A Question About Fasting and New Wine

Matthew 9:14-17 turns from table fellowship to fasting. John's disciples ask why they and the Pharisees fast while Jesus' disciples do not. The question reflects recognized Jewish practices of voluntary fasting beyond the required Day of Atonement, though patterns varied among groups. Jesus answers with wedding imagery: attendants of the bridegroom cannot appropriately mourn while the bridegroom remains with them. The metaphor defines the present moment by Jesus' presence rather than rejecting fasting itself.

The statement that days will come when the bridegroom is "taken away" introduces a darker note. The verb aparthē can suggest forceful removal and is often read as an early allusion to Jesus' death. Some scholars emphasize this passion reference, while others caution against pressing the metaphor beyond its immediate contrast between presence and absence. In either case, Jesus says fasting will become appropriate under changed circumstances.

The sayings about an unshrunk patch on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins stress incompatibility between something new and containers unable to accommodate it. Interpretations vary over what precisely the images symbolize: Jesus' kingdom ministry and inherited religious forms, new circumstances requiring new practices, or specifically the altered meaning of fasting in relation to Jesus. The sayings should not necessarily be read as a blanket condemnation of Judaism, since Jesus has just cited Israel's Scriptures positively and assumes future fasting among his followers.

Matthew 9 continues the concentrated display of Jesus' authority begun in chapter 8. The chapter moves through healing, forgiveness, table fellowship, controversy over fasting, restoration from chronic illness and death, and further healings of blindness and muteness. These episodes repeatedly place Jesus in contested situations: scribes question his authority to forgive sins, Pharisees criticize his association with tax collectors and sinners, John's disciples ask about fasting, and opponents finally attribute an exorcism to demonic power. Alongside these conflicts, several characters approach Jesus with striking confidence in his ability to restore.

The chapter concludes with a summary almost identical to Matthew 4:23, creating a literary frame around the teaching and miracle material of chapters 5-9. Jesus teaches, proclaims the kingdom, and heals, but Matthew now adds his compassion for crowds described as distressed and shepherdless. The resulting harvest saying prepares directly for chapter 10, where Jesus commissions the Twelve. Thus the authority demonstrated personally by Jesus in chapters 8-9 becomes the basis for the mission he delegates to his disciples.