Hello, beloved of God,
Today, let’s listen to Jesus making bold proclamations concerning how the new covenant is not something you can simply add to the covenant of works:
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.”
— Mark 2:21
In the previous verses, Jesus had established to the Pharisees that He was indeed God, as He used the Old Testament title for God for Himself. In the Old Testament, the bridegroom was a reference to Yahweh, and Jesus used this title for Himself when speaking about fasting:
“For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.”
— Isaiah 62:5
With this authority, Jesus goes on to correct a misconception that is quite easy to make, even for the modern-day Christian.
The first illustration Jesus uses is that of “sewing a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.” This illustration holds true in itself. Jesus relates this to how the Pharisees assumed that being right with God at the coming of the Messiah meant simply adding the teachings of the Messiah to their self-righteous traditional practices.
However, Jesus taught that this was a serious error. The next part of the illustration is a warning about the inevitable failure following this miscalculation and misunderstanding of what it means to be a follower of the Messiah:
“Otherwise, that patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.”
Jesus pointed out that the result would be worse than before they tried to add His teachings to the Mosaic law. He wanted them to know that this was a completely new thing; one could not just take their old self-righteous practices and smear on top of them some teachings of Jesus to be right with God.
Jesus taught that following Him meant completely denying oneself, picking up one’s cross, and following Him:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.’”
— Matthew 16:24
While today’s self-righteous practices might not look exactly like those of the Pharisees, who followed the law of Moses outwardly while having defiant hearts, today’s practices take on different forms.
Today, we have people claiming to be Christians who do everything they can to fit the description of a Christian. They attend church every weekend, raise their hands during worship songs, and bow during prayers. They tithe every month and even volunteer in the church choir or other church positions. Yet, despite all these actions, their hearts are far from God. They are the same people who blatantly gossip about others in the church, use foul language when no church members are around, and treat people with partiality, among other things.
These are the people Jesus referred to when He spoke of those who hear His words yet do not do what He says:
“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
— Luke 6:46
These are the professed Christians who depend on their works for salvation. They consider themselves Christians not by faith in Christ, but rather by their attendance at their local church. Paul, when addressing this false confidence, says to the Romans:
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”
— Romans 2:28-29
These practices are like the illustration Jesus shared, where people are unwilling to lay down their lives to follow Christ, instead hoping they can add Jesus on top of their works of righteousness.
The warning in this illustration is that such a state is worse than that of a non-believer. This is what Jesus later said to one of the seven churches:
“‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’”
— Revelation 3:15-16
Jesus goes on to reinforce this illustration with another one about wineskins:
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
— Mark 2:22
Jesus says no one does this. It is absurd to think that you can just add Jesus on top of your own works of righteousness. Once again, the ramifications of this careless practice are severe: “the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well.” Jesus says this person will end up losing both the old wineskin and the wine.
This is the case for the believer who thinks they can trust in their works for salvation, holding on to their own self-righteousness while sprinkling in some Jesus for good measure. This will end up costing the person their share of eternal life.
The correct approach is highlighted at the end of the illustration: “but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” Following Jesus Christ means completely letting go of all hope of being saved through the law of Moses or through one’s own works. Being a Christian means dying completely to oneself and to all the things of this world.
“Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 6:11“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
— Galatians 2:20
I pray that this word reminds us to reexamine our walk and faith in Christ. Are we truly trusting in Jesus Christ for our salvation, or are we trusting in the traditional Christian practices that we do for our salvation?
Blessed be the Lord and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.
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