Don’t Do It Because Others Are Doing It

Luke 5:33-34
(33) They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
(34) Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

During Jesus’ time and even before the schooling system was different from what we may have today. Children attended Synagogue schools from age six to thirteen. That is why by age twelve, Jesus had learned enough to engage religious leaders, Luke 2:42 and Luke 2:46-47. What was unique about Jesus was His mastery of scripture and ability to engage seasoned teachers of the law.

The synagogue schools taught the word of God and basic literacy. If you only attended Synagogue school you were not considered to have been to school. Jesus and the disciples must have attended Synagogue schools because they could read and write, but they were considered uneducated.

John 7:14-15
(14) Jesus Teaches at the Festival
Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. (15) The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning WITHOUT HAVING BEEN TAUGHT?”

Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were UNSCHOOLED, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Many people in the population stopped at the Synagogue school level. They could now read the Bible, recite it and be able to write. Yet this was not considered sufficient enough for one to be considered educated. Jesus and the disciples could read and write but were considered to be uneducated!

Luke 4:16
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to READ, (Take note that He could read)

To be considered educated, one had to join a school of thought led by a Master. These are schools that taught philosophy and emphasized certain doctrines. There were popular schools like the Shammaah school and the Hillel school. These schools were joined after completing the Synagogue schools. Only those who attended these schools were considered educated!

Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I STUDIED UNDER GAMALIEL and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

Gamaliel a grandson of Hillel, lead the school of Hillel when Apostle Paul was a student. Paul was considered very educated because of having learned from such a great school. But these were not the only schools. Education beyond Synagogue schools was common for those who were interested and could afford it.

Our text today tells us that John had disciples, Luke 5:33-34. Pharisees too had their disciples. It was a common practice at that time that disciples engaged in group fasting and prayers. There was something unique with the disciples of Jesus. Jesus had authority yet He wasn’t educated. Jesus was better than all those teachers of the law yet He didn’t have their level of education, Matthew 7:28-29. Jesus had disciples but they never fasted and prayed like the others.

Jesus was asked why His disciples were not fasting and praying like others, Luke 5:33-34. Jesus refused to yield to peer pressure and He explained that His disciples had no need to fast and pray. Jesus refused to be made to do something simply because others were doing it. Please don’t do it because others are doing it!

Jesus and His disciples were not fasting and praying, yet everyone was doing it. Jesus was not being opposite of others for the sake of it. He was not just opposing. He wasn’t even opposing the others in order to look better. Jesus simply had reasons why they didn’t need to fast and pray.

We should avoid the temptation of striving to be different with no basis or reason for being different. We shouldn’t find pleasure in baseless uniqueness. We should avoid cheap and non-concrete reasoning that drives the emphasis on being different more than why we are different. Jesus gave clear direct reasons why they couldn’t fast and pray like others. They were different with good reason. Be different with good reason. Please don’t do it because others are doing it!

Why are you doing what you are doing? Why do you avoid what you are avoiding? Why do you believe what you believe? Do you have solid convincing reasons that don’t have to be given angrily? Please don’t do it because others are doing it! May God save us in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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