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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Mark 2:18–28. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Christ had been put to justify himself in conversing with publicans and sinners: here he is put to justify his disciples; and in what they do according to his will he will justify them, and bear them out.
I.He justifies them in their not fasting, which was turned to their reproach by the Pharisees.
Why do the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast? They used to fast, the Pharisees fasted twice in the week (Luk 18:12), and probably the disciples of John did so too; and, it should seem, this very day, when Christ and his disciples were feasting in Levi's house, was their fast-day, for the word is nēsteuousi - they do fast, or are fasting, which aggravated the offence. Thus apt are strict professors to make their own practice a standard, and to censure and condemn all that do not fully come up to it. They invidiously suggest that if Christ went among sinners to do them good, as he had pleaded, yet the disciples went to indulge their appetites, for they never knew what it was to fast, or to deny themselves. Note, Ill-will always suspects the worst.
Two things Christ pleads in excuse of his disciples not fasting.
1.That these were easy days with them, and fasting was not so seasonable now as it would be hereafter, Mar 2:19, Mar 2:20. There is a time for all things. Those that enter into the married state, must expect care and trouble in the flesh, and yet, during the nuptial solemnity, they are merry, and think it becomes them to be so; it was very absurd for Samson's bride to weep before him, during the days that the feast lasted, Jdg 14:17. Christ and his disciples were but newly married, the bridegroom was yet with them, the nuptials were yet in the celebrating (Matthew's particularly); when the bridegroom should be removed from them to the far country, about his business, then would be a proper time to sit as a widow, in solitude and fasting.
2.That these were early days with them, and they were not so able for the severe exercises of religion as hereafter they would be. The Pharisees had long accustomed themselves to such austerities; and John Baptist himself came neither eating nor drinking. His disciples from the first inured themselves to hardships, and thus found it easier to bear strict and frequent fasting, but it was not so with Christ's disciples; their Master came eating and drinking, and had not bred them up to the difficult services of religion as yet, for it was all in good time. To put them upon such frequent fasting at first, would be a discouragement to them, and perhaps drive them off from following Christ; it would be of as ill consequence as putting new wine into old casks, or sewing new cloth to that which is worn thin and threadbare, Mar 2:21, Mar 2:22. Note, God graciously considers the frame of young Christians, that are weak and tender, and so must we; nor must we expect more than the work of the day in its day, and that day according to the strength, because it is not in our hands to give strength according to the day. Many contract an antipathy to some kind of food, otherwise good, by being surfeited with it when they are young; so, many entertain prejudices against the exercises of devotion by being burthened with them, and made to serve with an offering, at their setting out. Weak Christians must take heed of over-tasking themselves, and of making the yoke of Christ otherwise than as it is, easy, and sweet, and pleasant.
II.He justifies them in plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day, which, I will warrant you, a disciples of the Pharisees would not dare to have done; for it was contrary to an express tradition of their elders. In this instance, as in that before, they reflect upon the discipline of Christ's school, as if it were not so strict as that of theirs: so common it is for those who deny the power of godliness, to be jealous for the form, and censorious of those who affect not their form.
Observe, 1. What a poor breakfast Christ's disciples had on a sabbath-day morning, when they were going to church (Mar 2:23); they plucked the ears of corn, and that was the best they had. They were so intent upon spiritual dainties, that they forgot even their necessary food; and the word of Christ was to them instead of that; and their zeal for it even ate them up. The Jews made it a piece of religion, to eat dainty food on sabbath days, but the disciples were content with any thing.
2.How even this was grudged them by the Pharisees, upon supposition that it was not lawful to pluck the ears of corn on the sabbath day, that that was as much a servile work as reaping (Mar 2:24); Why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? Note, If Christ's disciples do that which is unlawful, Christ will be reflected upon, and upbraided with it, as he was here, and dishonour will redound to his name. It is observable, that when the Pharisees thought Christ did amiss, they told the disciples (Mar 2:16); and now when they thought the disciples did amiss, they spoke to Christ, as make-bates, that did what they could to sow discord between Christ and his disciples, and make a breach in the family.
3.How Christ defended them in what they did.
(1.)By example. They had a good precedent for it in David's eating the show-bread, when he was hungry, and there was no other bread to be had (Mar 2:25, Mar 2:26); Have ye never read? Note, Many of our mistakes would be rectified, and our unjust censures of others corrected, if we would but recollect what we have read in the scripture; appeals to that are most convincing. "You have read that David, the man after God's own heart, when he was hungry, made no difficulty of eating the show-bread, which by the law none might eat of but the priests and their families." Note, Ritual observances must give way to moral obligations; and that may be done in a case of necessity, which otherwise may not be done. This, it is said, David did in the days of Abiathar the High-Priest; or just before the days of Abiathar, who immediately succeeded Abimelech his father in the pontificate, and, it is probable, was at that time his father's deputy, or assistant, in the office; and he it was that escaped the massacre, and brought the ephod to David.
