Luke 5:36 Meaning and Explanation
“And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus tells a parable: no one tears a piece from a new garment to patch an old one — it ruins the new, and the piece does not match the old.
What Does Luke 5:36 Mean?
Jesus turns the fasting question into pictures. In Luke's telling the folly is doubled: to patch an old garment you must first tear up a new one — ruining the new — and even then the unworn piece will not match the old cloth. Both garments are spoiled by the combination.
The life Jesus brings is a whole new garment, not patch material. It cannot be cut into swatches and sewn onto an otherwise unaltered life, a corner of grace stitched over the worst holes. The kingdom asks to clothe the person entirely — and what it replaces, it replaces with something better. Christ is not mending our old wardrobe; he is dressing us new.
Luke 5:36 in the Original Language
parabole (παραβολή), 'parable' -- a comparison laid alongside something to reveal its truth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 5:36
What does Luke 5:36 mean?
Jesus tells a parable: no one tears a piece from a new garment to patch an old one — it ruins the new, and the piece does not match the old.