Mark 2:18-22

Questions about Fasting

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were often fasting. So people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees?” ¹

19 Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? As long as He is with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

The Patches and the Wineskins

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result. ²

22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” ^[a]

Cross References

• 1. (Matthew 9:14–15; Luke 5:33–35)
• 2. (Matthew 9:16–17; Luke 5:36–39)

Footnotes

• [a] Tischendorf does not include Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.