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Luke 5:36-39 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts for Luke 5:36-39 are Matthew 9:16-17 and Mark 2:21-22.
Jesus continues His response to the Pharisees' issue concerning the behavior of His disciples by teaching them an additional pair of parables.
Previously the Pharisees had challenged Him:
"The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink."
(Luke 5:33)
Jesus initially responded with a short parable explaining to them that the reason His disciples do not fast and offer prayers is because they are with the bridegroom—which calls for celebration and feasting (Luke 5:34-35).
There is a time and place for the exercise of spiritual disciplines, but they are not an end unto themselves. The Pharisees had turned fasting into an exercise of pride. The original intent of fasting was to help focus attention on God. But the Pharisees fasted to show off before men. Their goal was to elevate themselves in the sight of men. Since these parables make the point that different actions have a time and place that make them appropriate, we could also extend the application to say that it is never appropriate to take the things of God and make them things to be seen before men.
But this is precisely what the Pharisees were doing with their religious rules about fasting and pretty much everything else. Their hearts had turned away from God and toward legalism.
Legalism is the elevation of religious rules to a level of ultimate importance. Adherence to these rules is prioritized over an authentic relationship with God. Legalism exalts oneself for keeping the rules and scorns those who do not. A legalistic heart fosters an attitude of being judgmental towards others instead of mercy and love.
“The Parable of the Bridegroom’s Attendants” answered their question about why Jesus’s disciples celebrated while their disciples fasted.
But now Jesus elaborates upon this point with a second and third parable which further distinguish the nature of His teachings from the nature of theirs.
The second parable uses the metaphor of clothing. The third parable uses the metaphor of wineskins. Both parables assert the same point.
The Parable of Unshrunk Cloth
Jesus's second parable is, "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old" (v 36).
Cloth was an expensive commodity in the ancient world. Clothing and garments were labor intensive and time-consuming to make. It was a more efficient use of time and resources to repair an old garment that had a tear than it was to buy or make new clothing. But in the process of patching tears in an old garment, one had to make sure they were using the proper piece of cloth.
Because cloth shrinks over time, especially after the first few times it gets washed, the garment-mender must use a piece of cloth that had been pre-shrunk to patch up a tear. If the garment-mender used a new piece of cloth that was unshrunk, then the piece would soon shrink and pull away from the seams of the garment and a larger tear would result.
This parable is often interpreted in terms of Jesus, His teachings, and His kingdom representing the new piece of unshrunk cloth and the Pharisees with their invented religious regulations representing the old worn-out garment. This interpretation typically understands this parable in terms of the Old and the New Covenants representing the old garment and the new piece of cloth.
According to this interpretation, Jesus is not interested in patching up this old system of righteousness, which is flawed and marked by external rule-following and hypocrisy. Instead, He came to offer a new way that brings both inner and outer harmony between God and humanity.
While this interpretation points to Biblical principles, it seems to overlook the fact that within the framework of this parable, it is the old piece of cloth that is needed rather than a new one.
Moreover, this interpretation appears to overlook that:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”
(Matthew 5:17)
Therefore, perhaps a better interpretation views the old garment as the Law of Moses, the new piece of unshrunk cloth as the teachings of the Pharisees, and the old piece of cloth as Jesus and His teachings.
Jesus did not come to make new rules. He came to fulfill the old and perfect ones—the Law. His teachings were summed up as loving God and loving others (Matthew 5:7, 5:9, 5:44, 6:14-15, 7:1, 7:12, 18:22, 18:35, 22:37-40, John 15:12-17).
It was the Pharisees, not Jesus, who were the ones who were endlessly creating new religious regulations. And they were making them in an unnecessary attempt to “patch up” God’s perfect Law. The result was not a better garment. Their patches were tearing the garment of God’s Law apart.
They were more interested in keeping their traditions, even when it meant violating God’s original Law (Matthew 15:3).
One example of this was how the Pharisees justified breaking one of the Ten Commandments—“Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12) to keep their new rules:
“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’… but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down.”
(Mark 7:10-13a—See also Matthew 15:4-6)
Jesus added: “and you do many things such as that” (Mark 7:13b). Jesus also told the Pharisees, “You are experts at setting aside the [old] commandments of God in order to keep your [new] tradition” (Mark 7:9). The Pharisees were skillful at breaking God’s law and justifying themselves according to their own rules. The legal patches of the Pharisees functionally “invalidated the word of God for the sake of [their] tradition” (Matthew 15:6).
