They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking." Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast." He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
Luke 5:33-39
From that point on...Jesus answered and then tells parables on PERSONAL DISCIPLINE.
Gospel writers Matthew and Mark make explicit the "unshrunk cloth" (Greek agnaphos) that is implied by Luke's "new garment" (Greek kainos) (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21).
Once we become Christians God does not want us hanging on to the old garments of our sinful past and just putting "patches" on the holes in our lives.
The New Testament teaches us again and again on this…Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus…"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to PUT OFF your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to PUT ON the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22
"Therefore each of you must PUT OFF falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." Ephesians 4:25
From that point on...Jesus answered and then tells parables on PERSONAL DISCIPLINE.
Gospel writers Matthew and Mark make explicit the "unshrunk cloth" (Greek agnaphos) that is implied by Luke's "new garment" (Greek kainos) (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21).
Once we become Christians God does not want us hanging on to the old garments of our sinful past and just putting "patches" on the holes in our lives.
The New Testament teaches us again and again on this…Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus…"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to PUT OFF your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to PUT ON the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22
"Therefore each of you must PUT OFF falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body." Ephesians 4:25
· What OLD garment am I to take off? FALSEHOOD-LYING
· What NEW garment am I to put on? Speaking TRUTHFULLY to people.
"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." Ephesians 4:28
· What OLD garment is a thief to take off?
· What he needs to do is “put on” getting a job. But he not only needs to get a job… he has to change his entire attitude toward money.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
What are we to TAKE OFF? UNWHOLESOME TALK - cursing, gossip, put-downs, insults talking behind their backs.
What are we to PUT ON? Talk that BUILDS others up.
Christianity is about more than "PATCHING" the holes in my life.
That's NOT how the Pharisees did things...the Pharisees were all about "PATCHING" over the holes in their lives.
Matthew 23:27- Jesus saying: "You are like whitewashed tombs."
When it came to SIN, the Pharisees' philosophy was:"If you can't SEE it - it doesn't exist." And "If I can PATCH the hole… the hole isn't there anymore."
Some Christians act like that is true about other things:
• Telling lies is cancelled out by going to mid-week Bible Study
• Verbally abusing your wife is canceled out by teaching Sunday School.
• Running around is canceled out by giving a gift to the church.
• Gossip is canceled out by supporting a missionary.
• Unforgiveness of an enemy is canceled out because you’ve kind to the poor.
• Hatred of someone who did me wrong is canceled out because I love Jesus.
• Grumbling in church or at home or work - is canceled out by the fact that I do a good job of supporting my family.
There's a 2nd aspect of the Pharisees' "PATCHING" theology... They figured people were acceptable to God as long as they didn't tear TOO BIG a hole in their lives.
But, back to the text…Jesus begins his parable… "And no one pours NEW wine into OLD wineskins. If he does, the NEW wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined."
In His first parable Jesus was telling us that He wanted us to CHANGE on the OUTSIDE He wanted us to change how we LIVED and ACTED.
In this 2nd parable, Jesus was saying that this CHANGE was going to be on the INSIDE as well. Something "NEW" was going to be poured into this container. God had spoke about this, in Ezekiel 11:19… "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."
"When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."
Jesus in John 16:8
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the OLD has gone, the NEW has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Are YOU Living a PATCHED or PATCHLESS LIFE?
Questions for Discussion:
1. In what ways does following Christ require us to replace old habits with new ones? Why do we resist making these changes?
2. Does Jesus speak against fasting in this passage? What does he teach about fasting, if anything, in this passage?
3. What are the structures in our lives and society that are incompatible with the Life of the Spirit in our lives?
4. Please share a struggle you had with trying to contain the Life of Christ in an "old wineskin"?
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