Do you see how these examples - clothes and furs - are similar to those used in the Old Testament? Thus Jeremiah calls the people loins, and mentions wine and wineskins (Jeremiah 13:11-12). From these things the Savior borrows examples because it was about gluttony and eating. Evangelist Luke adds that even the new is torn apart if it is applied to the old. Do you see that not only does no good come from this, but only more harm?
Speaking of the present, Christ at the same time foreshadows the future, namely, that His disciples will be renewed later in time; but until this happens, until then no strict and heavy commandments should be placed on them. Whoever before the proper time, says Christ, offers people a high teaching, even in due time will no longer find them able to follow it, making them forever useless. It does not depend on the wine or the wineskins into which it is poured, but on the untimely haste of the pourers. Using these comparisons, the Savior also revealed to us the reason why He often used modest expressions about Himself when talking with His disciples.
According to their infirmity, He said many things that were much beneath His dignity. The Evangelist John testifies to this, citing the words of Christ: I have much to tell you; but now you can't contain(John 16:12) . So that they do not think that He can only tell them what He said, but imagine that He can say many other things, much more important - for this Christ pointed out their weakness, promising to say the rest when they are strong. . The Savior expresses the same thing here when he says: The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast(Matthew 9:15) .
Therefore, at the very beginning, we should not demand everything from everyone, but only what is possible, and then we will achieve the rest more quickly. If you are in a hurry and try to finish the job as soon as possible, then you yourself should not be in a hurry, because you are trying to finish it as soon as possible. If my words seem mysterious to you, then know this from the very nature of things, and then you will easily see all their power. Do not be embarrassed if someone accuses you inopportunely - and here, after all, the Pharisees accused and reviled the disciples.
Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)
Not only is sin harmful to us, but goodness itself is also harmful when we do it at the wrong time and in the wrong way, so not only hunger is harmful, but also excess in food and the quality of food that does not correspond to age and constitution. “They do not pour new wine into old wineskins: if not, then the mixtures will sink, and the wine will spill, and the mixtures will perish; but new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both will be observed.” The Lord said this about deeds of virtue, which must certainly correspond to the state of the doer, otherwise they will destroy the doer and perish themselves, that is, they will be undertaken fruitlessly, to the harm and destruction of the soul, contrary to their purpose.
ascetic experiences. Volume II. A word about the Jesus Prayer.
Rev. Isidore Peluciot
Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
Those who rotted in old age and rejected the new grace, the Lord called shabby furs as if breaking through and pouring out the new teaching of the Kingdom. Caiaphas showed himself to be such. For when he heard from the Lord that He was the Son of God, he tore his garments. But Peter, having received the law of the Spirit of life, not only, being taught, did not turn away, but, being questioned, he confessed Him, showing the knowledge of the truth implanted in him.
Letters. Book I
Rev. Justin (Popovich)
Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
Christianity is a new epistemology, for a new spirit, a new soul, a new heart, a new psychology. Do not pour new wine into old wineskins. The spirit of Christianity does not fit even through the medium of any category into the perishable vessels of a limited consciousness and mind.
Ascetic and theological chapters.
Blzh. Hieronymus Stridonsky
Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
Blzh. Theophylact of Bulgaria
Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
Evfimy Zigaben
Below, new wine is poured into old wineskins: if not, then the mixtures will sink, and the wine will spill, and the mixture will perish: but they will pour new wine into new wineskins, and both will be observed.
Below, nova wines are poured into old wineskins
Takes another comparison, calling new wine the severity and power of the commandments, with wine, as gladdening the souls of the perfect, - new, as unusual for the unprepared, - and old furs calling the disciples - wineskins, as containing the teaching, - decrepit, as weak.
if not, then the mixtures will sink, and the wine will spill, and the mixtures will perish
The bellows will sag, i.e. they break through, unable to withstand the strength of the new wine, the unretained wine is spilled, and the skins disappear, becoming unusable for a further time.
but new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are kept
A good owner should pay attention to the quality of the wine, the strength of the furs, and the time. Now the disciples are decrepit, as if they had not yet been renewed. And in another place he said to them: many more imam to say to you, but you can not wear now(John 16:12). Both, he says, are saved, i.e. wine and fur, worn and worn.
Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.
Lopukhin A.P.
Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
Trinity sheets. No. 801-1050.
I was inspired to write this article, friends, by a letter from a sincere woman who asked me to clarify the meaning of the following words of our Savior:
Gospel of Luke 5:33-39
33 And they (the scribes and Pharisees) said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and pray, also the Pharisees, while yours eat and drink?
34 He said to them, Can you force the sons of the bridal chamber to fast when the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
36 At this he spoke to them a parable: No one puts patches on old clothes, having torn them off from new clothes;
otherwise, the new one will be torn apart, and the patch from the new one will not fit the old one.
37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will break through the wineskins and flow out by itself, and the wineskins will be lost;
Question one: "Who did Jesus mean by the word bridegroom?" Answer: "Yourself!" That this is so can be seen from His next parable - the Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13. In addition, John the Baptist also compared Jesus to a bridegroom - the Gospel of John 3.29 - this is a very simple and understandable question!
But as for the Savior's story about new and old wine, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance! So let's focus our attention on these words of the Lord:
Gospel of Luke 5:37-39
37 ... no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the young wine will break the wineskins and flow out by itself,
and the furs will be lost;
38 but new wine must be poured into new wineskins; then both will be saved.
39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new wine, for he says, The old is better!
When an ordinary person, who has never been in contact with winemaking, reads these words, he says to himself: “Well! Everything is clear here! begins to ferment actively! Old wine is an alcoholic drink that has long fermented, gained its alcoholic strength and is completely inactive in terms of gas emission! Jesus in this case says that young wine is not poured into old wineskins, because the skin of such wineskins has lost from old age its elasticity, and if you pour young, actively emitting gases wine into it, it will immediately break through these wineskins! And new wineskins will stretch perfectly and withstand the pressure of gases released in young wine!"
Approximately the same, friends, I thought for many years in a row, but once I read the opinions of experts, I quickly saw that I was very, very mistaken in this matter!
If a specialist winemaker had listened to the above explanation, he would have said: “You reason this way because you don’t understand at all what Jesus calls wine young and you don’t know what can happen to even very strong and elastic skins if actively fermenting wine is poured into them. grape juice!"
Are you curious to know the truth about all this? Then listen!
Young wine is, indeed, fresh, freshly squeezed grape juice. And the reality of life in Palestine is such that after a few hours of being in the air, the freshly obtained juice really begins to ferment. The strength of this fermentation is so great that no matter how strong leather wineskins such wine is poured,
it will still destroy them! And this despite the fact that in the neck of special, wine skins there is a tube for bleed gases formed during fermentation!
Knowing this, for the period of active fermentation, winemakers poured wine not into wineskins, but into special
large faience jugs, known among the Jews under the name "hebit" or "dolium" among the Romans. ("Bible Encyclopedia" / n 32 / p. 5315, v. 4)
Good! As long as everything is clear! But why then did Jesus say, "new wine must be poured into new wineskins"? And he even clarified: "Then it will be preserved by itself, and the bellows will not burst!"?
If young wine is freshly squeezed grape juice, then under what conditions will it not break the wineskins?
There is only one option! If in this young wine there is no fermentation process at all!
In order for the grape juice to ferment, it was enough just to leave it in some kind of container in the open air! But for weddings and other festive ceremonies, rich Jews prepared unfermented wine - pure grape juice!
It should be noted right away that only very rich people could afford to carry out this rather expensive process of harvesting pure grape juice! Ordinary people were content with fermented juice - wine - an alcoholic drink. According to Jewish traditions, it was believed that the use of fermented wine is not a sin before God. Such wine was very much diluted with water and drank easily and everywhere just to quench your thirst!
"Unfermented must (juice) was boiled or filtered in a special way.
