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Matthew 9:14-17

Mark 2:18-22

Luke 5:33-39

14. Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, For what reason do
we and the Pharisees fast often, while thy disciples do not fast?
15. And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridegroom [521]
mourn, so long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come,
when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16. And no man putteth a piece of fresh cloth on an old garment: for
that which fills up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17. Nor do they put new wine into old bottles; otherwise the bottles
burst, and the wine is spilt, and the bottles are lost: but they put
new wine into new bottles, and both are at the same time preserved.

18. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were in the habit of
fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and
of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples do not fast? 19. And Jesus
saith to them, Can the children of the nuptial bed [522] fast, while
the bridegroom is with them? So long as they have the bridegroom with
them, they cannot fast. 20. But the days will come, when the bridegroom
shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21. And no person seweth a piece of fresh cloth on an old garment:
otherwise the new addition taketh from the old, and the rent is made
worse. 22. And no person putteth new wine into old bottles; otherwise
the new wine bursts the bottles, and the wine is spilt, and the bottles
are lost: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

33. And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and
make prayers, and in the same manner the disciples of the Pharisees,
while thine eat and drink? 34. To whom he saith, Can you make the
children of the marriage bed to fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from
them: then shall they fast in those days. 36. And he spoke a parable to
them: No person putteth a piece of a new garment on an old garment;
otherwise what is new is torn, and what is added of the new agreeth not
with the old. 37. And no person putteth new wine into old bottles:
otherwise the new wine will burst the bottles, and will be spilt, and
the bottles will be lost. 38. But new wine must be put into new
bottles, and both are preserved. 39. And no person who has drunk old
wine immediately desires the new: for he saith, The old is better.


Matthew 9:14. Then come to him the disciples of John. Luke represents
the Pharisees as speaking: Mark appears to connect both. And, indeed,
there is no room to doubt that the Pharisees maliciously endeavored, by
this stratagem, to draw the disciples of John to their party, and to
produce a quarrel between them and the disciples of Christ. A
resemblance in prayers and fastings was a plausible pretext for
associating at this time: while the different manner in which Christ
acted was an occasion of enmity and dislike to men whose temper was
unamiable, and who were excessively devoted to themselves.

This example reminds us, that prudence and caution are necessary to
prevent wicked and cunning men from sowing divisions among us on any
slight grounds. Satan has a wonderful dexterity, no doubt, in laying
those snares; and it is an easy matter to distress us about a trifle.
[523] But we ought especially to beware lest the unity of faith be
destroyed, or the bond of charity broken, on account of outward
ceremonies. Almost all labor under the disease of attaching undue
importance to the ceremonies and elements of the world, as Paul calls
them, (Galatians 4:3; Colossians 2:8) and accordingly they do not
hesitate, for the most part, to prefer the merest rudiments to the
highest perfection. This is followed by another evil arising out of
fastidiousness and pride, when every man would willingly compel the
whole world to copy his example. If any thing pleases us, we forthwith
desire to make it a law, that others may live according to our
pleasure.

When we read that the disciples of John were caught by these snares of
Satan, let us first learn not to place holiness in outward and
indifferent matters, and at the same time to restrain ourselves by
moderation and equity, that we may not desire to restrict others to
what we approve, but may allow every one to retain his freedom. As to
fasting and prayers, it ought to be understood, that John gave his
disciples a particular training, and that for this purpose they had
stated days for fastings, a settled form, and fixed hours of prayer.
Now, I reckon those prayers among outward observances. For, though
calling on God holds the first rank in spiritual worship, yet that
method of doing it was adapted to the unskilfulness of men, and is
justly reckoned among ceremonies and indifferent matters, the
observance of which ought not to be too strictly enjoined. Of the
reason why John's discipline was more severe than that of Christ we
have already spoken, and a more convenient opportunity for treating of
it will again occur.

