The Old and the New!

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Gen 27:1-5, 15-29; Mt 9:14-17

Today’s Gospel highlights the battle between the old and the new. 

The whole teaching of Jesus in this section arises against the backdrop of the question of John’s disciples regarding fasting. 

Fasting was a common religious practice among devout Jews, especially Pharisees, and was often a sign of repentance, mourning, or devotion.

Though the question is about fasting, strictly speaking, it is about the law of fasting. As such, it is a question of following or abiding by the law on fasting rather than fasting itself. 

That is what Jesus confronts here. The statement of Jesus clearly shows that the law-abiding practices hinder the spontaneity that the Kingdom requires. In other words, Jesus, the bridegroom, is ushering in a new covenant, and therefore, his ministry cannot be contained in old religious structures. 

Here, if we carefully look at Jesus’ teaching, we discover that he does not decry the old but only hints at the incompatibility of the old with the new. 

The two analogies that Jesus employs further clarify what he preaches. Unshrunken cloth on an old garment symbolizes that incompatible materials cause further damage. Likewise, old wineskins cannot handle the fermentation from new wine, as it causes expansion. 

Hence, what looks like a question on a religious practice like fasting is in fact about the law on fasting, which Jesus fulfils and, more importantly, transcends. 

Let us pray for openness to embrace the new, especially when we find it helpful and transformative.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar