The commentary on this parable, as most of the others, is the work of Dr. Brad Young. To this writer, this commentary is one of the most profound lessons that we can learn today. Dr. Young has a grasp on the meaning of the parables that few are able to duplicate. I greatly admire and respect his work in this area.We all owe a great debt to him for his work.
Mt. 9:14 And the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we fast and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Mk. 2:18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. And they came and said to Him, “why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Lk. 5:33 They said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers and like wise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”
Although many of the traditions were good and helped the Jews to better keep the laws, some were too demanding. It was those which hindered that Yeshua rebuked. The major problem with the fences of the Pharisees developed when they were used to test an individual’s faith. Based on Deut. 17:9, where the priests, Levites and judges made decisions as to the interpretations of Scripture, they established new laws to fill the gaps where the Scriptures did not cover all the issues of life. These new laws were known as Gezerah. It was these new laws that Yeshua resisted. An example of Gezerah can be seen in the episode of the Pharisees demanding everyone to fast twice a week. During the time of Yeshua, Jews were expected to fast on the second and fifth day of each week. After the Babylonian Exile, five additional fast days were added, and the Jews began to argue with Zechariah as to whether all this was necessary (Zech. 7). By the time of Yeshua, fasting had almost become burdensome, and had begun to be treated as a tradition. Yeshua rebuked three aspects of fasting: (1) He told them to be cheerful, not sad (Mt. 6:16, 17). (2) The one who fasted was not to have a self-righteous attitude by telling others what they were doing. This was to be kept private between the individual and god (Luke 18). (3) Yeshua reused to let the Pharisees force their rules on others. He did not mind the Pharisees fasting, but when they demanded it as a command from YHVH, it was rebuked (Mark 2:18-20).
Sources: Deut. 17:9; Zech. 7; Matt. 6:16, 17; Luke 18; Mark 2:18-20
In spite of the traditional title for this segment, fasting is not the major issue here. Although Yeshua was asked about fasting, He used the opportunity to teach a deeper message. His message was to be intimately related to His mission and His desire for the people’s salvation. The Jewish liturgical year included a number of specified fast days for the entire nation. On Yom Kippur, for example, the people would afflict themselves and fast, asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness. The Pharisees and Yochanan haMatbil desired spiritual renewal in the people. Yochanan’s message that he brought was, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” This verse indicates that both the Pharisees and Yochanan haMatbil had instituted additional fast days for this purpose. The only purpose for fasting in the bible is for inner reflection and repentance. They saw fasting as the vehicle for revival in the land.
Mt. 9:15a And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”
Mk. 2:19 So Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.”
Lk. 5:34 And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?”
Mt. 9:15b “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Mk. 2:20 “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”
Lk. 5:35 “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
This whole passage surrounds the image of the bridegroom. Why do Yeshua’s disciples not fast? The bridegroom is with them. The bridegroom is for a wedding, the occasion of supreme joy in Jewish thought and custom. Great joy is reserved for the wedding ceremony. The exact opposite is the case for a funeral. The grief expressed at a funeral is the supreme act of mourning. Yeshua combines the two strongest emotions of men and women, the great joy of a wedding and the solemn mourning of a funeral.
The day will come when the bridegroom is taken. In Hebrew, the term “taken” used in this context is a euphemism clearly understood to refer to death. Yeshua’s purpose is to revitalize fresh skins for the best of the old wine. But, He also speaks about His redemptive mission. He is the bridegroom. He brings joy which is compared with the happiness of a wedding. On the other hand, He brings mourning.
When Yeshua said, “but when the bridegroom is taken away,” the people were probably puzzled. The words “taken away” in Hebrew are another way of saying “when He dies,” or “when He is killed.” But, how can one associate the joy of a wedding with the death of the bridegroom? Perhaps the answer to this question is related to the Messianic task as defined by Yeshua Himself. Yeshua’s answer possibly alludes (remez) to Isaiah 53:8 where the same Hebrew word refers to the death of the Suffering Servant. Joy is associated with the coming of Messiah. But, when the Messianic idea is connected to the Suffering Servant as Yeshua taught His disciples concerning His death, a reference to death of the bridegroom is not out of place. Both of the diverse feelings of joy and mourning may be associated with the Messianic figure in the teachings of Yeshua. The bridegroom is here!! Now is not the time for fasting. He brings renewal. He is fulfilling His mission. Renewed wineskins are being prepared for the finest old wine. But, the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken. He will die. That is the time for fasting. This is also part of His mission.
Mt. 9:16 “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.”
Mk. 2:21 “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.”
Lk. 5:36 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.”
Now He begins to deal with these new fast days and His way of bringing revival to the nation. He does so by making a comparison between new things (fast days) and old things (proven Word of God). First, He says the new fasts are only a patch, or temporary solution. They do not match because they are not part of the original. The garment itself is the old. Patches only covers tears; they do not mend them. Yeshua did not teach that Judaism should be abolished. Rather, He compared the Judaism of His day to a garment that needed mending. He was saying that the spiritual condition was not ideal. But, certainly He did not desire to put away the noble traditions of the ancient faith. On the contrary, when He says the old wine is better, He is upholding the finest contributions of ancient Judaism and seeking whole hearted reform from within. Then Charismatic Movement of today is real big on the “new wine.” I would submit to you that what we really need is a return to the old teachings that have brought Christianity through the ages. Not the Christianity of even the second or third centuries, but of the first century, before the church began to move from its Jewish roots and pagan practices began to influence the church. God knew what He was doing when He first instituted the church. We need to get back to doing things His way.
Mt. 9:17a “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskin i s ruined.”
Mk. 2:22a “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskin is ruined.”
Lk. 5:37 “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.”
Yeshua answers the question about fasting with two parables. The form of these parables and their Hebrew background are firmly rooted in the teachings of Yeshua. The structures of these parables of the old garment and the wineskins, moreover, leads up to Luke’s conclusion and forceful application when Yeshua declares that “the old wine is better.” The emphasis on the old wine indicates that all the talk about fasting may not be the answer for true spiritual renewal. In modern times, however, Yeshua’s sayings about the old wine has been overshadowed and sometimes emphasis has been wrongly focused on the new wine. No one should forget that when it comes to wine, the older is better than the new. Yeshua seems to speak about the rich Hebrew heritage of Judaism in His day with the highest esteem.
The old wine refers to the ancient faith and practices of the Jewish people. Then the question of fasting is related to these additional fast days which were called by Yochanan haMatbil and the Pharisees, and certainly not to the recognized Jewish holy days which were observed by everyone. These new fasts were being called in addition to the accepted practice. The new fasts may be compared to the new wine while the old wine is closer to the accepted practices of the faith. M:Avoth 4:20 and M:Baba Bathra are two references where new wine is referred to as new teachings.
Sources: M:Avoth 4:20; M:Baba Bathra 6:3
Mt. 9:17b “But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mk. 2:22b “But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Lk. 5:38 “But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
New fasts and ordinances are more readily accepted by younger generations who have the vigor and stamina to go through the process of proving of what will work. Yeshua doesn’t actually condemn these new fasts. He is simply telling them the old ways are better and they shouldn’t be forgotten.
Lk. 5:39 “And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new, for he says, ‘the old is better.’”
A deeper meaning of the story is to be found in Yeshua’s reply. Why does He respond to a question about fasting by telling them that the bridegroom will be taken away? Why does He speak about the patch of a new cloth on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins? Yeshua invokes images of life, from the wedding scene to pouring new wine into old wineskins. What is the central point of His illustrations? The main focus of the teaching emerges in Luke’s version where Yeshua says, “the old wine is better.” He is telling them that He is not necessarily against new things that are used to help the spiritual health of the people, but all too often the basic things that God has ordained are forgotten in the process. Before you begin trying all these new things, get back to the old, tried and basics that have endured for hundreds of years. Those are the things that have brought you this far, and they are the things that will take you on into the future. Don’t get so busy with the new that you forget the old.
Men and women of God must be renewed in order to hold the old wine. Yeshua points the people to the truth of God’s love and grace on the basis of the best of the old wine. Yeshua was telling the people something about His purpose. He came to bring renewal and redemption through the power of the Kingdom of God. His purpose was not to destroy the significance of the Torah but to fulfill it. The old wine of Torah is best.
The two parables of the “Garment” and the “Old Wineskins” make no sense when they are separated from their original religious setting of the first century. The message of these parables must be heard as a dialogue within Judaism. Some of the new efforts at reform, such as innovative fast days, will not contribute to a deeper level of interaction with the ancient faith. Yeshua is an insider promoting renewal and reform from within the system. You might have noticed that Yeshua does not exactly criticize these practices. They are not really wrong within themselves. What makes them wrong is when they take our focus from the things that we should be doing so that we do not accomplish them. It is the sin of omission, no commission.
