Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 2:21
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
21. new cloth ] Literally uncarded or unteazled cloth.
else ] i. e. if he do, the new piece taketh from the old garment, and makes worse its original rents.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mar 2:21-22
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment.
New cloth on an old garment
Gods forces not to be fettered by man. You cannot thrust life into human moulds.
I. Every force has a definite mode of action. Spring does not produce the same results as autumn, nor can young converts yield the same fruits as aged saints.
II. To coerce these forces into human channels is impossible. No one dress will fit all men. If you want to alter mens habits begin by changing their principles.
III. It is only wise and safe to act with God. Learn the methods of the Spirits working and follow them. (D. Davies, M. A.)
The new supplanting the old
A missionary in India writes of a large tree near his home, in whose branches a second top of entirely different species appeared. The old was the bitter nim, the other the sacred fig. And this, on examination, was found to have thrust its root through the decaying heart of the great trunk to the ground. There, like a young giant in the embrace of some huge monster, each was engaged in a struggle for life. If the old could tighten its grasp, the young tree must die. If the young continued to grow it must at last split open and destroy the old. This it seemed already to be doing. So with the good seed of the gospel dropped into the rotten heart of some ancient system or practice. Thrusting its root downward and its branches upward, it is gradually to supplant all else and stand, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding her fruit every month; and the leaves will be for the healing of the nations. (De W. S. Clark.)
New things in Christianity
Christianity sets up a new kingdom-a kingdom within men-a reign over the spiritual in man. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It publishes a new law, and gives men a new commandment. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Christianity introduces us into a New Jerusalem, the Jerusalem which is the mother of us all. Everything in the city is new. The Temple is new; it is a spiritual temple; spiritual men are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. What! know ye not that ye are the temple of God? The Altar is new; we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. The Sacrifice is new; it is the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. The Incense is new; the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. The Priesthood is new; we have a great High Priest who is passed into the heavens for us, even Jesus, the Son of God. The Way into the Holiest is new; it is a new and living way consecrated for us. The Worship is new; the hour has come when the character, and not the scene of worship, is everything. The song is new; we sing a new song. The Ritualism is new; for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. God sustains a new relation to us; He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We come to God and say, Doubtless Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant. The days have come when God has made a new covenant with man. The Spirit is new; even the Comforter, proceeding from the Father and the Son. The gospel is new; God hath spoken unto us by His Son. The phraseology is new; we preach Christ crucified. The symbolism is new; the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since everything in Christianity is new, we must ourselves be new; we must be born again. There must be the passage from death to life. The life we live in the flesh must be a new life. Old things must pass away; all things must become new. (H. J. Bevis.)
New things in Christianity
I. That the spirit of Christianity is new. It is new wine. Judaism was the body; Christianity is the soul. The one was materialism; the other is spiritualism. The one was the letter; the other is the spirit. The one was a ministration of death; the other a ministration of life. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ. We have got beyond the shadow, we have the substance. We behold with unveiled face the glory of the Lord.
II. That the thoughts and words of Christianity are new. New thoughts require new utterances. The people said of Christ, Never man spake like this Man. New things want new words. The everlasting Son has taken our nature and become our brother. The gospel calls this the mystery of godliness. God hath given His Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might have eternal life. Even the gospel seems to want words here, and can only say, God so loved. The gospel takes us by the hand and leads us to the cross; and as we look on the Crucified, it unfolds the record, and bids us read, God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. We want not old forms. We have truth for the understanding; we have love for the heart. We have new thoughts and new words, the utterances of which are as the divinest music to the soul that is seeking a Saviour. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief.
III. The manifestations of Christianity are new. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Christianity is from heaven. Gods work is not to be improved by man. Where there is real religion in man, its own manifestations will not be wanting in a Divine life, in all the graces of the Spirit, in godlikeness.
IV. The ritualism of Christianity is new. It has few symbols, but these are most expressive and appropriate. It meets us on the very threshold of life with its washing of water, and water is the universal and undying type of purity. It gives us, as Christians, the memorials of Christs death. The ritualism of your spirit must be left to the moods and feelings of your own heart. You may content yourselves with mere outward acts of reformation, but these are manifestly insufficient. This is but a new piece of cloth on an old garment. This is the worlds attempt to mend human nature. Christianity requires a new heart and a right spirit. You must be a partaker of the Divine nature, a new creature in Christ Jesus, to be a Christian. The inner man must have its new attire. You must put off the old garment and put on the new. You must put on Christ Jesus the Lord, and walk in Him. Do not try to mend the old nature Seek a new one. Old habits will not do for a new spirit, and yet we cling to them, or they cling to us There is often little agreement between our principles and our practice. (H. J. Bevis.)
