Scripture
“No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they 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. Otherwise, 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 they say, ‘The old is better.’”
— Luke 5:36–39 (NIV)
Observation
Jesus uses two everyday illustrations to explain why His kingdom cannot simply be added onto existing religious systems. A new patch ruins an old garment, and new wine destroys old wineskins. The problem isn’t the garment or the wineskin — it’s trying to combine something new and living with something old and inflexible.
Jesus is responding to religious leaders who were uncomfortable with His freedom, grace, and lack of ritual. Their hearts were accustomed to the old ways. Even when something better stood in front of them, familiarity felt safer than transformation.
Application
Are you trying to add Jesus to your current life or use him as a patch when things aren’t going your way. Jesus wants you to die and be born again. Jesus’ focus is to turn you into the person you were created to be, looking to him for everything not just to be used as a spare tire when you get a flat in life.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, leaving behind what is familiar and comfortable is hard. I pray you give us such a strong faith that we don’t look back but keep our eyes straight ahead focused on you.
What are you doing? Do it better 