Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
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.
Bad men use good men as their spokesmen to set the godly against one another. The Pharisees stood behind John's disciples, making trouble where none need be. When God's people clash, suspect that designing men have been blowing the coals to sow discord and make easy prey of them.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 9:14-17
And Jesus said unto them,.... To the disciples of John, the Pharisees being present, who both have here a full answer; though it seems to be especially directed to the former: can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom, is with them?