And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. And they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
This verse shows that people often notice outward religious differences sooner than their inner meaning. Fasting in itself is a holy and beneficial practice when it is done with humility and with true sorrow of heart before God. But here the question turns into comparison and criticism. They see that the conduct of Christ’s disciples does not match the form they have learned, and for that reason they are perplexed. The Gospel often reveals that an outward ritual life can easily become an end in itself if a person forgets that the purpose of all spiritual ordinances is to bring the human heart to God. Christ is preparing to show that His presence opens a new stage in the history of salvation.