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Three classes of persons made up what might be called the religious community of Palestine, viz. the Pharisees, the disciples of John, and the disciples of our Lord. The ground of the question here was why one of these should neglect what the others preached as a religious duty. The answer here teaches -

I. THAT THERE IS A MORAL FITNESS IN RELATION TO CIRCUMSTANCES.

1. Fasting might be proper to the disciple of John.

(1) "John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Fasting, which is a sign of grief, is fitting to one who mourns for his sins. SO John himself "came neither eating nor drinking" (Matthew 11:18). His habit as a Nazarite was in keeping with his doctrine and dispensation.

(2) Rejoicing in an unpardoned penitent would be incongruous. But unpardoned, however penitent, he must be who remains a disciple of John as distinguished from the disciples of Jesus. The new piece on the old garment would look badly.

(3) John, as Grotius notes, was now in prison. This circumstance would give additional consistency to the fasting of his disciples. But the case was different with the disciples of Jesus, who had their Master with them.

2. Fasting might be proper to the Pharisee.

(1) The ostentatious fast would be consistent in the hypocritical Pharisee who disfigured his face that he might secure applause of men (see Matthew 6:16).

(2) But some of the Pharisees were probably sincere men. To such there would be a fitness in their fasting. For the spirit of the Pharisee was the spirit of the Law, i.e. the "spirit of bondage to fear." Who could consistently rejoice within the roar of the thunders and clang of the great trumpet of Sinai?

(3) Neither the ritual of Leviticus nor the traditions of the elders can deliver the Pharisee from the yoke of terror.

3. But fasting might be improper to the disciple of Jesus.

(1) Christ is the Bridegroom of his Church (cf. Psalm 45. and Song of Sol.; also 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23, etc.; Revelation 19:17).

(2) Individual disciples are the "sons of the bride-chamber," the chosen friends of the Bridegroom.

(3) It would be unfitting in them to mourn while the Bridegroom was with them - during the festivities of the marriage. These festivities usually lasted seven days (see Judges 14:17). The Spirit of Jesus is the spirit of love. With love is joy and peace.

(4) Jesus was not with the Pharisees or these disciples of John as the Bridegroom with the sons of the bride-chamber. For they were the sons of the bondwoman (Galatians 4:25, 31).

(5) These disciples are herein significantly rebuked for their fasting in the presence of Jesus by the use of a simile which John used when he came into the presence of Jesus (see John 3:29). The sorrows of penitence in the presence of Jesus should be turned into the joys of salvation. These disciples of John had degenerated from the spirit of their master. Note and avoid tendencies to formality as tendencies to degeneration.

II. THAT THE MORAL FITNESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES IS FATAL TO UNIFORMITY.

1. Obviously so, because circumstances are ever varying.

(1) Minor circumstances are infinitely various. Yet may these be generally ranged under two classes (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:14; James 5:13). In the text they are distinguished as mourning and rejoicing, fasting and feasting.

(2) No man, therefore, should make himself the standard of religion for his fellows. Herein the disciples of John and the Pharisees erred. The new wine of the gospel could not be restrained in the old wine-skins of the Law. It must have the elastic wine-skins of new forms suitable to its expansive genius.

2. Christians have their seasons of mourning.

(1) Of the Bridegroom himself the only record of his fasting is that which took place when he was in the wilderness.

(2) In that experience Jesus personated the condition of his Church during his absence from her in heaven. She was destined to mourn in the wilderness, suffering from Satan fierce assaults of persecution and temptation. First from the Jews; then from the Romans; then from the apostasy; perhaps finally from the rising spirit of infidelity.

(3) Individual Christians also have their seasons of temptation (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 2 Corinthians 11:27). In such seasons they have their voluntary fasts (cf. Acts 10:30; Acts 13:2, 3; Acts 14:23; 1 Corinthians 7:5).

3. When the Bridegroom returns mourning will end.

(1) Then will come the festivities of the Church's wedding (see Matthew 25:10; Revelation 19:7). The joys of the millennium will run into those of the new heavens and earth.

(2) Individual saints have their interludes of joy as well as of sorrow. Darkness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

(3) After the night of trial which ends in the sleep of death, comes the joy of the bright morning of the resurrection.

III. THAT CONSISTENCY MUST BE SOUGHT IN DIVERSITY.

1. It is unnatural to seek it in uniformity.

(1) Uniformity is too often mistaken for unity. Things may be turned out of the same mould in infinite number, but neither is the conformity nor the number unity.

(2) There is in nature a unity which certainly consists not in uniformity. For no two blades of grass are exactly alike.

(3) The unity of nature rather lies in its diversity, for it is in the diversity of things that they become mutually useful. So it is in morals.

(4) Acts of uniformity can never give unity.

2. The unity of truth is in the spirit of love.

(1) The unity of nature is a spirit of harmony.

(2) So truth must be maintained amongst Christians in loving concession. The old piece must be sought for the old garment. Fresh skins must be sought for new wine.

(3) The duties of religion should not be made a subject of strife and contention amongst religious persons. The spirit must not be sacrificed to the letter.

(4) Note: "The quarrel with Christ was brought to the disciples (ver. 11); the quarrel with the disciples was brought to Christ (ver. 14). This is the way of sowing discord and killing love, to set people against ministers, ministers against people, and one friend against another" (Henry). - J.A.M.

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KJV: Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

WEB: Then John's disciples came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"