Morning Cup 0f J(esus)
Fueling the Day!
Photo credit: Pexels Valeriia Miller
The parable of the new wine into new wineskins comes on the heels of the followers of John the Baptist asking Jesus a question about fasting. “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14) Jesus responded that now is not a time for fasting or mourning because the Bridegroom is with you. It is a time for rejoicing now, but the days will come when the disciples will fast.
Then Jesus moves into the parable itself. The culture of His day was very familiar with putting new wine into a new wineskins. New wine expands, and a new wineskin could handle the expansion. Whereas, an old wineskin would not be as stretchy. It would burst and waste the wine.
Christ’s New Teaching
His point was about His new teaching and the New Covenant being added to the Jewish religious traditions and culture of the day. What He was teaching was not meant to be added as an additional layer of teaching, but it was meant to replace the old teachings and traditions. This is countercultural and hard for many because old teachings and traditions are comfortable. Christ’s teachings, although wonderful and freeing, are anything but traditional or comfortable.
So, the parable of the new wine into new wineskins becomes a way for us to understand the newness of Christ’s teaching and the importance of casting aside old religious traditions that are a hindrance to our new life in Christ.
Matthew 9:14-17
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
Mark 2:21-22
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Luke 5:36-38
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.