Matthew 9:14 Meaning and Explanation
“Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →John's disciples ask Jesus why his followers do not fast as they and the Pharisees do.
What Does Matthew 9:14 Mean?
The disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus with a sincere and puzzled question. Frequent fasting marked their own devotion, as it did that of the Pharisees; it was a discipline of longing, repentance, and waiting for God to act. They cannot understand why the disciples of Jesus do not share so basic a practice of the godly.
The question is honest rather than hostile, and Jesus treats it with care and respect. It touches on something genuinely new about the time that has arrived with his coming. The old patterns of waiting and mourning do not yet account for the joy of a presence that has, at last, actually come. Their puzzlement is the puzzlement of good people meeting a newness they had not foreseen, and the Lord meets it with patience.
Matthew 9:14 in the Original Language
nesteuomen (νηστεύομεν), 'fast' -- to abstain from food as an act of devotion, mourning, or repentance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 9:14
What does Matthew 9:14 mean?
John's disciples ask Jesus why his followers do not fast as they and the Pharisees do.