The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 128

wonls renrlcrod "bottles" prnperly signify the first three evangolists who related In • wine • skins." These leathern bottles detail this most important reply of ,fosus throughout Byrie. and Palestine are gene- when the disciples of John and the Phriri- rn.lly made of goat-skins. They a.re still of sees came to question him, adds this curioud universal use; the simile or the "old simile. The meaning of the pnral,le-pic- bottlos" refers to " wine-skins" old e.nd tures of the new patch being sewn on an fro.ii, whioh he.d been long in use, e.nd hence old garment, and of new wine being poure,l nee.rly worn out ; such " skins," e.fter Ion~ into worn-out, decaying wine-slrina, was use.ge, a.re in the habit of getting see.med very plain. Pitilessly severe it would ring e.nd craoked. (F'arrar, in e.n elaborate ex- in the ee.re of men bronght up in the ol•l cursus, urges that must, and not wine in the rabbinic Jewish schools. The two first ordinary sense, i.e. the fermented juice of evangelists, conscious of the truth of their the grape, is signified in the parable here, Master's words, were content to leave th" gre.pe-juice in the form of unfermented stern teaching, which pronounced the old must being much used as a favourite drink state of things among the religious Jews as in the Ee.st. Thie suggestion, e.lthough in- utterly worn-out, in all its nakerl severity. genious e.nd interesting, does not seem But Paul, under whose guidance we believe necessary to exple.in the ime.gery used ; it Luke wrote his Gospel, with that tender seems more nature.I to understand wine in and considerate love which so beautifies its ordinary meaning.) The "new wine" the ee.rnest and inipassioned nature of the here represents the teaching of Jesus in e.11 apostle of the Gentiles, knew that Jesus its freshness, originality, and power, e.nd had e.dded a few words to the two seemingly the "wine-skins" the men who are to receive harsh po.rabies; these he bade Lnke care- from the Mnster the great principle of hie fully insert in bis naITati\'e, They contain doctrine. Now, the recognized teachers in what may be termed an almost playful Israel, termed scribes and re.b bis, or doctors apology for the slowness and reluctance of of the Law, were wedded to the old inter- the men trained in the rabbinic schools, or pretation of the Law-were hampered by even of the pupils of John the Baptist, to traditions, se.yings of the Fathers, elaborate accept the new, broad, generous view of ritual observances, prejudices, narrowness, truth which he (Jesus) was putting forth bigotry. The vast collection of the Te.I. -it was an apology for a slowness and mud, where wise words on the so.me page reluctance, shading too often into unveiled are crowded out with childish sayings, dislike and open hostility. (What expe- well represents the teo.ching of these scribea rience Paul and Luke must have had and rabbis. Never would JesUB entrust to of this hostility I) The Master, in his these narrow and prejndiced representatives Divine wisdom, knew how hard it we.a to of a worn-out religious school his new, fresh, forsake long-cherished prejudices. Time generous doctrines, It would indeed be must be given, allowance must be mnde, pouring new wine into old, decayed, worn-out harsh judgment must be deprecated. These wine-vessels. The new wine must be de- men, trained in the old system, are here posited in new wine-skins. His doctrine compe.red to guests who, after the banquet, must be entrusted to no rabbi of Isre.el, are suddenly asked to change the old wine, fettered by e. thousand precedents, hampered mellowed by age, of which they have been by countless prejudices, but to simple un- drinking, for new sweet wine. Thid new prejudiced men, who would just receive his wine seems, in those days, generally to teaching, and then pass it on pure and un- have been considered preferable, but to e.dnltere.ted to other simple, truthful souls- men who had been drinking the old, e.ge- men ee.rnest, Joye.I, devoted, like his fisher- softened vintage, the new wonld seem fiery friends of Gennese.ret, or hie publican- and even harsh. The Greek word rendered follower of Capernaum. He needs, as in the Authorized Version " better," in the ~odet well phrases it-changing, though, the older authorities is positive instead of com- imagery of Jesus-" fresh natures, new men plll'!ltive. The translation should therefore ... fe.ir tablets on which his hand may write run," the old is good.'' The argument would the characters of Divine truth, without be the same: Why change what we have coming across the old traces of a false human been drinking for somethlug new? surely the wisdom. • God, I thank thee because thou old wine is good? Such passi\ges as Neh. x. he.et hidden these things from the wise 35; Prov. iii. 10; Hos. iv. 11; Hag. i. 11, and prudent, and hast revealed them unto bear out the above statement, tho.t in those he.bes.'" de.ye, among the Jews of Syria, Palestine, Ver. 39,-No man also having drunk old and the adjacent countries, new sweet wine wine atre.ightway deaireth new: for he we.a a favourite beverage aw.ong wi.ue- ■aith, The old ia better. St. Luke alone of drinkers.  120 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [oR, V, 1-89,