(2.)By argument. To reconcile them to the disciples' plucking the ears of corn, let them consider,
[1.]Whom the sabbath was made for (Mar 2:27); it was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. This we had not in Matthew. The sabbath is a sacred and divine institution; but we must receive and embrace it as a privilege and a benefit, not as a task and a drudgery. First, God never designed it to be an imposition upon us, and therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. Man was not made for the sabbath, for he was made a day before the sabbath was instituted. Man was made for God, and for his honour and service, and he just rather die than deny him; but he was not made for the sabbath, so as to be tied up by the law of it, from that which is necessary to the support of his life. Secondly, God did design it to be an advantage to us, and so we must make it, and improve it. He made if for man. 1. He had some regard to our bodies in the institution, that they might rest, and not be tired out with the constant business of this world (Deu 5:14); that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest. Now he that intended the sabbath-rest for the repose of our bodies, certainly never intended it should restrain us, in a case of necessity, from fetching in the necessary supports of the body; it must be construed so as not to contradict itself - for edification, and not for destruction. 2. He had much more regard to our souls. The sabbath was made a day of rest, only in order to its being a day of holy work, a day of communion with God, a day of praise and thanksgiving; and the rest from worldly business is therefore necessary, that we may closely apply ourselves to this work, and spend the whole time in it, in public and in private; but then time is allowed us for that which is necessary to the fitting of our bodies for the service of our souls in God's service, and the enabling of them to keep pace with them in that work. See here, (1.) What a good Master we serve, all whose institutions are for our own benefit, and if we be so wise as to observe them, we are wise for ourselves; it is not he, but we, that are gainers by our service. (2.) What we should aim at in our sabbath work, even the good of our own souls. If the sabbath was made for man, we should then ask ourselves at night, "What am I the better for this sabbath day?" (3.) What care we ought to take not to make those exercises of religion burthens to ourselves or others, which God ordained to be blessings; neither adding to the command by unreasonable strictness, nor indulging those corruptions which are adverse to the command, for thereby we make those devout exercises a penance to ourselves, which otherwise would be a pleasure.
[2.]Whom the sabbath was made by (Mar 2:28); "The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath; and therefore he will not see the kind intentions of the institution of it frustrated by your impositions." Note, The sabbath days are days of the Son of man; he is the Lord of the day, and to his honour it must be observed; by him God made the worlds, and so it was by him that the sabbath was first instituted; by him God gave the law at mount Sinai, and so the fourth commandment was his law; and that little alteration that was shortly to be made, by the shifting of it one day forward to the first day of the week, was to be in remembrance of his resurrection, and therefore the Christian sabbath was to be called the Lord's day (Rev 1:10), the Lord Christ's day; and the Son of man, Christ, as Mediator, is always to be looked upon as Lord of the sabbath. This argument he largely insists upon in his own justification, when he was charged with having broken the sabbath, Joh 5:16.
Historical interpretation
Eleven Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
He has prescribed for his new disciples of the New Testament a new form of prayer. For this it was fitting that new wine be stored in new wine skins and that a new patch be sewed upon a new garment. What had prevailed in days gone by was either abolished, like circumcision, or completed, like the rest of the law, or fulfilled, like the prophecies, or brought to its perfection, like faith itself. Everything has been changed from carnal to spiritual by the new grace of God which, with the coming of the gospel, has wiped out the old era completely.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) He then calls Himself a bridegroom, as if about to be betrothed to the Church. For the betrothal is giving an earnest, namely, that of the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which the world believed.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) But intercourse with Him, He says, is far removed from all sorrow, when He adds, As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. He is sad, from whom some good is far removed; but he who has it present with him rejoices, and is not sad. But that He might destroy their elation of heart, and show that He intended not His own disciples to be licentious, He adds, But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken, &c. as if He said, The time will come, when they will show their firmness; for when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, they will fast as longing for His coming, and in order to unite to Him their spirits, cleansed by bodily suffering. He shows also that there is no necessity for His disciples to fast, as having present with them the Bridegroom of human nature, Who every where executes the words of God, and Who gives the seed of life. The sons of the Bridegroom also cannot, because they are infants, be entirely conformed to their Father, the Bridegroom, Who, considering their infancy, deigns to allow them not to fast: but when the Bridegroom is gone, they will fast, through desire of Him; when they have been made perfect, they will be united to the Bridegroom in marriage, and will always feast at the king's banquet.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat in Marc.) As if He said, because these are preachers of the New Testament, it is not possible that they should serve old laws; but ye who follow old customs, fitly observe the fasts of Moses. But for these, who are about to hand down to men new and wonderful observances, it is not necessary to observe the old traditions, but to be virtuous in mind; some time or other however they will observe fasting with other virtues. But this fasting is different from the fasting of the law, for that was one of restraint, this of goodwill; on account of the fervour of the Spirit, Whom they cannot yet receive. Wherefore it goes on, And no one putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put in new bottles.
