“And He was also telling them a parable: ‘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. 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.’ ”
(Luke 5:36–39, NASB95)
One of the great debates: Old or new?
“New is better,” some cry out. And we have plenty of “new” in the 21st century. New fashion is modeled every week! New movies premiere every day! New books come off the printer every hour! New music gets uploaded every minute! Vogue is the craze. New is all the rage.
Others object: “Old is better!” “Retro” is the magic word that changes obsolete to treasure. A “classic” is a resurrected centerpiece. Some rebel against so much new. Some want to slow the tide of novelty. Some want to remember simpler times.
Christianity does not escape the debate.
“New is better,” some cry out. We must keep up with the times. We must change. Adapt. Modify. We must innovate. Renovate. Inaugurate. Their theme song is, “Sing a new song unto the Lord!”
Others object: “Old is better!” Hold to tradition! Stand firm! Follow the ancient paths! Their theme song is,“Gimme that old time religion, it’s good enough for me!”
No doubt, many in the “new” camp would turn to Luke 5:36-39 to make their case: New is better! And maybe some in the “old” camp would use v.39: “See?! ‘The old is good enough’ — Jesus said it Himself!”
Really?! Did He say, “New is always better”? Of course not. Did He mean, “The old is good enough, so just hang onto your beloved traditions”? Not at all.
Just before Luke 5:36-39 — in the context — Jesus asked a tax collector to be one of His disciples! Scandalous leadership! Then, He went to this same tax collector’s home and ate with him and his scandalous friends! Outrageous ministry strategy!
He made the religious people grumble: “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
In classic Jesus-form, the answer came as a parable: New patches tear old garments. New wine bursts old wine skins.
So, do you see? Jesus wasn’t saying old is better. (Everybody knows new garments are better than old.) He wasn’t saying new is better. (Everybody knows old wine is better than new.) New has nothing to do with it. Old has nothing to do with it.
Jesus was saying His way is better!
His way didn’t mix with the Pharisees’ old way. His way “tears” old, man-made traditions like a new patch tears an old garment. His way “bursts” man’s ingenuity — old or new — like new wine bursts old wine skins. His way is to choose repentant sinners as disciples. His way is to eat and drink with sinners. His way is to seek and save the lost. The outcast. The spiritually sick.
This was “new wine” when He introduced it 2,000 years ago. But it’s old now. The question isn’t new or old. The question is: Jesus’ way or man’s way? God’s way and man’s way can’t be mixed. God’s way is best.
This is still true. This is always true. In every way, God’s way is best. His way of salvation is perfect. The way of life He calls us to live is fullest. The way of ministry Jesus and his Apostles modeled is always better.
So, be certain you are walking in the way of Christ. Not just grabbing onto the newest fads because they feel fresh and attract crowds. Not just clinging to old traditions because they’re old — because you’re more comfortable with them.
Live His way. Through a fresh look at the Scriptures, navigate and walk in the timeless way of Christ.