Their new rules neglected the old and eternal values of God (Matthew 23:23). Their religious rules were shutting off God’s kingdom from the people (Matthew 23:13). Their new rules essentially provided a justification for them to neglect caring for their parents, thereby breaking the covenant with God.
The Pharisees’ new laws were making a mockery of God’s original Law. Or, in terms of the parable, their new, unshrunk piece of cloth was tearing the fabric of God’s old and good Law apart. The solution was not more new laws from the Pharisees which results in a worse tear. Rather, the solution is to find a piece of the old, original cloth to fix the tears.
That is exactly what Jesus was—a perfect match of the old garment of God’s perfect Law. Jesus was the Divine Word who made the Law (John 1:17).
Jesus and His teachings were not new. They fulfilled the old Law of God (Luke 24:44). Jesus, as the divine author of the Law (John 1:17), came to mend the tears men had done to it. Jesus is eternal. He is both old and new. And in this parable, Jesus represents an old piece of the original cloth that will mend the old and torn garment of God’s Law so that it will become like new again.
The Parable of the New Wine and Wineskins
In the third parable, Jesus reiterates the same point as the previous parable. Just as the old cloth was the true law and the new cloth represented legalism, in this parable the old wine is the true law and the new wine corrupting.
Jesus’s third parable responding to the Pharisees’ question is:
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough'" (v 37-39).
The main elements of this parable are:
Wineskins were leather pouches that stored wine. Fresh wineskins were flexible, allowing them to stretch and expand. Old wineskins lost this elasticity and were stiff. Old wineskins could be used to store water but not new wine.
Similar to how no one puts a new unshrunk patch of cloth on the old garment, nor do people put new wine into old wineskins because new, unfermented wine expands as it ferments, and the old wineskins, which have already lost their flexibility, cannot accommodate this expansion.
As a result, the old wineskins burst from the expanding wine and the new wine spills and is wasted, while the old wineskin is ruined. To preserve both the new wine and the old wineskin, new wine must be put into fresh, flexible wineskins.
This parable is often interpreted in terms of Jesus, His teachings, and His kingdom representing the new wine, and the Pharisees with their invented religious regulations representing the old wine and wineskins. Sometimes the elements of this parable are understood to represent the Gospel (new wine) and the Law (old wine).
According to this interpretation, the power of Jesus’s grace is so powerful that the Pharisees teachings on the Law cannot contain it. Grace bursts the Law wide open, just as new wine does to old wineskins. Their old wineskins may be able to contain old wine, but they cannot hold the new wine of Jesus and His Gospel. Therefore, what is needed is for our hearts to be made new like fresh wineskins, which are flexible and not rigid (like old wineskins)—so that we can receive Jesus and His teachings.
There are some interesting connections to other scriptures with this interpretation, such as:
(Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9-10)
(John 2:1-10)
But this interpretation of Jesus representing the new wine in this parable seems to overlook that the Law and the Gospel are represented in the parable as the same old, satisfying, good wine, and that what the Pharisees were offering was the new wine of legalism which destroys human hearts.
The meaning of Jesus’s third parable in response to the Pharisees’ question (Mark 2:18) is similar to the second parable, which was about patching up an old garment. Jesus came to fulfill the old and perfect Law (Matthew 5:17). The new wine of the Pharisees’ unceasing religious innovations and rules are incompatible with the old wineskins of the human heart. Sooner or later, legalism will eventually burst human lives.
But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins (v 38).
Jesus is still addressing the question why His disciples do not fast. The primary point of all three parables appears to be that there is a time and place for everything. This is a Biblical principle particularly underscored in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
Given the additional context of the Pharisees’ approach toward fasting as a way to bring human affirmation to themselves rather than to serve God, this could also be viewed as Jesus saying that the new wine of legalism is to have no place in the hearts of His followers. The Pharisees’ new wine of legalism is in opposition to the intent of God’s perfect Law, which is love and mercy.
Love and mercy are others-focused. The Pharisees were self-focused. This is why they fasted in such a manner as to be seen as pious by others (Matthew 6:16). The two greatest commandments that sum up God’s entire law (Matthew 22:40) are to love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18b).