15. Can the children of the bridegroom mourn? Christ apologizes for his
disciples on the score of the season, alleging that God was still
pleased to indulge them in joyous feelings, as if they were present at
a marriage: for he compares himself to the bridegroom, who enlivens his
friends by his presence. Chrysostom thinks that this comparison was
taken from the testimony of John the Baptist, He that hath the bride is
the bridegroom, (John 3:29.) I have no objection to that view, though I
do not think that it rests on solid grounds. Let us be satisfied with
Christ's declaration, that he spares his disciples, and treats them
with gentleness, so long as he is with them. That none may envy them
advantages which are of short duration, he gives warning that they will
very soon be treated with greater harshness and severity.

The apology rests on this consideration, that fasting and prayers are
adapted to sorrow and adversity: extraordinary prayers I mean, such as
are here mentioned. Christ certainly intended to accustom them, by
degrees, to greater patience, and not to lay on them a heavy burden,
till they gained more strength. Hence we ought to learn a twofold
instruction. When the Lord sometimes endures the weakness of our
brethren, and acts towards them with gentleness, while he treats us
with greater severity, we have no right to murmur. Again, when we
sometimes obtain relief from sorrow and from vexations, let us beware
of giving ourselves up to enjoyments; but let us, on the contrary,
remember that the nuptials will not always last. The children of the
bridegroom, or of the nuptial bed, is a Hebrew phrase, which denotes
the guests at a marriage. [524]

16. And no man putteth a piece of fresh cloth. He supports the
preceding statement by two comparisons, one of which is taken from
garments, and the other from vessels of wine Those who think that he
compares worn-out garments and decayed bottles to the Pharisees, and
new wine and fresh cloth to the doctrine of the gospel, have no
probability on their side. The comparison is beautifully adapted to the
matter in hand, if we explain it as referring to the weak and tender
disciples of Christ, and to a discipline more strict than they were
able to bear. Nor is it of any consequence that the idea of being old
does not agree with scholars who were only commencing: for, when Christ
compares his disciples to old bottles and torn garments, he does not
mean that they were wasted by long use, but that they were weak and
wanted strength. The amount of the statement is, that all must not be
compelled indiscriminately to live in the same manner, for there is a
diversity of natural character, and all things are not suitable to all;
and particularly, we ought to spare the weak, that they may not be
broken by violence, or crushed by the weight of the burden. Our Lord
speaks according to the custom of the country, when he uses the word
bottles instead of tuns or casks [525]

Luke 5:39. And no person who has drunk old wine. This statement is
given by Luke alone, and is undoubtedly connected with the preceding
discourse. Though commentators have tortured it in a variety of ways, I
take it simply as a warning to the Pharisees not to attach undue
importance to a received custom. For how comes it that wine, the taste
of which remains unaltered, is not equally agreeable to every palate,
but because custom and habit form the taste? Hence it follows, that
Christ's manner of acting towards his disciples is not less worthy of
approbation, because it has less show and splendor: as old wine, though
it does not foam with the sharpness of new wine, is not less agreeable
on that account, or less fitted for the nourishment of the body.
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[521] "Filii sponsi." -- "Les gens de la chambre du marie peuvent ils
mener dueil, pendant que le marie est avec eux?" -- "Can the children
of the married man's chamber be in mourning, while the married man is
with them?"

[522] "Les gens de nopces;" -- "the marriage party."

[523] "Pour des choses qui ne valent pas le parler;" -- "for things
that are not worth talking about."

[524] "Les fils de l'espoux, (comme il y a en tournant de mot a mot,)
par une facon de parler des Hebrieux signifient ceux qui sont appelez
au banquet des nopces." -- "The children of the bridegroom, (as the
words may be literally rendered,) by a mode of speaking among the
Hebrews, denote those who were invited to the marriage banquet."

[525] "Au reste, le mot Grec dont use l'Evangeliste signifie proprement
des vaisseaux faits de cuir, desquels on usoit pour mettre le vin:
comme au- jourdhui nous avons des muids ou des pipes." -- "Besides, the
Greek word, which the Evangelist employs, literally signifies vessels
made of leather,which were used for containing wine: as in the present
day we have hogsheads or butts "