Matthew 9:14-15
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The question isn't just about if Jesus' disciples fast, but about why they don't. John's disciples, accustomed to fasting as a sign of devotion and seriousness, see Jesus' disciples feasting and interpret it as a lack of spiritual discipline. They're missing that Jesus himself is the source of their joy, making fasting inappropriate in his presence.
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners, a scene that already challenges religious norms. John the Baptist's disciples, accustomed to a stricter lifestyle and observing many fast days like the Pharisees, approach Jesus with confusion about why His followers don't join them in fasting. This question arises from a desire to understand how Jesus' ministry aligns with established religious practices and the mourning they themselves might be experiencing over John's imprisonment.
John's disciples and the Pharisees were devout, practicing strict religious disciplines. Yet, they questioned Jesus' followers for a seemingly different approach. What does this reveal about their understanding of righteousness?
John's disciples and the Pharisees were steeped in the tradition of fasting. For them, fasting was a significant act of religious devotion, often done twice a week in the case of the Pharisees, in addition to prescribed national fasts. They viewed it as a crucial element of righteousness before God.
Their question to Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" highlights a fundamental difference in focus. They were concerned with the performance of religious acts, adhering to established customs that demonstrated piety.
Jesus' response, however, shifts the perspective from ritualistic performance to the reality of His presence. He implies that while their external disciplines have their place, His followers are currently experiencing a time of divine presence and joy, making such outward expressions of sorrow inappropriate.
Jesus uses a wedding analogy to explain the disciples' practice. What does this reveal about His identity and the experience of being with Him?
Jesus likens His presence with His disciples to that of a bridegroom at his wedding feast. In Jewish culture, a wedding was a time of immense joy and celebration, lasting for days. Fasting, which is an expression of sorrow or repentance, would be completely out of place during such festivities.
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He says, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" (Matthew 9:15). This powerfully declares His own divine identity – He is the Bridegroom, and His presence brings an unparalleled season of joy and celebration to His followers.
The disciples' current lack of fasting isn't a sign of spiritual laxity, but a testament to the immediate, present joy found in being with the Messiah. Their focus is on the celebration happening now because the Bridegroom is with them.
Jesus contrasts the present joy with a future reality. What does this future hold for His disciples, and why will fasting become appropriate then?
Jesus doesn't dismiss fasting altogether. He acknowledges a future time when His disciples will fast. He states, "the days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."
This points directly to the period after Jesus' crucifixion and ascension. His physical absence, the suffering and persecution the early church would face, and the mourning for His departure would indeed be a time for sorrow, and thus, for fasting. Fasting would become an appropriate expression of their grief, reliance on God, and longing for Christ's return.
This teaches us that spiritual disciplines like fasting are not static. Their timing and appropriateness are linked to our spiritual context and our experience of God's presence – intense joy when He is palpably with us, and sober reflection and reliance when He is absent and we face trials.
Understand the original words
nēsteuō · Greek Verb
A spiritual discipline of abstaining from food to focus on prayer, repentance, or seeking God's guidance; it is an act of humility and a recognition of dependency upon God.
nymphōn · Greek Noun
A metaphor for the joyful, messianic age inaugurated by Jesus’ arrival; the invitation to his presence is a celebration of the kingdom of heaven breaking into human history.
nymphios · Greek Noun
A title used by Jesus to describe himself as the fulfillment of Israel's messianic hope, signaling the presence of God among His people.
The question arises because Jesus's ministry is characterized by joy and fellowship, in stark contrast to the somber, fasting practices of John's disciples and the Pharisees. Jesus frames fasting as an appropriate response to sorrow, something yet to come for his followers.
c. 28 AD
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus starts teaching and healing, gathering many disciples. His ministry is marked by joyous gatherings and meals.
c. 28-29 AD
John the Baptist's ministry and disciples
John the Baptist preaches repentance and baptizes followers, emphasizing a more ascetic lifestyle. His disciples continue to practice his teachings.
c. 29 AD
Pharisaic customs of fasting
The Pharisees, a prominent religious group, observe frequent fasting as a sign of piety and devotion, often twice weekly.
c. 29 AD— this verse
Disciples of John question Jesus
John's disciples approach Jesus, puzzled by the celebratory, non-fasting practices of his followers compared to their own and the Pharisees'.
c. 29 AD
Jesus explains his presence
Jesus responds with parables, comparing his presence to a wedding feast, a time of joy, contrasting it with future times of sorrow when his disciples will fast.
c. 30 AD
John the Baptist imprisoned
John the Baptist is imprisoned by Herod Antipas, a period of distress for his followers.
This passage challenges the superficiality of fasting, highlighting true fasting as an act of justice and liberation, which provides a backdrop for understanding Jesus' focus on the *purpose* of His disciples' practice (or lack thereof).
Luke 18:12This verse directly describes the Pharisees' practice of fasting twice a week, showing the very custom that John's disciples were using as a point of comparison.
John 3:29This verse presents John the Baptist as the 'friend of the bridegroom,' directly linking to Jesus' analogy in Matthew 9:15 and illuminating the disciples' sorrowful state after John's imprisonment.
Romans 14:1This passage addresses how to handle differences in practices among believers, offering a principle for understanding why Jesus’ disciples might not adhere to the same outward rituals as others.
1 Corinthians 7:35Paul discusses the balance between devotion and uninterrupted service to God, echoing Jesus' point that the presence of the bridegroom (Jesus) makes for a time of joy, not necessarily outward signs of mourning.
bensonMatthew 9:14: "Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"
Matthew 9:14-15 . Then — While he was at table, came to him the disciples of John, with those of the Pharisees, Mark 2:18 ; saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often — Have frequently our days of solemn devotion, in which we fast, and offer up to God many prayers and supplications? but thy disciples fast not — Not at all, or very seldom, but on the contrary eat…
barnesMatthew 9:14: "Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"
Then came the disciples of John ... - This narrative is found also in Mark 2:18-22 ; Luke 5:33-39 . The reference here is to John the Baptist. It is probable that they had understood that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; and if such was the case, they could not account for the fact that there was such a difference between them and the disciples of Jesus. The P…
The question isn't just about if Jesus' disciples fast, but about why they don't. John's disciples, accustomed to fasting as a sign of devotion and seriousness, see Jesus' disciples feasting and interpret it as a lack of spiritual discipline. They're missing that Jesus himself is the source of their joy, making fasting inappropriate in his presence.
Jesus is sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners, a scene that already challenges religious norms. John the Baptist's disciples, accustomed to a stricter lifestyle and observing many fast days like the Pharisees, approach Jesus with confusion about why His followers don't join them in fasting. This question arises from a desire to understand how Jesus' ministry aligns with established religious practices and the mourning they themselves might be experiencing over John's imprisonment.
Jesus is sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners, a scene that already challenges religious norms. John the Baptist's disciples, accustomed to a stricter lifestyle and observing many fast days like the Pharisees, approach Jesus with confusion about why His followers don't join them in fasting. This question arises from a desire to understand how Jesus' ministry aligns with established religious practices and the mourning they themselves might be experiencing over John's imprisonment.
"Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the b…" — The question isn't just about if Jesus' disciples fast, but about why they don't. John's disciples, accustomed to fasting as a sign of devotion and seriousness, see Jesus' disciples feasting and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
