Starve The G. O. A. T., Feed The S. H. E. E. P.

 Starve The G. O. A. T., Feed The S. H. E. E. P.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.” Mark 2:22 NLT

Jesus came to teach us a new way to live - with new wine in new wineskins. It is a way of life that runs counter to the ways of the world.  The stories of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark are to open our eyes to what it means to be fully human and how to live the new way of living in the Spirit rather than the old way of obeying the letter of the law (Romans 7:6). In Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Mark,  Jesus addressed the issues of fasting and the Sabbath in a new and refreshing way.

It is not the observance of fasting or keeping the Sabbath that is important.  What is of paramount importance is the objective of keeping these spiritual disciplines. We may fast as an act of repentance like the disciples of John the Baptist or as an act of purification like the disciples of the Pharisees.  Jesus gives us a better and more beautiful reason for fasting:

 “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them.  But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Mark 2:19-‬20 NLT

It dawned on me that fasting is to fulfill the fourth beatitude. It is the expression of our desire for our Divine Lover and God’s wedding feast:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NKJV

There is a G.O.A.T. (the desire to be the greatest of all time) and a S.H.E.E.P. (the attitude of seeing heaven everyday in every person) in all of us. When our Shepherd of Love is leading us, we do not need to fast for we are then living as S.H.E.E.P. However, in times when we are tempted by pride, greed and lust to be G.O.A.T.s, we need to fast - to starve the G.O.A.T. in us.

Likewise, the fourth commandment, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8 NLT) is God’s prescription for the nurture of our body, mind and soul. It is to feed the S.H.E.E.P. in us:

“And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 NKJV

We cannot follow Jesus with a slavish obedience to the rules and traditions of men. Jesus invites us to  journey with Him through life with a joyful obedience that is rooted in a relationship of trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is to cultivate such a relationship that we practice the disciplines of fasting and observance of the Sabbath rest.

Spending 20 mins twice a day in silent meditation is one way to practice the Sabbath rest. It is a time of letting our Shepherd of Love lead me to the green pastures and still waters of God's grace. As I become more aware of my negative thoughts and feelings, I can starve the G.O.A.T. desires in me by taking them captive to Christ.  In silence the Lord restores my soul and shows me the paths of righteousness and feed the S.H.E.E.P. attitude in me. 

So let us fast in order to hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness and let us keep the Sabbath so that we may find rest for our souls.