New Wine, Old Wineskins
Why does radical grace always offend the deeply religious?
Luke 5:27-6:11
Read the whole passage before anything else. Everything below exists to help you understand what you just read.
27After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”
28He left everything, and rose up and followed him.
29Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
30Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
33They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”
34He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”
36He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
37No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled and the skins will be destroyed.
38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
39No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”
3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”
5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
6It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.
7The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.
8But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood.
9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”
10He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.
11But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.
What just happened?
Imagine the dusty, bustling streets of Capernaum, a fishing town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It's the early 30s AD. Most people scraped by, paying taxes to Rome through local collectors who often extorted extra for themselves. These 'tax collectors' were viewed as traitors and spiritual outcasts, lumped in with 'sinners' and prostitutes. One such man, Levi, likely known for his shady dealings, sat at his customs booth, a symbol of Roman oppression and local corruption. His life revolved around numbers, coin, and the resentment of his neighbors. Jesus, a relatively new figure on the scene, but already attracting crowds for his teaching and healings, walked by, observing everything. What happened next would disrupt the social order and the expectations of everyone involved.
Jesus simply told Levi, a man ostracized by society and religion, 'Follow me!' And Levi, without hesitation, dropped everything – his lucrative, despised business – and joined Jesus's growing band of disciples. To mark this radical shift, Levi threw a huge party at his house, inviting all his old associates: a "great crowd" of tax collectors and other 'sinners.' This was not a discreet gathering; it was a public statement. Eating with someone in that culture was a profound act of social acceptance and solidarity. For Jesus to sit at a table with these people was an open defiance of social norms and religious purity codes. It was scandalous, and the religious authorities, the scribes and Pharisees, were watching, their murmurs growing into open challenges.
The story then shifts to a different confrontation, this time over fasting and later, the Sabbath. The Pharisees observed regular fasts, a mark of their piety. They questioned why Jesus's disciples ate and drank freely while theirs and John the Baptist's disciples fasted. Jesus used the analogy of a wedding feast: you don't fast when the groom is present; joy is the order of the day. But he also hinted at a future sorrow when he would be 'taken away.' Following this, Jesus offered two short parables about old and new: new cloth on old garments, and new wine in old wineskins. These weren't abstract riddles; they were direct challenges to the established ways of thinking and living, culminating in a series of Sabbath disputes where Jesus openly challenged their rigid interpretations of God's law regarding healing and sustenance.
The Doctor and the Diseased
Jesus sees Levi, a tax collector, sitting at his collection booth. The word used for 'tax collector' here, *telones*, denoted someone who bought the right to collect taxes from the Roman government, often extorting more than necessary for personal profit. They were despised by their own people, seen as collaborators and morally impure. Jesus simply says, 'Follow me!' No sermon, no lecture, no purification ritual. Just an invitation to a new life, instantly accepted. Levi's immediate response – leaving 'everything' – highlights the radical nature of his decision.
Levi then throws a big dinner party, and who does he invite? His old crowd: 'a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.' The Pharisees and their scribes, the religious scholars and legal experts of the day, couldn't stomach this. They whisper, then challenge Jesus's disciples: 'Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?' For them, sharing a meal was a sign of fellowship, and fellowship with such people rendered one unclean. Jesus overhears and responds directly: 'Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' He reframes their judgment, positioning himself not as a co-sinner, but as a healer. He came for those who recognized their need, not those who believed they had none.
New Wine, Old Systems
The religious leaders then challenge Jesus on the practice of fasting. They point out that John's disciples and their own fast regularly, implying Jesus's followers are undisciplined or unspiritual because they 'eat and drink.' Jesus answers with a vivid image: 'Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?' A wedding feast was a time of immense joy and celebration. His presence, he suggests, is like a wedding feast – a time for joy, not mourning or deprivation. He then hints at a future when 'the bridegroom will be taken away' – a veiled reference to his own departure or death – and then his disciples *will* fast.
He follows this with two short parables. 'No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment,' he says, because the new patch will shrink, tearing the old cloth even worse. Then, 'No one puts new wine into old wineskins.' Old wineskins, made of animal hide, become brittle and inflexible with age. New wine, still fermenting, expands. Put new wine into old skins, and the skins will burst, ruining both the wine and the container. His message is clear: his teaching, his way, the 'new wine,' is fundamentally different. It's not just an add-on to the old religious system. Trying to force it into the rigid, established traditions will destroy both. It requires a whole new way of thinking, a 'fresh wineskin.' The line 'No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, “The old is better”' acknowledges the human tendency to stick with the familiar, even when something better is offered.
