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*“Parties, Patches and Wineskins” *Luke 5:33-39
In this message we are exposed to the first of 24 parables contained in Luke’s gospel.
A parable is a profound teaching tool that Jesus utilized frequently.
Our word “parable” is a transliteration of the actual Greek word, /parabolé//.
/The word comes from two words: /para//, /meaning “alongside” and /bole, /meaning “to throw.”
A parable is where someone offers a story or a description and then the listener “throws down alongside” the story a deeper meaning.
In other words, parables are stories that contain additional truth below the surface.
As I have said previously: There is a parable in every miracle and a miracle in every parable.
The “miracle” of a parable is that on the surface it appears to be a simple story - but there are always several levels of truth associated with it.
Whenever you study a parable of Jesus, it’s much likes peeling an onion.
An onion has several layers of covering.
The outer peel is like the natural truth of the story, but when you peel away that layer, there are several other layers of truth to be found.
For those of you who enjoy studying figures of speech, a parable is considered to be a short allegory.
In this passage, Jesus is going to use a powerful metaphor, in the form of a wedding celebration.
Then he is going to offer two short parables.
One is about a patch of cloth and the other is about wineskins.
That’s why I have entitled this message “Parties, Patches and Wineskins.”
Luke 5:33-39: They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?
But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”
[That’s the metaphor] He told this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one.
If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.
No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘the old is better.
’”
It’s important to remember that all of the Bible is inspired by God.
It is a miracle book because the truth contained in the Bible is timeless.
In other words, what Jesus had to say applied to those people living 2000 years ago, and it applies just as powerfully to us today.
As we examine these three topics, I want to introduce each one with a personal question that Jesus answers.
Then I want to peel away three layers of truth.
First we will peel away the surface truth, which is the natural story of the metaphor or parable.
After we remove that layer, we’ll examine the spiritual truth below the surface.
This layer applies to the people who were the immediate audience of Jesus 2000 years ago.
Those first two layers are fairly painless, because they don’t really apply to us.
The third layer is the personal truth; it’s the core of truth.
It examines what God is saying to you and me.
It’s the most uncomfortable level; that’s why many preachers never venture onto that level.
It’s dangerous preaching because personal truth often offends people.
Religious people crucified Jesus because His truth offended them.
Just remember: It’s like peeling an onion–and you don’t start crying until you get several layers down!
The first question is:
*I.
SHOULD I BE SOMBER OR JOYFUL?*
Jesus’ critics watched the way His disciples acted at Matthew’s Salvation Party and they were offended.
These religious snobs equated spirituality with suffering.
The more pained expression you carried on your face, the more holy you were.
This strange spiritual masochism still prevails today.
Some religions require people to deface their bodies or walk on hot coals or sit on a bed of needles.
They associate pain with purity.
I’ve read of the scores of people who walk on bloodied knees for many miles just to pray in a certain church.
In this what Jesus taught?
Is the correct spiritual disposition somberness and suffering or joy and gladness?
These suffering Pharisees pointed out that the disciples of John the Baptist fasted (true) and the Pharisees fasted but Jesus’ disciples partied.
To say the Pharisees fasted was a grave understatement!
Not only did they fast but they fasted two days per week.
But they were fasting for the wrong reason.
They were doing it simply as an outward display of their goodness, in other words they weren’t fasting for God’s sake; they were fasting to be seen by others.
We know from studying some of the rabbinical writings that the Pharisees would fast from sunrise to sunset on Tuesdays and Thursdays, about twelve hours.
They often put limestone dust or ashes on their faces and in their hair.
They wore sackcloth (burlap) and sucked their cheeks so as to appear gaunt and emaciated–“holy” in other words.
They “fasted” to show off how good they were and they expected the same kind of behavior from Jesus and His disciples.
Fasting itself is a wonderful spiritual discipline.
Jesus fasted and prayed often but it wasn’t a ritual designed for others to see.
When you examine the Old Testament, there is only /one /day a year when Jews were commanded to fast, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
But these Pharisees took a wonderful act of spiritual discipline and changed it into a badge of super-selfrighteousness.
In answering their criticism, Jesus employed a powerful metaphor.
Let’s “peel the onion” and see what He was saying.
First, consider the
*1.
**SURFACE TRUTH: A Jewish wedding is a scene of celebration*
I’ve been to some great weddings and wedding receptions in my 30 years of ministry.
But from what I have discovered from studying Jewish literature, our most elaborate, festive weddings seem dull compared to Jewish weddings.
First of all, the wedding was the climax of a year of betrothal.
That time of expectation and planning was much more involved than our engagement period.
Second, there was a week of eating, dancing, singing and celebrating at the home of the groom’s father following the wedding.
In America, couples leave immediately for the honeymoon after the wedding.
After the reception, the fun is over for most of the family and friends.
In Jewish weddings, the groom and bride were treated like a king and queen.
They were even given garland crowns to wear during the weeklong celebration.
There was food, drink, dancing, music and plenty of fun for an entire week.
It was the best week of their lives and the friends of the bridegroom did some serious partying.
That’s the surface truth so let’s peel off a laying and go deeper to the
*2.
**SPIRITUAL TRUTH: The disciples of Jesus celebrated the presence of the bridegroom*
When these straight-laced, religious party-poopers challenged Jesus and His disciples’ behavior, He made an amazing comparison.
He claimed to be like a bridegroom and His disciples like the guests at a wedding celebration.
That’s why they acted happy instead of somber.
It was time to celebrate!
There is an important point we need to learn: The Christian life is more like a wedding celebration than a funeral procession.
The real issue the Pharisees were addressing was, “It’s not fair for you guys to enjoy life when we have to endure religion!
If you were really holy, you would be miserable like us!”
The Pharisees were griping while Jesus’ disciples were grinning.
The Pharisees were somber, while Jesus’ disciples were singing.
The Pharisees were languishing while Jesus’ disciples were laughing.
The Pharisees were criticizing while Jesus’ boys were celebrating.
The Pharisees were jealous; Jesus’ group was jubilant.
Which group are you?
That leads us a level deeper into this metaphor.
Notice:
*3.
PERSONAL TRUTH: When you are aware of the presence of Jesus, you will rejoice, even when you are fasting privately*
I’ve been observing Christians closely for many years and I have found there is a large herd of modern “Pharisees” in the church today.
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