Legal ceremonies superseded
Paul calls legal ceremonies beggarly rudiments; such are the popish-like a beggars cloak, full of patches. When the debt is paid, it is unjust to keep back the bond: Christ being come, and having discharged all, it is injurious to retain the bond of ceremonies. In the spring we make much of buds and flowers to delight the eye and cheer the sense of smelling; but in autumn, when we receive the fruits to content our taste and appetite, and to nourish us, the other are nothing worth The affianced virgin esteems every token her lover sends her and solaceth her affections with those earnests of his love in his absence: but when she is married, and enjoys himself, there is no regard of the tokens. It was something to have a ceremony or a sacrifice, representing a Saviour; but this made nothing perfect and all the life which those things had was from that Saviour whom now we, have. (T. Adams.)
Old bottles and new wine
Christ gave his replies to Johns disciples and the Pharisees. The first had a temporary application; the other a permanent one.
1. Fasting was a sign of sorrow; but how could these disciples sorrow while Jesus was with them? it was like trying to weep in the midst of a wedding feast. Christians have alternations of experience. Sometimes the Bridegroom is with us; sometimes far away.
2. The other answer sets forth the essential difference between the new dispensation and the impossibility of confining it by the old forms and ceremonies of religion. Now, these bottles represent religious forms, and wine represents religious spirit or life. Consider-
I. The superior energy of Christianity over Judaism. It is new wine. Judaism was wine; but this is newer, and also better. But this is not the point of comparison. The point is, that the gospel has a freshness, expansiveness, and power, beyond what we find in Judaism, so that it is like new, working and fermenting wine as compared with old acetic wine, now cold and still. See it in a few particulars:-
1. Its earnest aggressive spirit and aim. It was meant for the world, to go out to all nations. Judaism was for the Jews, or if for Gentiles, it was by these coming to the Jews as proselytes. Its agency is the same.
2. Its potent and stimulating motives. Christs love and death constrain us; and the apocalypse of the eternal world is made more impressive and influential. Compare these with Jewish types, etc.
3. The ardour of affection awakened in the followers of Christ. Their whole nature is elevated and vivified by a new love and a new hope.
4. The accompanying energy of the Holy Ghost.
II. The unsuitableness of old Jewish forms to the new Christian spirit. All are too narrow, cold, and cramping. As fastings, sacrifices, priestly exclusiveness, and even the Sabbath.
III. Yet Christianity has its own forms. The wine is not spilt on the ground, but kept in bottles-the Christian Church in its New Testament simplicity, the ordinances, the Lords day, spiritual modes of worship. All these naturally come out of the spirit of the gospel. The life makes its own body. Truly, this law has been tampered with most grievously by men, and the energy of the gospel has suffered; its freedom has been trammelled, and its life deadened. Lessons:
1. Our supreme concern should be to get the life of the gospel into our souls.
2. We should avoid a superstitious stickling for mere forms, however old and elegant, if they are but arbitrary and mechanical.
3. We should be willing to endorse and adopt the simple, natural, and living forms of the New Testament-joining the church, engaging in worship, etc.
4. We should apply it to our whole deportment and life-all must be renewed, and new wine put in new bottles. Let all our habits be determined and controlled by the inner spirit of piety. Things once pleasant to us will now be unpleasant and irksome. Many amusements and pleasures will be instantly abandoned, when we have got the right spirit within us; whereas, otherwise, it would be vain to contend and argue against them. (Congregational Pulpit.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. No man – seweth] See Clarke on Mt 9:16. No man seweth a piece of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. In the common editions this verse begins with , and, but this is omitted by almost every MS. and version of note. The construction of the whole verse is various in the MSS. The translation given here, and in Mt 9:16, is intelligible, and speaks for itself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth, The traditions of the elders are meant, particularly concerning eating and drinking, and fasting, things before spoken of; and which occasioned this parable, and which were new things in comparison of the commands of God: some of them were of very short standing, devised in, that age; and most, if not all of them, were since the times of Ezra.
