New Cloth Unto an Old Garment Matthew 9:16

Matthew the apostle shared, “And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eats your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go you and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” In chapter nine and verse sixteen of his book, Matthew shared how, “no man puts a piece of a new clot unto an old garment” where we read:

No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

The verse reads, “No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, ...” Matthew began with the words, “no man” or “not one person whether male or female” “puts” which means “sews” “a piece” or “an addition or patch which is sewed on to cover a rent or tear” “of new cloth” which refers to “of unmilled, unfulled, undressed and unprocessed rag or piece of cloth” “unto an old garment” which means “to an ancient, worn by use, the worse for wear, not recent and antique cloak, mantle or tunic which are clothes, raiment and robes”. Matthew shared how Jesus referred to no one “sewing” a “new unprocessed piece of material” to “well worn and used” clothes.

The verse continues, “... for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.” Matthew added the word, “for” or “because, since and on account of” “that which is put in to fill it up” or “the cloth that completes and fulfills with abundance” “takes” which means “carries off, causes to cease and moves from it's place” “from the garment” which means “physical separation and distancing from the cloak, mantle or tunic which is used for clothes, apparel, raiment and robe”, “and the rent” or “the division, schism and dissension” “is made worse” which means “becomes, is finished and worked out in a sorer, more evil and aggravated manner”. Matthew shared how a new patch may shrink and make the original tear in the clothing worse than it was originally.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus employed the example of a garment being torn and the patch which would be used to cover it. Pre-washed and pre-shrunk materials were not used for clothing in those days, and when they were washed, clothing had a tendency to shrink. If a “new cloth” was used to patch an older garment, the first time the person washed the newly repaired tear, the new material would shrink and cause the original tear to become larger. Jesus knew His ideas were “new” to the Pharisees and scribes who were criticizing Him, and therefore they became like the old garments with Jesus' new material patch being put upon them. Jesus has more to say about these things in the next verse, but suffice it for now to know that it is very difficult to introduce new ways to an older minded pattern. Let all who read these words ponder them deeply within their minds.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus said, “neither do men put new wine into old bottles”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.