Then they took wine skins and smeared them on the outside with honey or special resin (turpentine).
It turned out a vessel like a Greek amphora. Unfermented must (juice) was poured into the sacks prepared in this way. The vessel was then tightly closed and sealed. After that, he was immersed in cold water for another 40 days! After that, the vessel was pulled out of the water and placed in a special storage.
In this form, pure grape juice could be stored for quite a long time - about a year!
When Jesus said that new wine should be put into new wineskins, He was talking about a way to store pure grape juice! His listeners understood that under the new
bellows are containers specially prepared for this purpose (bellows smeared with honey or turpentine!)
And speaking of "new" wineskins, Jesus emphasized their absolute novelty in terms of the fact that earlier juice was not poured into these wineskins at all!
The fact is that if pure grape juice is poured into "old" wineskins - wineskins in which fermented wine has already been poured, the fermentation process immediately begins! Why? Because certain decaying protein substances contained in the previous wine firmly stick to the walls of old leather skins, which immediately cause the fermentation process in the juice poured there!
Now everything is clear to us! So, young wine is what Jesus calls pure, unfermented grape juice!
But what confuses us, Russian-speaking readers, in the very word "wine"?
The fact is that a Russian-speaking person, hearing the word "wine", immediately imagines a light, alcoholic drink! So or not? Yes.
But is it always in the Bible that the word "wine" refers to alcohol-containing drink?
It turns out not! Here is an example:
Genesis 40:9-11
9 And the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream, and said to him, “I dreamed that there was a vine before me;
10 the vine has three branches; it has developed, a color has appeared on it, berries have grown and ripened on it;
11 and Pharaoh's cup in my hand; I took the berries, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."
In this passage, we see what the work of the chief cupbearer under the Pharaoh of Egypt consisted of. He took fresh bunches of grapes and squeezed the juice out of them right in front of Pharaoh's eyes! And then this juice was served to the pharaoh!
Did you notice the title of the position itself? - Wine-skull! - Scoops up wine! - or extracts wine from fresh berries! Now look at the very word "grapes"! - hailstones or "capsules" containing "wine"!
What is in fresh grapes? - Grape juice! But what is the name of this juice? - Wine!
When we come across the word wine in the Bible, it is necessary to understand the context - what kind of drink (fermented or unfermented) is it talking about!
Let's practice! Here is the text:
Proverbs 23:29-35
29 Who is howling? who has a moan? who has a fight? who has grief? who has wounds for no reason? who has purple eyes?
30 To those who sit long over wine, who come to seek seasoned wine.
31 Do not look at the wine, how it reddens, how it sparkles in the cup, how it is neatly groomed:
32 afterwards, like a serpent, it will bite, and sting like an asp;
33 your eyes will look at other people's wives, and your heart will speak depraved things,
34 And you will be like one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and like one sleeping on a masthead.
35 And you will say: "They beat me, it did not hurt me; they pushed me, I did not feel. When I wake up, I will again seek the same!"
What wine is referred to in this passage? Quite obviously - about the fermented grape juice, which turned into an alcoholic drink! Okay, so what kind of wine is this passage talking about?
Isaiah 5:20-22
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who call darkness light and light darkness, who call bitter sweet and sweet bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own eyes!
22 Woe to those who are brave to drink wine and are able to make strong drink...
That's understandable too, right? It's about alcohol!
But here?
Genesis 49:10-12
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the legislator from his loins, until the Conciliator comes, and to him the obedience of the nations.
11 He binds his colt to the vine, and his donkey's son to the best vine; he washes his garments in wine, and his garments in the blood of grapes;
12 His eyes are bright with wine, and his teeth are white with milk.
Here, as everyone can clearly see, they are talking about freshly squeezed juice!
Let's read the passage we've been discussing again!
Gospel of Luke 5:37-39
37... no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will break through the wineskins and flow out by itself, and the wineskins will be lost;
38 but new wine must be poured into new wineskins; then both will be saved.
39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new wine, for he says, The old is better!
