Luke alone adds the parabolic illustration of The New and Old Wine to his account of the New and the Old trilogy.
It is found in Luke 5:39.
The Story
"And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.'" (Luke 5:39, New International Version).
Clarke adds,
The "old wine" among the rabbins, was "the wine of three leaves"--that is, wine three years old-- because, from the time that the vine had produced that wine, it had put forth its leaves three times. [Adam Carke, COMMENTARY ON THE HOLY BIBLE,
Abridged by Ralph Earle (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974), p. 864].
The expression, "The old is better," may have been a Jewish proverb. (Carr, CAMBRIDGE GREEK TESTAMENT FOR
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, MATTHEW, p. 174). The saying is true as a generalization. Old principles, beliefs and truths
should not be set aside quickly. Only when the new is proven should it be accepted.
The Interpretation
In his parabolic illustration of The New and Old Wine, Jesus teaches us that the Jews were satisfied with Judaism and did not want Christianity. Human beings are creatures of habit and resist change of any kind, good or bad. However, there is more than mere resistance to change involved here. Many of the Jewish religious leaders were rejecting Christ and his new revelation. They were also refusing to accept spiritual light that the God of Israel was trying to shed on Old Testament scriptures.
Central Truth
GOD EXPECTS US TO ACCEPT NEW TRUTH.
Conclusion
It is extremely dangerous to reject the truth. In doing so, we open ourselves up to deception. Life is dynamic--we either progress or regress--we do not stand still. God expects us to walk in the truth as he reveals it to us.
END