On an old garment; the moral and ceremonial righteousness of the Jews, in obedience to the law of God; signifying, that the former were not to be joined with these, to make up a justifying righteousness before God; which were not sufficient for such a purpose, either singly, or both together:
else the new piece that filled it up, taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse; for by attendance to the traditions of the elders, the Jews were taken off from, and neglected the commandments of God; nay, oftentimes the commands of God were made void by these traditions, so that the old garment of their own righteousness, which was very ragged and imperfect of itself, instead of being purer and more perfect, became much the worse, even for the purpose for which it was intended; [See comments on Mt 9:16].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Seweth on (). Here only in the N.T. or elsewhere, though the uncompounded verb (to sew) is common enough,
sews upon: in Mt 9:16 and Lu 5:37 use , put upon or clap upon.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Seweth [] . A word found in Mark only. Matthew (ix. 16) and Luke (v. 36) use ejpiballei, throweth upon, as we speak of clapping a patch upon.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
CLOTH AND BOTTLES PARABLES, V. 21, 22
1) “No man also seweth a piece of new cloth,” (oudeis epiblema hrakous agnophou epiraptei) “No person sews a patch of new cloth,” an unshrunk piece of cloth, Mat 9:16; Luk 5:36. The entire meaning and implication of this Parable is: 1) First, Jesus does not just patch up the old life, but gives a new life to one who is saved, 2Co 5:21; 2 Corinthians , 2) Second, Jesus did not come to repair Moses’ Law or program of worship, but to establish a New Order, which is His church, His Bride, Mat 16:18; Joh 3:28-29; Joh 20:21; Act 20:28; Eph 5:25; Eph 3:21; Rev 19:5-9.
2) “On an old garment (epi hernation palaion) “Upon an old garment,” over-lays or overlaps and sews a new piece of cloth upon an old piece of a garment.
3) “Else the new piece that filled it up,” (ei de me to pleroma to ksinon) “Otherwise the new patch that covered the hole,” or filled it up,
4) “Taketh away from the old,” (airei ap’ autou toupalaiou) “Takes away from the old,” makes it draw up, to wrinkle and be pulled together by the shrinking of the new piece of cloth, by the patch that is sewn upon the old garment.
5) “And the rent is made worse.” (kai cheiron schisma ginetai) “And a worse rent (tear) is made or occurs,” to make the old garment be in worse shape and usage than before; to make bad matters worse. The house that Jesus built is declared to be different from, and better than, not attached to, the house or program of worship that Moses built, Heb 3:4-6; 1Ti 3:15; Mar 3:34-35.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘No man sews a piece of undressed cloth on an old piece of clothing, otherwise that which should fill it up (or ‘the patch’ – to pleroma) takes away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.’
Jesus then emphasises the changed state of affairs by two illustrations. In context He is arguing against fasting. He is saying that we should not take old ideas, in context the ideas about fasting, and apply them to a new situation. Otherwise both will be spoiled. This suggests that He saw fasting as being mainly for the old dispensation, but not for the new. The old world fasted because they waited in penitence for God to act. But now God was acting and fasting was therefore a thing of the past. Now was the time for rejoicing.
The words contain within them the general idea that what Jesus has come to bring is new, that is that ‘the Kingly Rule of God has drawn near’. So His point is that now, because of that, the present is a time of rejoicing and everything must be looked at in its light. The old has passed, and the new has come (compare 2Co 5:17). The extraordinary significance of this statement must not be overlooked. Jesus was clearly declaring that in His coming as the Bridegroom a whole new way of thinking and living had been introduced. He was the introducer of a new age. It was the acceptable year of the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness in the new age into which they were now entering would lead to lives of joy, first with the earthly and then with the heavenly (risen) Bridegroom. Thus fasting will be unnecessary except in exceptional circumstances, in the brief period before final victory. Everything is different and old ways must be forgotten.
‘A piece of undressed cloth.’ That is, one that has not been washed and shrunk, thus making it unsuitable for repairing old clothing, for once the clothing was washed the patch would shrink and tear the clothing.
While not being the direct significance here where it is simply an illustration of incompatibility, this reference to clothing gains new meaning in the light of Jesus’ idea elsewhere, which He Himself may have had in mind, for the man who seeks to enter the heavenly wedding without having a proper wedding garment on will be cast out (Mat 22:11-12 compare Rev 19:8; Rev 3:5; Rev 3:18). Those who would enter His presence must be clothed in His imputed and imparted righteousness alone. No partially patched up dress will do for them.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Two parables to emphasize His meaning:
v. 21. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment; else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
v. 22. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred; but new wine must be put into new bottles. Here a matter of common experience is applied to the case in hand. To sew a patch of new cloth upon an old garment is not only incongruous, but usually aggravates the trouble and causes a further tear at the seam; And to put new wine, grape juice that is in the process of fermentation, into old wine-skins; may easily become disastrous, since the skin is no longer strong enough to withstand the process going on inside. The old, dead orthodoxy of the Pharisees, their righteousness of works, did not fit with the doctrine of Jesus of the free mercy of God in and through Christ Jesus. He that trusts in his works and then intends to patch this up with a few scraps of the Gospel, he that wants to cover up some vice with Christ’s merit, will soon find out that his is a poor comfort. In his heart he is still adhering to the old religion of works, which will drag him down to perdition. And the new wine of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake does not suit the hearts that are still bound up in self-righteousness. If the sweet Gospel of God’s grace is preached to proud, self-righteous hearts, it will surely be wasted, for they cannot and will not accept and believe it, and it is a mystery to them how other people can take delight in that old Gospel of free grace. But where the hearts have been renewed, made entirely new by the power of the Word, there the Gospel will find the reception which it ought to have, there the hearts accept the glorious news of their redemption and are prepared for life eternal.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mar 2:21-22. No man, &c. Nobody seweth a piece of undressed cloth on all old garment; otherwise the new patch teareth the old cloth, and maketh a worse rent.Ver. 22. Nobody putteth new wine into old leathern bottles, &c. Campbell.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
Ver. 21. No man soweth ] See Trapp on “ Mat 9:16 “ See Trapp on “ Mat 9:17 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
21. ] Render, the filling-up takes away from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent takes place. See note on [8] Matt. The addition here of confirms the view taken of the parable there.
[8] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 2:21 . , sews upon, for in Mt. and Lk.; not in Greek authors, here only in N. T.; in Sept [13] , Job 16:15 , the simple verb. : vide on in Mat 9:17 . , etc.: that which filleth up taketh from it ( ) the new, viz. , from the old; the second clause explanatory of the first. . . ., and a worse rent takes place.
[13]Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar 2:21-22
21″No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Mar 2:21 This reflects a cultural truth, turned into a proverb.
Mar 2:22 “wineskins” This referred to goats being skinned in such a way as to allow the skins to be used as a container for liquids. These newly tanned skins would have elastic qualities. When these skins became old, the fermentation process and expansion of the new wine would cause them to split. Judaism was unable to receive Jesus’ insights and corrections and, therefore, was about to be made null and void. The new covenant (cf. Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:22-38) has come in Jesus! Nothing can remain the same.
There are several Greek variants connected to this verse. Some come from the parallels in Mat 9:17 and Luk 5:37-38. Mark’s succinct way of recording these events caused scribes to attempt to clarify his language.
Notice the metaphorical titles for Jesus in this context: (1) the physician, Mar 2:17; (2) the bridegroom, Mar 2:19; (3) the new wine, Mar 2:21-22; and (4) the Lord of the Sabbath, Mar 2:28.
“lost” See Special Topic: Apollumi at Mar 3:6.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
seweth . . . on. Greek. epirrapto. Occurs only here.
new = unfulled.
on = upon. Greek. rpi. App-104.
new = new (in character). Greek. kainos. See note on Mat 9:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
21.] Render, the filling-up takes away from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent takes place. See note on [8] Matt. The addition here of confirms the view taken of the parable there.
[8] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25, the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified, thus, Mk., or Mt. Mk., &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 2:21. ) This reading is a mean between extremes, brief, and likely to be genuine.[22] The meaning is: the new piece put in to patch up the rent, takes away with it some of the old cloth.
[22] A, later Syr., whom Tischend. follows, read . B reads . . L, whom Lachm. follows, has . . Dab Vulg. and Rec. Text have (to which Rec. Text adds ) (omitted in Rec. Text) -ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
seweth: Psa 103:13-15, Isa 57:16, 1Co 10:13
new: or, raw, or, unwrought, Mat 9:16
Reciprocal: Mat 12:46 – yet Luk 5:36 – No man 1Co 1:10 – divisions
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THINGS WHICH DIFFER
No man seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment and no man putteth new wine into old bottles.
Mar 2:21-22
These words were a parable and the principle laid down in them is one of great importance. The evils that have arisen from trying to sew the new patch on the old garment, and put the new wine into old bottles, have neither been few nor small.