Question: "And what is the spiritual meaning of these words of Jesus?"
The very word "wine" in spiritual terms means teaching! That this is so, we can easily see from the following text:
Book of Revelation 18:1-2
1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven, and having great power; the earth was illumined by his glory.
2 And he cried out loudly, with a loud voice, saying, Babylon, the great harlot, is fallen, is fallen; for she made all the nations drink of the wrathful wine of her fornication...
In this text of Scripture, the church that departed from the purity of God's teaching is named after the ancient city of Babylon, which was the center of the rebellion against the Creator God in the ancient world. This church not only apostatized from God itself, but also began to impose its understanding of the truth on all people living in this world! - she "did all the nations with the furious wine of her fornication"!
So "wine" is a teaching.
Then the "new wine" is the pure teaching of Jesus without any admixture of error.
"Old wine" is the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, who, with their numerous traditions, incredibly changed the pure Bible Word, transmitted to the people of the Earth through the prophets of God! (Gospel of Mark 7.9)
It is obvious that the wine must be in some kind of wineskins - any teaching is preserved in the minds of certain people! Old wine was kept in old wineskins - the Word of God, distorted by human traditions, was kept in the minds of scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus saw that pouring His pure teaching into old wineskins - into the minds of people brought up on Jewish traditions - is a very, very difficult thing! Even when it was possible to do this, subsequently many followers of Christ who left Judaism, no, no, and tried again to return to the old wine - to those Jewish traditions and traditions in which they were brought up from childhood! (See Acts of the Apostles, chapter 15)
It was much easier for Jesus to convey His teaching to those people who were not fanatics of the Jewish traditions - their bellows (mind) were, figuratively speaking, new.
Gospel of Luke 5:39
“No one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new, for he says: the old is better!”
See how things are today! Who is the easiest person to accept the pure teachings of Jesus - those who have been wrongly taught by their religious teachers or those who knew nothing about the truth at all?
The answer is obvious!
In fact, my friends, the topic of wine in the Bible is incredibly broad. Today we touched on only a small part of this topic! And I really hope that they didn’t do it in vain!
May our Good Heavenly Father bless everyone who reads and meditates on the Word of God!
With sincere respect and brotherly love to all of you, Igor.
16 And no one puts a patch of unbleached cloth on an old garment, for what is sewn on again will be torn off from the old, and the hole will be even worse.
17 Nor do they pour new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the wineskins are lost, but young wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are saved.
New wine in old wineskins - a phrase found in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 9:17), the Gospel of Mark (Mt 2:22), the Gospel of Luke (Lk 5:37-39). The phrase in all the Gospels sounds the same, only Luke added more words.
(Gospel of Luke 9:16-17) “And no one attaches a patch of unbleached fabric to shabby clothes, for the newly sewn will be torn off from the old, and the hole will be even worse. Nor do young wines be poured into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins break, and the wine flows out, and the skins disappear, but young wine is poured into new skins, and both are saved. In all three synoptic gospels, this phrase appears immediately after the call of Levi-Matthew, when Jesus explains why his disciples do not fast, although the disciples of John the Baptist do (Mk 2:18-20)
The parable used images from everyday life. New wineskins are stretched along with the young wine poured into them, and then harden. If young wine is poured into old, hardened skins, the skins may burst due to continued fermentation. Also, new fabric shrinks over time, so old, already sagging clothes should not be patched with new fabric.
