Matthew 9:14-15 "Then the disciples of John came to him saying "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?' And Jesus said to them, 'Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and they will fast."

I wonder whether John the Baptist's disciples asked this question purely for theological clarification, or if they were a bit envious of Jesus' disciples, since Jesus did not insist His disciples follow the Jewish fasting rules, but John did. I am betting a bit of both! I would have been a little jealous, too, fasting is hard! But Jesus is the bridegroom, and how much better to show it than by having his apostles act like they are in the the presence of the Messiah? They should be joyful in His presence, there is nothing left to fast for!

Yes, there will come a time when Jesus will return to His Father. It will feel a bit like the darkness has returned, especially for Jesus' apostles, but it will not be as bad as before. The world now has the hope and assurance of redemption! After Jesus ascends to Heaven, His followers will go back to fasting. We, too, continue to fast (and Mary continuously urges us to fast more)! But our fasting is done in joy, because we know the bridegroom has come and we know He will return. When He does, the wedding feast will go on forever, and there will never be any reason to fast again!