Jesus’s observation that new wine belongs in new wineskins is His way of saying within the symbols of the parable that the Pharisees’ new wine of legalism does not belong in the old wineskins of love for God and neighbors. God desires His people to love and serve Him and others, rather than religious rules for the sake of rules and pride. In other words: “Leave legalism to the legalists.”
The old wineskins who love God and believe Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets drink the better wine—the old wine—and are contented.
Jesus concludes this parable with a declaration about the superiority of God’s perfect Law (the old wine) over the new wine of legalism.
And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, “The old is good enough” (v 39).
As with the previous parable of the old garment, the old ways are good ways. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The old covenant God gave to Israel was good; Jesus came to fulfill that covenant (Matthew 5:17). Now there is a new covenant in Jesus’s blood (Luke 22:20). But the new covenant is really the perfect fulfillment of the old covenant. All are fulfillments of God’s ways for Israel and all of humanity.
As a part of this new covenant, God has written His law on the hearts of all who believe through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31, Ezekiel 36:26, Ephesians 3:16). But both are part of the old wine; a fulfillment of God’s promises. That is why when people drink of the old wine they do not ask for new wine (Luke 5:39). Rather, they are satisfied by the old:
“O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"
(Psalm 34:8)
The way we can drink the old and satisfying wine is to believe in Jesus and follow His example of obeying God’s commands to love others through humble acts of service and mercy (Micah 6:8, John 15:12).
These Parables as Indirect Answers to the Pharisees’ Question
The original question the Pharisees asked was why Jesus’s disciples did not regularly practice fasting (Luke 5:33).
Jesus, as the fulfillment of the Law and prophets, represents all that is good. He is sufficient. All things are summed up in Christ. Therefore, to fast while Christ is present among them is like adding something new that spoils what is already sufficient:
Fasting, as practiced by the Pharisees, only serves to spoil what ought to be the true focus of worship—God. The focus of the Pharisees was the approval of men. They fasted in order to be seen and admired by men (Matthew 6:16).
The Law and prophets foreshadow Jesus (Luke 24:44). When Jesus is not physically present, we might benefit from fasting in order to remember and focus on Jesus. But when He is present, there is no need.
Apart from Christ we cannot succeed spiritually (John 15:5b). The attempt to replicate Jesus’s teachings and righteousness in our own might, or according to our man-made religious regulations, will spoil what is good. Reliance on our own efforts is like spoiling the feast, the garment, or the old wineskins.
To follow Jesus, we must become humble and have faith. We must focus on Jesus, the finisher of God’s perfect Law, rather than upon following more and more new religious rules.
In order to be placed into what is good, we need new hearts. But those new hearts allow us to focus on Christ rather than on religious observances like fasting. Fasting can be useful to focus our hearts on Christ. But fasting is not an end unto itself.
Summary
The Pharisees had asked why Jesus’s disciples do not fast while the disciples of the Pharisees and John the Baptizer do fast (Matthew 9:14). To answer them, Jesus taught three parables. The common takeaway from all three of His parables is that Jesus and His teachings are incompatible with the teachings and practices of the Pharisees.
Each parable makes the same point: human attempts to add something new to what God has declared complete only ruins what is already sufficient. Jesus Christ is sufficient. Our focus should be on Him. Any attempt to add to Him only takes away our focus and spoils what is good.
Jesus’s teaching cannot be combined with the self-focused, rigid religious practices imposed by the Pharisees. Just as a person cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), the new wine of religious practice cannot be poured into the old wineskins that contain the good, old wine of God’s completed promises. A new patch of legalism will ruin the old garment that represents God’s perfect covenant.
The new teachings of the Pharisees mock God’s Law. Instead of mending the damage they have done to the Law, their new patches only make the tears worse.
Jesus and His teachings are a fulfillment of the Old Law. Only He can mend things. The religious rules of the Pharisees ruin the pleasure and happiness available through the joy of dwelling in the presence of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
We must choose. Either we embrace the man-made rules that will make things worse, or follow God’s original commands by following Jesus Christ. If our focus is on Jesus, we gain fulfillment. If our focus is on the religious practices of men, then we spoil what is right and good.