In all the Gospels, the question about fasting follows the story about the meal at the house of Levi the tax collector. Matthew even begins the story about this question with the word “then” (Matthew 9:14) and thereby gives the impression that this question about fasting was asked in connection with that festive meal. Luke gives a similar impression in Luke 5:33: “[Your disciples] eat and drink [rather than fast].” It is quite possible that the meal at Levi’s house fell on a day of fasting or in a time of fasting. The annoyance about Jesus’ practice of eating with tax collectors and sinners was already apparent (Mark 2:16). The scribes now voice their annoyance by raising an issue that they observed more often in Jesus’ conduct. Would it not be better if he and his disciples were to observe days of fasting instead of eating and drinking with people such as tax collectors and sinners, who pay no attention to such days in Israel?1
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”