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The enemies of Jesus continued to scrutinize everything that He said and done and one day some people came to Jesus and told Him that the disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted and wanted to know why His disciples did not fast. The Pharisees fasted twice a week and probably, so did the disciples of John. It was probably on one of these days of fasting that they observed the Disciples of Jesus eating and wondered why they to were not fasting. Some believe the question was raised by the disciples of John at the urging of the Pharisees as the disciples of John was on a better relationship with Jesus than the Pharisees.
At first the question seem a plausible one, but let us look at the intent. Fasting had for ages been practiced and was considered a sacrifice of love. But look at what it had become. It became an item for boasting. They bragged about their performances in religion, even to the point that they relied upon them for righteousness. But what about the Disciples of Jesus, had they forsaken the duty of fasting? We believe not, but Jesus had instructed them many times in the way in which religion should be practiced. He told them to do it in private, without fanfare, for their relation to God was personal. We must never fall into the trap that the disciples of John fell into and be used by Satan. We must not judge a persons religion by the things that appear to the eye.
Notice how they sought to bring discord between Jesus and His Disciples by creating a question in the minds of the Disciples. Notice how Jesus answers the question: First He tells them that for His Disciples, this was not the season for fasting. He tries to explain this by comparing Himself to a bridegroom and the Disciples as wedding guests. Notice how diplomatic Jesus is as He takes care not to condemn the practice, but only to justify the actions of His disciples. He explained that while He was still here with them it would be a time of joy and feasting but the time would come when He would leave and they would suffer as He would suffer and that would be a time of grief and fasting. But He assures them that when that time comes they would be ready for it as they would have the benefit of several years of His instruction and also the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to sustain them. Secondly, He tries to explain to them what would happen if He would burden them, being new converts, with to much religious duty. He does this by comparing them to "new cloth" sown into old cloth and to "new wine" placed into old wine containers. They knew that neither of these examples were good practices. Jesus knows our frame and expects only what we are capable of doing.
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