The original meaning of fasting in Yahwism and, consequently, in Judaism was associated with sadness, grief, misfortune, and mourning. Its most widespread form was fasting for the dead: after a person's death, relatives and friends would normally fast for at least...
The original meaning of fasting in Yahwism and, consequently, in Judaism was associated with sadness, grief, misfortune, and mourning. Its most widespread form was fasting for the dead: after a person's death, relatives and friends would normally fast for at least one day, and often longer. Fasts were sometimes self-imposed not only by individuals but also by communities — religious communities or even entire cities — if, for example, they faced the threat of enemy invasion or a natural disaster such as an epidemic.
Later, contrition for one's own sins also became a reason to fast: a person was presumed to grieve over them as the greatest of misfortunes and therefore to fast. In the religious life of Gospel times, particularly among the Pharisees and the followers of John the Baptist, a practice of weekly fasting, usually twice a week, had developed. It was assumed that a person should spend these days in repentance.
As often happens, a spiritual practice that was beneficial at first degenerated over time into a pious religious custom, and a compulsory one at that. To appear before fellow believers on a fast day as someone who was not fasting, for example by being cheerful, laughing, or dressed festively, meant provoking at least bewilderment, if not condemnation, among those around. Hence the question to Jesus about His disciples, who did not observe the fasts. Jesus restores fasting to its original meaning: in the spiritual sense, fasting means above all the grief and anguish of being forsaken by God, when a person weeps not only over his sins but also because through them he has lost God and the possibility of communion with Him.
By speaking of Himself as the Bridegroom, an unmistakable allusion here to the wedding feast as the messianic banquet, the Saviour points to the meaninglessness of formal fasting when there is no genuine reason for it. As long as He is with His disciples, there can be no question of being forsaken by God and therefore no place for true fasting. The time will come when the disciples are left alone, and then their time to fast will come, but it will happen when it happens.
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5:1 For every high priest being taken from among men - Is, till he is taken, of the same rank with them. And is appointed - That is, is wont to be appointed. In things pertaining to God - To bring God near to men, and men to God. That he may offer bothgifts - Out of things inanimate, and animal sacrifices.
5:2 Who can have compassion - In proportion to the offence: so the Greek word signifies. On the ignorant - Them that are in error. And the wandering - Them that are in sin. Seeing himself also is compassed with infirmity - Even with sinful infirmity; and so needs the compassion which he shows to others.
5:4 The apostle begins here to treat of the priesthood of Christ. The sum of what he observes concerning it is, Whatever is excellent in the Levitical priesthood is in Christ, and in a more eminent manner; and whatever is wanting in those priests is in him. And no one taketh this honour - The priesthood. To himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron - And his posterity, who were all of them called at one and the same time. But it is observable, Aaron did not preach at all; preaching being no part of the priestly office.
5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be an high priest - That is, did not take this honour to himself, but received it from him who said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee - Not, indeed, at the same time; for his generation was from eternity. Psa 2:7.
5:6 Psa 110:4.
5:7 The sum of the things treated of in the seventh and following chapters is contained, Heb 5:7-10; and in this sum is admirably comprised the process of his passion, with its inmost causes, in the very terms used by the evangelists.Who in the days of his flesh - Those two days, in particular, wherein his sufferings were at the height. Having offered up prayers and supplications - Thrice. With strong crying and tears - In the garden. To him that was able to save him from death - Which yet he endured, in obedience to the will of his Father. And being heard in that which he particularly feared - When the cup was offered him first, there was set before him thathorrible image of a painful, shameful, accursed death, which moved him to pray conditionally against it: for, if he had desired it, his heavenly Father would have sent him more than twelve legions of angels to have delivered him. But what he most exceedingly feared was the weight of infinite justice; the being "bruised" and "put to grief" by the hand of God himself. Compared with this, everything else was a mere nothing; and yet, so greatly did he ever thirst to be obedient to the righteous will of his Father, and to "lay down" even "his life for the sheep," that he vehemently longed to be baptized with this baptism, Luk 12:50. Indeed, his human nature needed the support of Omnipotence; and for this he sent up strong crying and tears: but, throughout his whole life, he showed that it was not the sufferings he was to undergo, but the dishonour that sin had done to so holy a God, that grieved his spotless soul. The consideration of its being the will of God tempered his fear, and afterwards swallowed it up; and he was heard not so that the cup should pass away, but so that he drank it without any fear.
5:8 Though he were a Son - This is interposed. lest any should be offended at all these instances of human weakness.In the garden, how frequently did he call God his Father! Mat 26:39, etc And hence it most evidently appears that hisbeing the Son of God did not arise merely from his resurrection.Yet learned he - The word learned, premised to the word suffered, elegantly shows how willingly he learned. He learned obedience, when be began to suffer; when he applied himself to drink that cup: obedience in suffering and dying.
5:9 And being perfected - By sufferings, Heb 2:10; brought through all to glory.He became the author - The procuring and efficient cause.Of eternal salvation to all that obey him - By doing and suffering his whole will.
5:10 Called - The Greek word here properly signifies surnamed. His name is, "the Son of God." The Holy Ghost seems to have concealed who Melchisedec was, on purpose that he might be the more eminent type of Christ. This only we know, - that he was a priest, and king of Salem, or Jerusalem.