How does Mark 2:21 illustrate the incompatibility of old and new teachings? “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.” The Picture Jesus Paints • Everyday example: a brand-new, unshrunk patch stitched onto a well-worn piece of clothing. • Result: when the garment is washed, the fresh cloth contracts, ripping the fabric even more. • Point: mixing two fundamentally different materials destroys both. Why Old and New Don’t Mix • Old garment = the existing religious system bound to the Mosaic Law, human tradition, and self-righteous effort (cf. Galatians 3:10; Colossians 2:22). • New patch = the fresh, grace-filled gospel Jesus brings—life in the Spirit, forgiveness through His blood (John 1:17; Romans 8:3-4). • Attempting to attach grace to law without embracing wholesale change produces “a worse tear”: – Legalism empties grace of its power (Galatians 5:4). – Grace exposes the futility of earning favor by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). • Jesus is not an add-on to an old life; He replaces it entirely (2 Corinthians 5:17). Implications for Us Today • Christ calls for total surrender, not partial adjustments. • Mixing self-effort with faith undermines assurance and freedom (Romans 7:6). • Authentic discipleship means discarding the “old self” and putting on the “new self” created in righteousness (Ephesians 4:22-24). • Churches must avoid blending man-made regulations with the pure gospel, guarding against both tradition-for-tradition’s-sake and legalistic add-ons (Colossians 2:20-23). Supporting Passages • Matthew 9:16; Luke 5:36 – parallel parables emphasize the same truth. • Hebrews 8:13 – “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete.” • Galatians 3:24-25 – the law was a tutor “until Christ came.” • Romans 6:14 – “you are not under law but under grace.” • John 15:5 – apart from Christ we can do nothing; union with Him changes everything. |
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