Burst the Skin
Wineskins were among the earliest form of storage container for wine. In structure, the wineskin is made of leather material, animal hide or bladders, looking somewhat like a bag. The skin would have a larger bulbous end that narrowed into the “spout” area where the wine was put into and poured out of the wineskin. These were the precursor to the barrels and the glass bottle forms used to store wine today. As wineskins were made from animal hide they were perishable. For this reason, people who used wineskins needed to be careful how they used them. One thing they would have to be particularly careful about was using “old” wineskins to store “new” wine. An old wineskin may be considered a skin previously used to store wine for a period of time, which had expanded and become weaker and worn. This wearing process would result in a brittle skin and when new wine was poured into an old wineskin, the storage container would burst, pouring out the wine and ruining the skin.
This is what Jesus discusses in His parable found in Luke chapter five. Here is the context of the parable:
Some people, possibly John the Baptist's disciples, came to Jesus during a time of fasting and asked Him why His disciples were not fasting when both John’s disciples and the Pharisees were. It seems that the religious sects were engaged in fasting, and possibly they were a bit disgruntled that they were forced to not eat while Jesus’ disciples were enjoying the local cuisine. Understandable.
Jesus’ reply to this inquiry includes the following statement: “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the skin will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘the old is better.’” (vs 37-39) It is interesting how Jesus proceeds through his parable explanation. You can tell from the material He discusses and how He explains it that Jesus had entered teacher mode. He was not annoyed and did not feel as though He was being challenged. He was sincerely answering the question at hand and wanted the hearers (and readers) to understand the truth He conveyed.
Why does Jesus say, “the new wine will burst the skin” instead of saying, “the wineskin will burst”? His phraseology is not accidental. From the way Jesus describes the processes, we understand that the bursting of the wineskin was due to the presence of the new wine. He does not point to the brittleness of the old skin as the issue. Obviously the condition of the skin is a factor in the bursting, but Jesus wants our attention on the processing of new wine rather than on the condition of the wineskin. Then Jesus makes the statement regarding people preferring the taste of old wine over new wine, even to the point of suggesting that people's perception is that old wine is “better” than new wine. While this is most often true, it would be acceptable to question what it has to do with the wineskins? Why would Jesus include this statement within the parable?
Jesus revealed the truth that burst the wine skins of the old doctrine of religion.
In this instance, I believe Jesus is pointing the hearer to a truth about human nature rather than the taste of wine. We, who reside in mortal containers, desire that which we understand, that which we have tasted. Old wine tastes better to us because it is familiar. Jesus was pointing out the truth that familiarity is something we, as humans, desire. It was important that the hearer understand this truth so that they could understand His original statement. Oh, I forgot to give you Jesus' first statement when asked about his disciples not fasting. Here it is:
“Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” (vs 34-35)
So now would be a good time to try to tie this all together. First we must understand that Jesus was not giving a tutorial on the proper storage of wine. Rather, Jesus was enlightening people on the importance of understanding how to treat the appearance of the Messiah, or bridegroom. Jesus surely burst the old wineskins of doctrine and religious tradition present in the days of His earthly ministry. Furthermore, He bursts any of the old wineskins the church has laying around today. Therefore, it’s necessary that the truths Jesus spoke and even Jesus' mission itself be considered as new wine. It needed new wineskins, new vessels to carry it. It needed new ways and methods to handle it. Jesus’ truth was too potent to be handled in traditional ways. The compulsory fasting and ritualistic religious activities of old would not cut it. Jesus, the Messiah and Bridegroom, required a different container than offered by the religious institutions and even the Law. Only a new form, a worship “in spirit and in truth” could handle the new truth Jesus presented.
It is important to note that in His parable Jesus did not alter the material being stored in the wineskins. He did not change the nature of the contents. Only the condition was changed. In other words, He did not suggest storing water in wineskins. He compared new wine with old wine. Jesus was/is not the revelation of a different God. He is the same God revealed in a new way. The wine stored in the old skins was not bad. It was only old when compared to the new wine. The old wineskins were not bad. They were only inadequate to handle the new wine that Jesus presented. So Jesus selected new wineskins and a new process to present His truth, understanding that people would naturally prefer the old truth. He needed containers that could handle the new truth, the truth of the Messiah, so that it would be introduced to people set on drinking from the old skins.
So here we are, the people to which Jesus has revealed Himself. We have the truth. We are called to present this truth to a culture that will only accept the familiar truth, the old doctrine and even no doctrine at all. How do we accomplish what we are called to do? Well, if that is a question for you, I suggest you start with fasting and prayer. Afterall, we are in “those days” when the bridegroom has been taken from us.