Parable of cloth and wineskins

DeerGlow said:

What does this mean?

“And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:15-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

How do the examples of patches and new wine in old skins relate to the disciples fasting or not?

Click to expand...

I think it refers to the original question from the disciples of John the Baptist (who has been called "the last of the Old Covenant prophets"). The backdrop is that Israel had long since fallen into empty observance of Torah for most of the population in Israel. Rigid rules on fasting were a part of that. Isaiah complained about empty observance in his day and that was 700 years before Jesus was ministering in Israel. There had been various renewals, and, in fact, much of Israel was expecting the Messiah to come and rid Israel of Rome's boot on their necks. But there had been no prophets in Israel for 400 years prior to the ministry of John the Baptist.

Jesus was presenting a "new wine"--a better wine (and if that sets off sparks in the mind about the Wedding at Cana, I think the Holy Spirit likely meant it to do so). Jesus would often present His teaching in the guise of practical lessons which had a greater spiritual significance. His way was the new way to worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24) He was summoning Israel to a deeper faith and indeed the whole world.

DeerGlow said:

What does this mean?

“And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:15-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

How do the examples of patches and new wine in old skins relate to the disciples fasting or not?

Click to expand...

I suggest: It relates to the "old man in the world and of the world: new skin refers to our "new creation status" able to hold the new life of Holy Spirit. An old wine skin cannot hold the build up of power in making wine through fermentation (bubbly wine) full of joy as likened to the joy of Lord's Spirit He indwells US with His desire to flow out of US as if fountain of living water. Resurrection life out flowing from within to give life as we are given unction/words to say as spoken to US.