Mark 2:20 means that Jesus’ disciples would not fast while he was physically with them, but after he was taken away, fasting would become appropriate and expected. Jesus speaks these words in response to a question from people who noticed his disciples were not fasting like the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. The statement comes from Jesus himself, spoken to the critics who asked why his followers were different.
But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.
Mark 2:20 (WEB)
What Mark 2:20 Means
The phrase “the days will come” points forward to a future time that Jesus knows is coming. He is not saying fasting is wrong. He is explaining the timing. When a bridegroom is still with his friends at the wedding, it would make no sense for them to mourn. The celebration is the right response to his presence.
The phrase “the bridegroom will be taken away” is a clear hint that Jesus is speaking about his coming death. Readers of Mark, and the disciples who heard this, would understand that Jesus was preparing them for a time of loss. Fasting in that setting was a sign of grief and longing, and the verse suggests that such mourning will fit that moment.
The verse does not promise a specific schedule or a rule that every believer must fast on set days. It describes a season and a mood. It also does not say that joy is gone once Jesus leaves. The point is that the rhythm of the believer’s life will change with the presence or absence of the Lord.
The Context of Mark 2:20
The Gospel of Mark is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of Peter, and it was likely written for a Gentile audience in the Roman world. Mark moves quickly from one scene to the next, and this section is part of a series of early conflicts between Jesus and religious leaders. Each scene shows Jesus challenging assumptions about who is welcome and how God’s people should live.
Just before verse 20, Jesus has said he came to call sinners, not the self-righteous. Just after it, he uses two small images, a patch on old cloth and new wine in old wineskins, to make the same point: something new cannot be forced into an old pattern without damage. That context shows that Mark 2:20 is less about fasting as a religious duty and more about the arrival of a new season that the old habits could not contain.
Key Phrases in Mark 2:20
John 16:22
Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
(WEB)
In this verse Jesus tells his disciples that their sorrow will turn to joy when he sees them again. It shows the same movement from absence to presence that Mark 2:20 describes, and it reassures you that grief in the waiting season does not have the last word.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
(WEB)
This psalm speaks of God’s nearness to those who are brokenhearted. It fits the mood of Mark 2:20 by reminding you that the Lord stays close in times of loss, and that a sense of his absence is never the whole story.
A Short Prayer From Mark 2:20
Lord, thank you for the seasons when you feel near and the joy of your presence is easy to receive. Help me to celebrate those times without guilt, and to know that you are the one who gives them. When the days come that feel empty or painful, teach me to wait on you honestly, to bring my longing before you, and to trust that you are faithful in every season. Keep my heart close to yours. Amen.