Lord of the Sabbath
The scene shifts to a Sabbath day. The disciples are walking through grain fields, plucking heads of grain and eating them. This was permitted by Jewish law for the hungry (Deuteronomy 23:25). However, the Pharisees accuse them of 'harvesting' on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. They're nitpicking the technicalities, overlooking the spirit of the law and the disciples' hunger. Jesus reminds them of King David, who, when hungry, ate the 'show bread' – bread consecrated for priests only – a direct violation of temple law (1 Samuel 21:1-6). David's action, in a moment of necessity, showed that human need can, in certain circumstances, take precedence over rigid ritual. Jesus concludes, 'The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.' This is a bold claim, asserting his authority over religious law itself.
A few days later, on another Sabbath, Jesus is teaching in a synagogue. A man with a withered hand is there. The scribes and Pharisees are watching, hoping Jesus will heal him so they can accuse him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, calls the man forward. He then challenges them: 'Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?' They remain silent, trapped by their own rigid logic. Jesus heals the man's hand. The reaction? 'They were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.' The healing, an act of compassion, pushed them to the brink of plotting violence. Their deeply held religious convictions had become so twisted that an act of mercy became a crime worthy of wrath.
What are we supposed to see?
In this passage, Jesus consistently demonstrates his mission to bring restorative grace to the marginalized and a radical reinterpretation of what it means to be God's people. His actions speak volumes: he doesn't just preach about love; he extends it to Levi, a despised tax collector, by inviting him to follow and by eating with him and his 'sinner' friends. This isn't a passive acceptance; it's an active inclusion, a visible demonstration of God's welcome to those considered spiritually diseased. By declaring himself a 'physician' for the 'sick,' he shows that his purpose is to heal and restore, not to condemn or uphold exclusive religious clubs.
Jesus also vividly portrays his divine authority and his role as the inaugurator of something entirely new. When challenged on fasting, he implies his presence is like a wedding, a time of joy not mourning, asserting his unique status as the 'bridegroom.' His parables of new cloth and new wine illustrate that his teachings and the new covenant he brings cannot simply be patched onto or contained within the old, rigid religious structures. He demonstrates his 'lordship of the Sabbath' not by abolishing the day, but by redefining its purpose – as a day for compassion and doing good, not merely for strict adherence to rules. He confronts those who prioritize ritual over human well-being, showing that God's heart is for life and mercy, even if it infuriates the deeply religious.
- 1WHAT HE VALUES
Jesus values compassion and restoration over rigid adherence to religious rules. He prioritizes the healing and inclusion of marginalized people, demonstrating God's mercy extends to all who recognize their need.
- 2WHAT HE CONFRONTS
Jesus confronts religious hypocrisy and self-righteousness, particularly those who elevate man-made traditions and legalistic interpretations above the spirit of God's law, specifically mercy and love.
- 3IDENTITY
Jesus reveals himself as the 'physician' for the spiritually sick, the 'bridegroom' who brings joy, and the 'Lord of the Sabbath,' asserting his divine authority over both religious tradition and the Law itself.
Where this sits in the whole Bible
Luke 5:31-32 → Hosea 6:6
Jesus's statement about coming for the 'sick' and 'sinners' echoes the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who declares that God desires 'mercy, and not sacrifice.' Jesus emphasizes that God's priority is a heart of compassion over mere ritual observance.
Luke 5:36-38 → Jeremiah 31:31-34
The 'new wine, new wineskins' parable strongly foreshadows the 'new covenant' promised in Jeremiah. The old covenant, represented by the old wineskins, is insufficient to contain the radically new life and grace that Jesus inaugurates.
Luke 6:5 → Mark 2:27-28
Luke's 'The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath' is presented even more succinctly in Mark, where Jesus states 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.' This connection highlights Jesus's consistent teaching on the Sabbath's true purpose: human welfare, not oppressive legalism.
The profound anger of the religious leaders stems not from Jesus breaking a divine command, but from Him breaking *their* interpretation of it, especially when it disrupts their social hierarchy and sense of control.
Don't rush past this
The most unsettling part of this passage is the deep, visceral 'rage' of the religious leaders. Jesus heals a man's withered hand, an undeniable act of pure good, on the Sabbath. Instead of rejoicing at this miraculous restoration, the Pharisees and scribes react with anger so intense they begin plotting what they 'might do to Jesus.' This shows that religious fervor, when divorced from compassion and humility, can become a destructive force, actively resisting divine goodness when it doesn't fit their pre-approved framework.
