New wine in an old wineskin

A great reference to the Bible!

The phrase "new wine in an old wineskin" is a metaphorical expression that appears in the New Testament, specifically in Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37-38.

In those passages, Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God and the importance of being open to new spiritual realities. He uses the analogy of a wineskin to illustrate the point.

In ancient times, wineskins were made from animal hides or cloth bags. When new wine was poured into an old wineskin, the wine would expand and put pressure on the skin, causing it to burst or tear. This was because the old skin was no longer flexible enough to accommodate the new, fermenting wine.

Jesus uses this analogy to teach that the old ways of thinking and living (represented by the old wineskin) are not compatible with the new spiritual realities of the kingdom of God. Just as new wine requires a new, flexible wineskin to contain it, so too do the new spiritual realities of the kingdom require a new, transformed heart and mind.

In other words, Jesus is saying that we need to be open to change and transformation in order to receive the new wine of God's kingdom. We can't just try to fit the new wine into our old, familiar ways of thinking and living. We need to be willing to let go of our old ways and be transformed by the new wine of God's Spirit.

This passage has been interpreted in various ways over the centuries, but at its core, it's a call to spiritual renewal and transformation. It's a reminder that we need to be open to the new things that God is doing in our lives and in the world, and that we need to be willing to let go of our old ways in order to make room for the new.