Luke 5:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It appears they did not come to inquire about their own actions but rather to bring attention to the fasting of others: "The disciples of John and the Pharisees are fasting." Should we consider that they too might have been fasting, then the scenario unfolds like this: They, facing temptation, asked, "Why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, yet Your disciples do not fast?" This notion is echoed in Luke's account, where sinners and the weak ask Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast frequently and pray, and likewise the Pharisees, but Your disciples eat and drink?" If we accept Mark’s depiction of the feast attendees, then Matthew’s phrasing, “Then the disciples of John came to Him and said, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast?’” captures the essence of their inquiry. It suggests that they were present at the feast, offering their unique perspective. The three evangelists each provide distinct narratives that remain consistent with the truth.

The time will arrive when the bridegroom is taken away from them (Luke 5:35). What do these days signify when Christ will be removed from us, especially considering that He reassures us, I am with you all days to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20), and promises, I will not leave you orphans (Jn. 14:18)? Indeed, if He departs from us, our salvation is jeopardized. No one can separate you from Christ unless you choose to withdraw from Him. Allow not your pride to separate you from Him, nor let your arrogance drive you away, and do not rely on legalistic righteousness; for He came not to call the virtuous, but sinners (Luke 5:32, Matthew 9:13). The righteous are those who do not retaliate against harm and who love their enemies. If we reject this understanding, we reveal the contrary: I came not to call the righteous, suggesting that He does not summon those who consider themselves just. In their ignorance of God and their attempts to establish their own righteousness, they remain disobedient to the truth of God. Thus, those who wrongfully assume justice are excluded from grace; for when grace is offered through repentance, those burdened by their own fault do not accept it. Those who sanctify themselves will be wounded, and from them, the Bridegroom will be taken away. Yet neither Caiaphas nor Pilate has removed Christ from us, and we cannot fast, for Christ is present, and we partake of His body and blood. How can one who is not hungry fast? How can one who does not thirst go without fasting? How can someone who drinks from Christ ever be thirsty, when He has declared: Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst (Jn 4:14)?

The Lord provided a response, which was not surprising. First, it is essential to differentiate between the condition of these various disciples. Second, it is crucial to understand how this requirement aligns with the broader tenets of My teachings. Fasting symbolizes mourning; when one mourns, thoughts of food are absent, as the act of fasting originates from sorrow over the loss of something precious. My disciples have no cause for sorrow while I am with them, just as the friends of the bridegroom, invited to the wedding, have no reason to grieve while he is present. The disciples of John may and should fast now, for their bridegroom is not with them (he is imprisoned). The Pharisees, who would not align themselves with either John or Jesus, always find justification for fasting, although their practice lacks the significance they attribute to it in the eyes of God. The situation will be different when the time of trial arrives for My disciples. Even then, as challenges confront My followers, the external observances must align with other external customs as well as with new internal realities. To merely imitate the disciples of John, making only a minor adjustment to their way of life, would be akin to patching an old garment, thus making the tear larger. Similarly, to follow the Pharisees’ example by clinging to all previous forms would result in pouring new wine into an old wineskin, causing both the wine and the wineskin to be lost. Therefore, all things have their own timing and measure. In this way, the Pharisees' attempts to impose their rules on Jesus were ultimately dismissed, prompting the Lord's disciples to more closely examine their relationships with both the Pharisees and the disciples of John, from whom some of them had originally come. Consequently, the scribes and Pharisees learned that the Lord had no intention of adhering to their expectations or regulations, demonstrating His desire to operate with complete autonomy.

It is important to recall how firmly John criticized the Pharisees, and his disciples would have treated them with the same strictness. Their temporary association arose from both groups observing rigorous fasts, although their motivations, character, and objectives differed greatly: one group exhibiting hypocrisy and the other showing genuine religious devotion, particularly heightened by the imprisonment of their teacher, John. The similarity in their prayer practices follows the same reasoning. The phrase "And they make prayers" is a detail found only in Luke, who enhances the account provided by the earlier Evangelists. Fasting alongside prayer frequently signifies a serious religious commitment (cf. Matt. 17:21). The presence of John's disciples, although not explicitly mentioned by the Evangelist, is evident in the Lord's response, which distinctly alludes to the final testimony of the Baptist concerning Christ—a message the disciples of John had heard and which could resonate powerfully with them (John 3:29).