But John did not drink wine and strong drink, because he who has no power by nature, obtains more merit by abstinence. But why should the Lord, to whom it naturally belonged to forgive sins, shun those whom he could make more pure, than those who fast? But Christ also fasted, lest He should break the precept, He ate with sinners, that thou mightest see His grace, and acknowledge His power. It goes on; And Jesus said unto them, Can the children, &c.
(ubi sup.) But in a mystical sense, it may thus be expressed; that the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, because every man who boasts of the works of the law without faith, who follows the traditions of men, and receives the preaching of Christ with his bodily ear, and not by the faith of the heart, keeps aloof from spiritual goods, and wastes away with a fasting soul. But he who is incorporated into the members of Christ by a faithful love cannot fast, because he feasts upon His Body and Blood. It goes on, No one seweth a piece of rough, that is, new, cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filleth it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
(ubi sup.) For He compares His disciples to old bottles, who would burst at spiritual precepts, rather than be held in restraint by them. But they will be new bottles, when after the ascension of the Lord, they are renewed by desiring His consolation, and then new wine will come to the new bottles, that is, the fervour of the Holy Ghost will fill the hearts of spiritual men. A teacher must also take heed not to commit the hidden things of new mysteries to a soul, hardened in old wickedness.
(ubi sup.) Neither was it fitting to sew on a, new piece; that is, a portion of doctrine which teaches a general fast from all the joy of temporal delights; for if this be done, the teaching is rent, and agrees not with the old part. But by a new garment is intended good works, which are done externally, and by the new wine, is expressed the fervour of faith, hope, and charity, by which we are reformed in our minds.
And no one puts wine, etc. He also compares them to old wineskins, which he says are more easily burst by new wine, that is, by spiritual precepts, than being able to contain it. However, they were already new wineskins when, after the ascension of the Lord, they were renewed by praying and hoping for the desire of His consolation. For then they received the Holy Spirit, when, filled with it, they spoke in all tongues, it was said by the Jews who did not understand but nonetheless truly witnessed: These men are full of new wine (Acts 2). For new wine had already come into new wineskins, that is, the fervor of the Holy Spirit had filled the hearts of the spiritually new. Otherwise. A teacher must be cautious not to entrust the secrets of new mysteries to a soul not yet renewed but still enduring in the oldness of wickedness. But if anyone asks what the difference mystically is between new wine and a new garment, it is easily apparent, because we are internally refreshed and intoxicated by wine, whereas we are externally clothed by a garment. But while both pertain to the significance of spiritual life, the garment indeed insinuates our good works which we perform outwardly and by which we shine before men. However, new wine expresses the fervor of faith, hope, and charity, by which in the sight of our Creator we are inwardly renewed in the newness of our mind.
For the disciples of John being in an imperfect state, continued in Jewish customs.
He also calls Himself a bridegroom, not only as betrothing to Himself virgin minds, but because the time of His first coming is not a time of sorrow, nor of sadness to believers, neither does it bring with it toil, but rest. For it is without any works of the law, giving rest by baptism, by which we easily obtain salvation without toil. But the sons of the nuptials or of the Bridegroom are the Apostles; because they, by the grace of God, are made worthy of every heavenly blessing, by the grace of God, and partakers of every joy.
We must also understand, that every man whose works are good is the son of the Bridegroom; he has the Bridegroom with him, even Christ, and fasts not, that is, does no works of repentance, because he does not sin: but when the Bridegroom is taken away by the man's falling into sin, then he fasts and is penitent, that he may cure his sin.
Or else the disciples are likened to old garments on account of the infirmity of their minds, on which it was not fitting to impose the heavy command of fasting.
(non occ.) As above, the Master was accused to the disciples for keeping company with sinners in their feasts, so now, on the other hand, the disciples are complained of to the Master for their omission of fasts, that so matter for dissension might arise amongst them. Wherefore it is said, And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast.