Various interpretations of the metaphor:
With shabby furs, Christ figuratively designated the Jewish religion. The parable of the new wine in old wineskins, as well as the similar parable of the new and old cloth (Mk 2:21), is often understood to mean that the new teaching of Christ cannot fit within the framework of the Jewish religion, or within the framework of any contemporary religious ideas. (see also Supersessionism). In particular, we are talking about all the Jewish fasts established by the Old Testament. Christ gives a new teaching about fasting. The new teaching does not flow into the old Jews. (“The new teaching about fasting is new clothes and new wine. To require the students to observe the previous fasts means pouring new wine into old wineskins, or sewing a new patch on old clothes.” “You (that is, the Pharisees) demand that my disciples cover themselves with the old clothes of your rituals and traditions of the elders. And I demand that they put on the new clothes of all-forgiving love. Understand that you cannot put on new clothes without first throwing off the old ones. It is also impossible to repair these dilapidated clothes by cutting out pieces from new ones. You can't support old clothes with this. She's even more likely to disintegrate from these patches. Yes, and you will damage the new one. So give My disciples the freedom to become new wineskins for the acceptance of My teaching and put on new clothes, throwing off their tattered ones. If they have not yet been fully imbued with the spirit of My teaching, yet they have known the advantages of It over your teaching. And just as you, having tasted good wine, will not drink bad wine, so they, following Me, will not come to you.” )
Many Christian interpreters have explained that with this parable, Jesus shows that he founds a new religion, other than Judaism, and other than the teachings of John the Baptist (for example, Ignatius of Antioch taught this in a letter to the Magnesians X, see also List of events in the first centuries of Christianity ). Some Christians have used this phrase when suggesting new forms of Christianity. Early in the second century, Marcion used this phrase to justify Marcionism. Others believe that such an interpretation conflicts with the phrase in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 5:39): And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new, for he says: old is better. The Gospel of Luke speaks not so much of the failure of the old religion as of the nature of the doctrine and of the disciples. No one offers an experienced student a lesson intended for an inexperienced student. It will be useless for an experienced student, and a lesson intended for an experienced student will not be perceived by an inexperienced student.
With words about new and old wine, Christ answers the question about the fasts of the Pharisees ( why do the disciples of John fast often and pray, also the Pharisees, but they eat and drink yours? Luke 5:39): the Pharisees' fasts are old wine, they have an "intoxicating" effect on the people, and the people respect the Pharisees; but for the "old furs" - the Jewish people - the Pharisees' fasts are not suitable, beyond their strength. You should not observe the fasts invented by people, the Pharisees; the fasts established by the Law are established by God. Old wineskins, like the Old Testament, kept aged quality wine, that is, the commandments of Moses and the teachings of the wise men and prophets. Just as new wine cannot be poured into old wineskins, so it is also impossible to combine additional fasts of the Pharisees with the teachings of the Old Testament, verified and preserved for centuries. Just as new, young wine can harm old wineskins, so the Pharisees' teaching about extra fasts can harm the New Testament. Furs were made from dressed animal skins, such as whole lamb skin. Therefore, such skins filled with wine retained the contour of the lamb's body. In turn, the Messiah was depicted as a Lamb led to the slaughter (Is.53:7). Therefore, under new wineskins, one can understand the Messiah, and under new wine, those innovations that the Messiah will bring with him.
The new doctrine given by Christ must be formed and insisted; Like new wine, a new doctrine needs new wineskins, that is, new thinking, new hearts.
"And they marveled at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as scribes." (Mark 1:22) . Old wineskins - an old man, new wineskins - a man renewed in Christ. Young wine is the new teaching of Christ, old wine is the Old Testament teaching. "New wine - fasting, old wineskins - the weakness of the disciples, which should not be burdened"; “A new patch and new wine are a strict fast, strict requirements in general. And old clothes and old wineskins are weakness, weakness of the disciples who are not yet prepared to carry out great deeds.” Parables are intended to illustrate the idea “everything has its time and its place.” While Jesus was with the disciples, they did not need to fast, but when he leaves them, they will also have fasts (Luke 5:35 "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days"). Jesus is asked about the reason for not fasting, and he answers that his disciples are not fasting now, but will fast when he is gone. « Also, when you fast, do not be despondent like the hypocrites, for they take on gloomy faces in order to appear to people who are fasting. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, to appear fasting, not before men, but before your Father who is in the secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly » . (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus Christ teaches us thatwould we observe a new post. When we fast we should not be hypocrites.