I. How was it with the Galatian Church?It is recorded in St. Pauls Epistle. Men wished in that Church to reconcile Judaism with Christianity, and to circumcise as well as baptize. They endeavoured to keep alive the law of ceremonies and ordinances, and to place it side by side with the Gospel of Christ. In fact they would fain have put the new wine into old bottles. And in so doing they greatly erred.
II. How was it with the early Christian Church, after the Apostles were dead?We have it recorded in the pages of Church history. Some tried to make the Gospel more acceptable by mingling it with Platonic philosophy. They sewed the new patch on the old garment. And in so doing they scattered broadcast the seeds of enormous evil.
III. How is it with many professing Christians in the present day?We have only to look around us and see. There are thousands who are trying to reconcile the service of Christ and the service of the world, to have the name of Christians and yet live the life of the ungodlyto keep in with the servants of pleasure and sin, and yet be the followers of the crucified Jesus at the same time. In a word, they are trying to enjoy the new wine and yet to cling to the old bottles.
Bishop J. C. Ryle.
Illustration
Leather bottles in course of time become hard and liable to crack, and they would soon give way under the pressure caused by the fermentation of new wine, but new skins might be sufficiently supple and elastic to yield to the pressure and thus stand the strain. With this allusion compare the reference in the Book of Job. Elihu, having listened to Jobs attempts to justify himself before God, and to the heartless condemnation passed upon him by his three friends, could at last no longer repress the thoughts which were seething in his mind, and began to speak. Behold (he says), I am full of words, the spirit within me constraineth me: my breast is like wine which hath no vent, like new wineskins (or wine-skins of new wine) it is ready to burst (Job 32:18-19). Thus the thoughts fermenting within the mind and clamouring for utterance are likened, by way of analogy, to new wine fermenting within a skin-bottle.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2
The lesson here is one of doing things in an appropriate manner and at the proper time. A full treatment of the whole parable Is given at Mat 9:14-17.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 2:21. That which filleth it up (lit, the fulness) taketh away from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made. The form is peculiar to Mark, and characteristic of his lively style. The variations show entire independence. Compare: the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins, with Mat 9:17; Luk 5:37.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 21
New cloth; cloth which had not been fulled.–Taketh away from the old; shrinks and draws the old, so that it is easily torn again, and made worse than before.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Mar 2:21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
I never understood this passage until in Bible college when a professor explained that if you put new cloth into old that shrinkage would result in tears when the cloth is washed. The reason I could not wrap my brains around it was that my mother was constantly patching my clothes when I was little. She would find something similar or maybe not and patch things so they would last a little longer. Since this was normal for me how can Mark know what he is talking about when he recorded this passage? I didn’t realize that my mother was using “old” material to patch “old” material. There was no shrinkage so there was no problem.
This and the next verse relate to the context of the disciples not fasting. Christ was relating to the listener that you don’t patch this new teaching of His into the old ways of John or the Pharisees. Rather a blunt statement to the Pharisees – you are old and I and My teaching are new and the two should not be sewn together. Too bad the Judaizers of the early church didn’t catch His drift!
Likewise the wine illustration pictures the same idea, that new should not, or more to the point cannot be put into the old. Had the pastors that brought their contemporary music into the churches considered the Lord’s teaching we might not have had so many split churches and distanced older generation folks.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
Two more parables clarified why fasting was inappropriate for Jesus’ disciples then. Not only was the timing wrong, but the messianic age that Jesus would introduce would render the old traditional forms of Judaism obsolete. Judaism had become old, and Jesus was going to set up a new form of God’s kingdom on earth that would be similar to a new garment (cf. Heb 8:13), the messianic kingdom.
A garment symbolized the covering of man’s sinful condition in Old Testament usage (e.g., Gen 3:21; Isa 61:10). The Jews were to lay aside the old garment of the Mosaic dispensation and put on the new of the messianic age. Judaism had also become rigid and inflexible because of the traditions that had encrusted it, like old goatskins that contained wine. Jesus’ kingdom could not operate within those constraints. It would be a new and more flexible vehicle for bringing joy (wine) to humanity.
The first of these three parables may have been more relevant to John’s disciples since they anticipated a coming change. Jesus may have directed the second and third parables more to the Pharisees since they wanted to maintain the legalistic practices of Judaism that were now threadbare and inflexible.