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Summary
Mark 2:22 presents a profound parable from Jesus, illustrating the fundamental incompatibility between His revolutionary teachings and the rigid, worn-out religious systems of His era. Through the vivid imagery of new wine and old wineskins, Jesus conveys that His message of the Kingdom of God, characterized by grace, inner transformation, and a direct relationship with God, is dynamic and expansive, requiring a new, flexible spiritual framework and receptive hearts rather than attempts to contain it within outdated traditions or legalistic structures, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of both the message and the vessel.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is part of a series of confrontational encounters where Jesus challenges the prevailing religious norms and practices, particularly those upheld by the Pharisees. The immediate literary context begins with the calling of Levi (Matthew) and Jesus' controversial act of eating with tax collectors and sinners, which draws criticism from the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 2:15-17). This leads directly into questions about fasting (Mark 2:18). Jesus responds with the parable of the bridegroom and his attendants (Mark 2:19-20), explaining that mourning (fasting) is inappropriate while He, the bridegroom, is present. This is immediately followed by the parable of the new cloth on an old garment (Mark 2:21), which, like the new wine parable, underscores the impossibility of patching new spiritual realities onto old, rigid forms. Together, these parables powerfully articulate that Jesus' ministry was not merely a reform of Judaism but a radical new dispensation, a fresh move of God that necessitated a complete reorientation of understanding and practice.
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Israel, wine was stored and fermented in wineskins, typically made from animal hides. When new wine was poured into these, it would undergo fermentation, producing gases that caused the wineskin to expand. New wineskins were supple and elastic, capable of stretching with this process. However, wineskins that had been used previously would have lost their elasticity, becoming brittle and rigid from repeated expansion and contraction. Pouring new, fermenting wine into such old, inflexible wineskins would inevitably cause them to burst under the pressure of the expanding gases, leading to the loss of the valuable wine and the ruin of the wineskins. This common agricultural practice provided a readily understood metaphor for Jesus' audience, illustrating the destructive consequences of trying to contain something dynamic and new within a system that has lost its flexibility and capacity for growth. The "old bottles" represent the established Jewish religious system, particularly its legalistic interpretations and traditions, while the "new wine" symbolizes the vibrant, transformative message of the Gospel and the New Covenant.
Key Themes
Mark 2:22 contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes within Mark's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights The Radical Nature of Jesus' Message, emphasizing that His teachings represented a spiritual revolution, prioritizing inner transformation, grace, and a direct relationship with God over the external legalism and traditions that had accumulated over centuries. This is evident in His challenge to Sabbath laws in Mark 2:23-28 and His authority to forgive sins in Mark 2:5-12. Secondly, the parable underscores the Incompatibility of Old and New, demonstrating that new truths and spiritual realities cannot be forced into old, inflexible forms without destructive consequences. The "new wine" (Jesus' Gospel) demands "new bottles" (receptive hearts, new understanding, and new structures). This theme resonates with the shift from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, which Jesus came to inaugurate, as described in John 1:17. Finally, the parable implicitly calls for Receptivity and Flexibility, urging listeners to be open to new paradigms and willing to let go of traditions that hinder spiritual growth, so they can fully embrace the dynamic truth of Christ's Kingdom.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word refers to something "new" in terms of age, youthful, or fresh. Figuratively, it can imply something regenerate or recently produced. In this context, it emphasizes the freshness and vitality of Jesus' teaching, which is not merely a modification of existing traditions but a fundamentally new spiritual reality.
This term describes something "antique," "not recent," or "worn out." It denotes something that has lost its original quality, elasticity, and usefulness due to age and wear. Here, it vividly portrays the religious system of Jesus' day, particularly its rigid, legalistic interpretations that had become brittle and incapable of containing the dynamic newness of the Gospel.
This verb means "to break," "wreck," or "crack," specifically to "sunder" or "disrupt." It implies a violent tearing apart due to internal pressure. In the parable, it signifies the catastrophic failure that occurs when the expansive power of the "new wine" (Jesus' message) is confined within the unyielding "old bottles" (outdated religious structures), resulting in the destruction of both.
Verse Breakdown
"And no man putteth new wine into old bottles:"
This opening clause establishes the core premise of the parable, presenting a universally understood truth from agricultural practice. It highlights the impracticality and folly of attempting to combine incompatible elements: the dynamic, fermenting "new wine" (representing Jesus' transformative message and the New Covenant) with the rigid, worn-out "old bottles" (symbolizing the inflexible, legalistic religious system of the day). The "no man" emphasizes this as a self-evident truth, a matter of common sense.