Lk, 21 credits, 5, 33-39Then the Pharisees approached Jesus, saying: why do the disciples of John fast often, and pray, likewise the Pharisees, while yours eat and drink? He said to them, Can you force the sons of the bridal chamber to fast when the Bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. At the same time, he told them a parable: no one puts patches on old clothes after tearing off new clothes; otherwise, the new one will be torn apart, and the patch from the new one will not fit the old one. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will break the wineskins and flow out by itself, and the wineskins will be lost. But young wine must be poured into new wineskins; then both will be saved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new; for he says: "the old is better."
Lord knows what in His disciples, and gives them commandments according to their ability. Many wondered why He did not force His disciples to fast as often as the Pharisees and the disciples of John. The Lord speaks of the importance of keeping the spirit of fasting. Not just fasting like a diet, but living a life of selflessness. The worst thing is when they try to appear fasting so that everyone can see their piety. That is why it is said: “I want mercy, not sacrifice.” And it is sad when the observance of church regulations oppresses a person, and does not help him live.
The miraculous wisdom of God preserves the labors of fasting and testing for the apostles for those times when, by the grace of Christ, they will be sufficiently prepared for this. Now they are the sons of the bridal chamber, when the Bridegroom is with them, and every day is a joy and a holiday for them. But it won't always be like this. The days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them. When Christ leaves them, and the world rages against them, their hearts will be filled with sorrow, and they will fast in those days.
Christ saw His Cross beforehand. But even on the way to the Cross, He knew the joy that no one can take away, because it is the joy of the presence of God. And our fasting should be such communion with Christ. Let us note that more than once the Lord likens the Christian life to a wedding feast. Joy is the first attribute of a Christian. “Rejoice,” says the apostle, “and again I say, rejoice.” Too many people think that the whole of Christianity is just doing what you don't want to do and not doing what you want to do.
The Lord requires each service according to its ability. He does not want to "put a patch on old clothes, tearing off new clothes, nor pour new wine into old wineskins." He does not impose strictness and severity of rules on those who have just come to Him from the world, so that the enemy does not tempt them with the desire to escape into the world again. The Lord gradually raises us from strength to strength, “and no one, having drunk old wine, immediately wants new; for he says: "the old is better." Disciples may be tempted to think that their former way of life is better, until they gradually become accustomed to the way of life to which the Lord has called them. Until they are given to taste the new wine of the grace of the Holy Spirit. The disciples of Christ will have to have not only the form of piety, but most of all, the power of it.
Let us also note that Protestants and modern Catholics are trying to find in this Gospel a justification for the abolition of fasting, since fasting practically does not exist among them. And the fact that Christ Himself, before entering the ministry of the salvation of the world, fasted for forty days, giving us an image of true spiritual life, is strangely forgotten. But everything that Christ did, the Church must also do.
In the ministry of Christ, fasting represents the first response to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And also the first battle in which Christ defeated His enemy, the prince of this world. The Lord showed us how we should resist the temptations of demons. “This generation does not want to go out except by prayer and fasting” ( Mk. 9, 29). As the Son of God, Christ did not need to fast, just as He did not need to fight the devil, or be baptized, or be anointed with the Holy Spirit. He did it for us so that His life would become our life. For His Paschal Way to become our Pascha. “The spirit does not submit to the Cross,” says St. Isaac the Syrian, “until the body submits to the spirit.” In communion with the Cross is the true meaning of fasting, and any deviation from this makes fasting not only useless, but harmful. The Holy Fathers say that the very Incarnation of God is the highest expression of asceticism. It is based on the greatest humility. For for the sake of our salvation, the Son of God put off the glory of His Divinity, taking on the guise of a humble servant, rejected by the world.
And we should also think about why the Jews, lovers of old wines, highly appreciating, out of habit, the ancient law, for the most part rejected the gospel novelty, which became in their throats. These two images - putting a new patch on old clothes and pouring new wine into old wineskins - speak of the incompatibility between the old and the new, between the Jewish satisfaction with the outward fulfillment of the law and the striving for the renewal of the spirit in truly evangelical piety.