This rage is particularly uncomfortable because it exposes how easily our human systems and traditions, even those intended to honor God, can become barriers to God's actual work. The religious leaders were so deeply invested in their rules, their interpretations, and their social standing, that an act of mercy which challenged those things was perceived as a greater threat than the suffering of a man or the goodness of a miracle. It forces us to confront the possibility that our own deeply held convictions or traditions might, at times, blind us to God's unexpected grace.
Turn it inward
Three questions from this passage. Answer them or just sit with them — nothing here is required to finish the lesson.
God, open my eyes to see people as you do, not as their past or society labels them. Help me to welcome the new wine of your grace, even when it feels uncomfortable or challenges my ingrained ways of thinking. Give me courage to choose compassion and mercy, even when it might cause others, or even me, to feel uncomfortable. Amen.
This week, identify one area where you are tempted to judge others based on their past or perceived 'unworthiness.' Instead, extend an invitation or an act of kindness, remembering that Jesus came for those who acknowledge their need, not those who pretend they don't have any.
History, language, objections and sources. None of it is needed to understand the passage.
Was Levi's conversion truly genuine if Jesus didn't make him confess his sins first, and then he immediately threw a party with other 'sinners'?
The narrative in Luke doesn't explicitly detail a verbal confession of sins from Levi before he follows Jesus. However, his immediate and drastic action of leaving 'everything' and throwing a banquet for Jesus and his previous associates suggests a profound reorientation of his life. In this culture, a public feast was a declaration. By gathering his 'sinner' friends, Levi wasn't condoning their past; he was likely introducing them to the one who had just called him to a new path. Jesus's presence at the meal implicitly affirmed His purpose to be with and for such people, bringing healing and a call to 'repentance' – a change of mind and direction – not just a ritualistic utterance. The genuineness is seen in his actions, not necessarily in a prescribed sequence of words. This is often an area of interpretation rather than dispute, focusing on the nature of conversion as an ongoing process rather than a single event.
Jesus says, 'I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' Does this imply some people are righteous and don't need Him?
Jesus's statement here is often understood as deeply ironic. In other parts of his teaching, Jesus challenges the very idea that anyone is truly 'righteous' in God's eyes based on their own merit or rule-keeping (e.g., the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14). Here, he is speaking to those who *perceived themselves* as righteous – the Pharisees and scribes – and who therefore saw no need for a 'physician.' The point is not that some are truly righteous and don't need repentance, but that those who *think* they are righteous won't recognize their need for Him. His mission is directed toward those who acknowledge their spiritual sickness and are open to change. The statement highlights a fundamental obstacle to grace: self-righteousness. This interpretation is widely held among theologians.
If Jesus is 'Lord of the Sabbath,' does that mean the Sabbath law no longer applies to Christians?
Jesus's declaration that 'The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath' asserts his ultimate authority over its interpretation and application. It doesn't necessarily abolish the idea of a day of rest, but it redefines its purpose. For Jesus, the Sabbath was made for human benefit and compassion, not as a rigid burden. His actions – healing on the Sabbath – demonstrate that doing good and showing mercy always align with God's will, even if it contradicts a strict, legalistic interpretation of the day. For Christians, the debate often centers on whether the Sabbath command (one of the Ten Commandments) is fulfilled in Christ, or if it still requires a specific day of observance. Different Christian traditions hold varying beliefs, with some emphasizing Sunday as a 'Lord's Day' for worship and rest, while others view every day as consecrated to God. There isn't one universal consensus on the exact application for believers today, but the principle of prioritizing human well-being and mercy is central.
The Showbread and David's Necessity
Jesus's reference to David eating the showbread (Luke 6:3-4) would have been a powerful and provocative argument for his Jewish audience. The twelve loaves of showbread, also called 'bread of the Presence,' were sacred, placed before God in the Tabernacle/Temple every Sabbath and only eaten by priests. David, though king, was not a priest. His act, recorded in 1 Samuel 21, was a clear violation of Mosaic law. However, David was fleeing Saul and was in extreme hunger and distress. Jewish tradition, particularly rabbinic interpretations found in the Mishnah, recognized that 'pikuach nefesh' (saving a life) could override many laws. By citing this, Jesus argued that human need, especially life-threatening hunger, could supersede strict ritual observance. He implied that if David, a revered king, could break a religious law due to necessity, how much more could his disciples, in the presence of the 'Lord of the Sabbath,' be excused for plucking grain to eat? The parallel suggested that his authority was at least as great as, if not greater than, David's, and that compassion should always trump legalism.