Luke 5: 33-39 Fasting and New Wine

Luke 5: 33-39 Fasting and New Wine

And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink." Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. (And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

I think in these two scripture passages Jesus is talking about how difficult it is for people to change – especially those who have a vested interest in the status quo. The authorities are “troubled” by the fact that Jesus and his disciples do not fast as often as John and his disciples did. Actually they are complaining. Jesus goes on to talk about how difficult it is to use old wine skins for new wine – in other words, how difficult it is to do something new starting from inside something old and established. The new stretches the boundaries of the old and those used to the old ways resist the new. Jesus does not seem angry about this, just observant and understanding of human nature. Jesus is definitely something new. He is challenging both to the system and the authorities and to those who would follow him. He preaches repentance and love and forgiveness in sharp contrast to rules and hierarchy and power.