"else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred:"
This section details the inevitable destructive consequences of ignoring the initial warning. The pressure generated by the fermentation of the "new wine" (the expansive power of the Gospel) will cause the brittle "old bottles" (the unyielding traditions) to "burst." This results in a double loss: the precious "wine" (the life-giving message of salvation and grace) is "spilled" and wasted, and the "bottles" (the religious structures or individuals clinging to old ways) are "marred" or destroyed, rendered useless. It underscores that attempting to force the new into the old harms both.
"but new wine must be put into new bottles."
This concluding clause provides the necessary solution and the central teaching of the parable. The conjunction "but" introduces a stark contrast, emphasizing the only viable path. For the "new wine" (Jesus' Gospel) to be preserved and effective, it "must be put" into "new bottles" (receptive hearts, renewed minds, and flexible spiritual frameworks). These "new bottles" are capable of expanding and adapting to contain the dynamic, life-transforming power of Christ's message, ensuring its preservation and proper function.
Literary Devices
Mark 2:22 is a powerful Parable, a short, illustrative story used by Jesus to convey a moral or spiritual lesson. Specifically, it employs Metaphor and Symbolism, where "new wine" represents the vibrant, expansive, and transformative message of the Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Jesus, while "old bottles" (wineskins) symbolize the rigid, traditional, and legalistic religious system of Judaism that had become incapable of containing this new spiritual reality. The act of "bursting" serves as a vivid Imagery of the destructive outcome when the dynamic truth of the Gospel is forced into an unyielding framework. The entire statement functions as an Antithesis, contrasting the "new" with the "old" to highlight their fundamental incompatibility and the necessity of a radical shift in understanding and practice.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Mark 2:22 powerfully encapsulates the theological tension between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, signaling a decisive shift in God's redemptive plan. Jesus is not merely patching up or reforming Judaism; He is inaugurating a fundamentally new era of grace and truth. The "new wine" represents the Spirit-empowered life, the radical freedom found in Christ, and the direct access to God through faith, which cannot be contained by the external rituals, legalistic interpretations, and rigid traditions that characterized much of the Old Covenant system. To attempt to do so would be destructive, leading to the loss of the vibrant life of the Gospel and the marring of the old forms. This parable therefore calls for a complete reorientation of heart and mind, a willingness to embrace the new spiritual realities brought by Christ rather than clinging to outdated paradigms.
Reflection and Application
Mark 2:22 serves as a timeless challenge for believers and the Church across generations, urging us to cultivate a spirit of adaptability and responsiveness to the ongoing work of God. It compels us to critically examine our own "wineskins"—our personal habits, theological frameworks, church traditions, and methods of ministry—to ensure they remain flexible enough to contain and express the dynamic, ever-expanding truth of the Gospel. Are we clinging to outdated practices or rigid interpretations that hinder the fresh move of the Holy Spirit, potentially causing the "wine" of God's presence and power to be "spilled" or the "bottles" of our lives and ministries to become "marred"? Embracing the "new wine" means prioritizing the transformative power of Christ's message over external forms, being open to spiritual growth, and continually allowing God to renew our minds and hearts. This parable is a call to continuous spiritual renewal, ensuring that our faith remains vibrant, effective, and capable of containing the boundless grace and truth of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What exactly are "bottles" in this context?
In the context of Mark 2:22, the King James Version's translation of "bottles" refers to what were commonly known as wineskins. These were containers made from animal hides (typically goat or sheep skins) that were cleaned, tanned, and sealed to hold liquids, especially wine. New wineskins were pliable and elastic, allowing them to expand as new wine fermented and produced gases. Old wineskins, however, would have become brittle and rigid from previous use, making them unable to stretch further without bursting. This imagery is crucial for understanding Jesus' parable.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Mark 2:22 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Himself as the inaugurator of the New Covenant. He is the "new wine," the very essence of God's redemptive plan, bringing a radical, life-transforming reality that transcends and fulfills the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant, with its emphasis on law, rituals, and external obedience, represented the "old bottles"—a system that, while divinely ordained for a time, was never intended to be the final container for the fullness of God's revelation. Jesus' coming marked the end of that old order's sufficiency, as Romans 10:4 declares, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." His death and resurrection established a "new and living way" (Hebrews 10:19-20)—a new wineskin—for humanity to approach God. This new wineskin is the New Covenant, founded on grace and faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice, sealed by His blood (Luke 22:20), and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). Thus, the parable is a prophetic declaration that the dynamic, expansive, and transformative power of God's salvation, embodied in Christ, necessitates a complete renewal of heart, mind, and spiritual framework—a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)—to truly receive and contain the fullness of His redemptive work.