earth, kicking of a celebration that would last forever. When the kingdom fully comes.

Rev. 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

Rev. 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

Rev. 19:8 it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Rev. 19:9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

One thing I’ve struggled with is how much money people spend on weddings. It’s absolutely gone insane in today’s culture, and it so much springs from parents trying to put on a show and to impress their friends. For that reason, I’ve often encouraged couples to not spend as much, to even eliminate the meal. But that got me a rebuke from Bobby one time I brought that up. And he’s right. It points ahead to that marriage supper of the lamb. And there, the Father is going to bring out the good stuff.   

One day, there will be joy unending. But we don’t have to wait until then. New Testament scholar R.T. France writes, “The explosive exuberance of the new era must break out of the confines of legalism and asceticism.” No more legalism - that n-curved approach to life. No more asceticism - trying to suffer our way to God. To get Him to respond with His favor. Joy shatters that mindset.

Watkin contrasts the n-shaped dynamic with what he calls the u-shaped way of life. It’s the way of grace. Of God’s provision for our need. It’s not “performance leads to reward,” but rather, “blessing leads to response.” Instead of us rising up to God and trying to get Him to come down to us, He initiates. He comes down. And then we’re lifted up, by His grace, for His glory, as a response. Hear Watkin:

“Like the technical attitude, the u-shaped dynamic engenders a disposition to the whole of life. Let us call it the “bountiful attitude” (or we might even say the “attitude of gratitude”!), a posture towards God, the world, and ourselves that reflects God’s bounty in lavishing undeserved grace on us and also the bountiful overflow of our thanks to him….

The technical attitude is manipulative; the bountiful attitude is receptive. In the technical attitude, we recruit god or the gods to do our will, the will that was ours before we reached out to the divine. But in the bountiful attitude God recruits us to do his will. In the technical attitude the god is an instrument, a means, a technique, but in the bountiful attitude God is the ultimate end of all our means and all our striving.” (Christopher Watkin)

Now, living in a u-shaped world leads to joy - to “explosive exuberance.” But it also leads to freedom. Doesn’t it? Now again, legalism and asceticism are usually just thought of as Christian things or overtly religious things. But they’re really something that are in every one of us. We all try to do or forgo things to try to impress god, the universe, or whatever.

Our basic posture is this “I’m a good person, and god - or again, whomever - owes me.” We try to build and identity. To impress God and others. And we usually end up comparing ourselves to others, and judging and condemning them. And that’s really flowing - if we’re honest - out of insecurity and misery that’s inside ourselves. Kind of like what’s probably going on in John’s disciples here.

But embracing this u-shaped approach to life gives freedom. Where we realize we have nothing to prove, and no one to impress. We’ve been given this gracious, glorious identity from above. As sons, as daughters. We realize as Tim Keller has famously said, that we’re far more sinful than we ever realized. But we’re far more loved than we ever dared hope. We lose the impulse to condemn those around us. And it frees us to love. To share the grace we’ve found in Jesus. His kingdom will shatter our expectations and surprise us with celebration, if we’ll open our hearts to the possibility.

His Kingdom and Our Hearts

I want to turn to that last clause now. How do we do that? Open our hearts to the possibility that our expectations are too low? And that kingdom joy is really that amazing? How does this word here become more of a part of our world? Whether you call yourself a follower of Jesus or not, think through how you might be trying to perform. And not rest in His grace. But that’s where we all start - with that n-shaped dynamic. And it’s where we’re all prone to slide back toward. How do we lean into that u-shaped life? What can we do? I want to give you a couple of things.

First, prayerful reading. If we want to learn about the King and His Kingdom - and have our perspectives stretched deeper and wider - we have to be in His word, reading the Bible, learning about Him and His ways. And you might ask, “Why are we always talking about this? Why is this the application point to every sermon?” I think it’s because most believers just aren’t doing this.

I know you also may roll your eyes as I say this, but we’re constantly taking in messages through media, nearly every minute of our days, and almost all of it moves us away from our joy. Away from our dependence and His provision. Toward performance - especially on social media - that n-shaped life. It all reinforces the kings and kingdoms of this world. And moves us down the road toward sorrow.

If you’re with us in our summer One Read, author Pete Scazzero will soon talk about this historic practice called the “Daily Office,” where we don’t just try to get something from God but rather seek to be with our Lord. It’s a daily rhythm - and he argues it should happen more than just once - where we stop our activity. We center ourselves on Him. We silence ourselves before the Lord. And then we hear from Him in Scripture. This is God’s appointed means for us to absorb His grace - and with it joy and freedom.   

Let’s get in God’s word. Let’s do it prayerfully, asking Him to move in our hearts, to help us imagine a better, more joyful way of navigating this world.

Second, purposeful fasting. Yes, as I indicated earlier, there still is a place for fasting today. But we have to think about how fasting is different now - this side of the cross - then it was in the days of this passage.

Now we fast, looking back at what Jesus has done. His life, His death, His resurrection. And we ask God, as we abstain from food, to give us more and more of a hunger for Him, for a taste for the joy that can only be found in Him. Fasting stokes that joy. It deepens our celebration.

But there’s still an element of longing as we fast here and now today. We look ahead to that joy that will never end. Yes, His Kingdom has come, but it hasn’t fully come. We’re still in a fallen world. There is sin and injustice in us - and all around us. So there’s still an element of mourning, right? There’s definitely longing - as we beg Him to return, to bring His reign in full, to usher in His kingdom that will never end.

A second way that we open our hearts to the possibility of His kingdom of joy is by going without food, and focusing on prayer, asking God to give us a deeper hunger for Him, which is a deeper longing for the joy and freedom only He can provide.

Our Context: When We Fast

Now we’ve already heard Jesus talk about fasting in Matthew. Back in chapter 6, verse 16-18, Jesus calls out the Pharisees for the way they were doing it - for walking around gloomy, trying to showcase their suffering.

The King starts off that section, though, by making His desire for our future abundantly clear. He says, “when you fast.”  You will fast. But when you do so, don’t perform, don’t do it to be seen. Do it for His glory. And there you’ll experience His joy. You’ll receive the reward you really want - Him!

I’m a big Jason Isbell fan. And his newest album is great. There’s this tune on the record called “Cast Iron Skillet.” Where he sings about this rule pushed by many families in the south. You weren’t to wash the thing for any reason. Well, not only is that rule false - it doesn’t really hurt the thing to get it good and clean - but most families end up getting other, bigger principles wrong. He talks about a dad whose daughter ends up marrying a man who’s black, and he chooses never to talk to her again. You can be a racist. And abandon your family. But don’t wash that darn cast-iron skillet.

Well, this is what we see in the Pharisees throughout this book - as well as in John’s disciples here in chapter 9. And our Lord says to natural-born-legalists - people like you and me - to lift up our eyes to the hills, to see where our help is from, and to rejoice. To not let our little practices keep us from missing the point. There’s a wedding feast coming. Joy we can even feel even now. And it’s all paid for by someone else. So we should stop complaining. And start dancing.

There’s this idea out there that Christianity is a kind of a straightjacket. Strap this faith on, and it’ll take away your fun. It’ll confine you. And make you miserable. But in actuality, it’s just the opposite.

As we snap out of this religious, rule-keeping mentality, as we enter this “achievement-free zone” He offers, it’s more like we get a set of wings, not our hands tied behind our backs. It’s more like a hang-glider. Living by grace, we can soar. We can take in glory. We can soak in joy. And be truly free. Expand your heart to embrace kingdom joy. Let’s pray.