Are you willing to change?

³⁶ He told them this parable: “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. ³⁷ 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. ³⁸ No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” Luke 5 v 36-39 (NIV)

This passage contains a parable, a short story with a deeper meaning. It’s about how new things don’t always fit with old things. Jesus uses three examples.

Old clothes and new patches: Imagine you have an old, worn-out shirt. You wouldn’t use a piece of brand new, strong cloth to patch it up, right? The new patch would be too stiff and might even rip the old fabric.

Old wineskins and new wine: In those days, people stored wine in leather bags called wineskins. Old wineskins would become brittle and wouldn’t stretch. If you put new wine in them, it would still be fermenting and expanding, and the old wineskin would burst.

Old habits and new ways: People get used to doing things a certain way, and sometimes they don’t want to try new things, even if the new things are better.

What does it mean?

Jesus is saying that his new teachings are like the new patch and the new wine. They’re fresh and exciting, but they don’t always fit with the old ways of thinking and doing things. Sometimes, people need to be open to new ideas and be willing to change.

How does it challenge your thinking?

This parable can challenge you to think about.

• Being open to new ideas: Are you willing to try new things and learn new ways, or do you always stick to what you know?
• Letting go of old habits: Are there things you do that you know aren’t the best, but you keep doing them because they’re comfortable?
• Change can be good: Sometimes change can be scary, but it can also lead to good things. Are you willing to take a chance on something new?

This parable reminds us that life is about growing and changing. It’s important to be open to new ideas and be willing to let go of old habits that might be holding us back.

How does this challenge your thinking? Are there any areas in your life where you might need to be more open to new ideas or new ways of doing things?