What is the significance of the unshrunk cloth on an old garment (Matthew 9:16)?

On one occasion, the disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus with a question: “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14, ESV). The Lord responded with this short parable: “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse” (Matthew 9:16).

At first, Christ’s mention of a sewing technique may seem out of place and unrelated to the original question. Even more perplexing, Jesus follows the comment about an unshrunk cloth on an old garment with this statement: “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17).

The significance of both the “unshrunk cloth on an old garment” and the “new wine into old wineskins” lies in the incompatibility of the pairings. With His metaphor, Christ says that His teachings are radically different and cannot be simply superimposed on the old ways of religious ritual and observance. The Old Covenant and the New Covenant are incompatible.

In ancient times, most garments were made of natural fibers such as wool or linen. An unshrunk cloth is a new piece of fabric that has not been pre-washed and, therefore, is prone to shrinkage after exposure to water, heat, and drying. Sewing such a patch onto an old, well-worn garment creates an inherent problem: once the new cloth shrinks, it strains and pulls at the older material, creating a tear.

The “old garment” symbolizes the old established religious system of Judaism, particularly the Mosaic Law and the traditions upheld by the Pharisees. The “unshrunk cloth” represents the teachings and the transformative grace brought by Jesus. John’s disciples were Jews who still adhered to the rules of Judaism and lived by the obligations of the Old Covenant, including ceremonial rituals such as fasting (see Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:32; Luke 18:12).

Christ was ushering in an altogether new era, inaugurating a new covenant relationship between God and His people. The message of salvation in Jesus was too fresh and vital to be slapped over the old system of Judaism. The gospel was never intended to be a mere patch on the existing framework but a revolutionary shift requiring complete renewal of faith, heart, and practice. Attempting to embrace Christ’s teachings while clinging to outdated traditions would only create friction and spiritual disaster.

The new life in Christ cannot be contained within the old, empty forms of religion (see Matthew 15:8–9; 23:23–28). The Jewish followers of John would need to broaden their understanding of God’s mercy and grace to include Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, not just for Israel but for the entire world (Matthew 26:28; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:23–26; 10:14; 1 Corinthians 11:25). They would need to understand that salvation is God’s gift through faith (John 3:16–18; Ephesians 2:5, 8–9), that temple sacrifices were no longer needed (Hebrews 7:26–27; 10:1–18), and that all believers were united through the Holy Spirit into God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). This new reality was difficult for the Jews to grasp—including those who became Christians after the death and resurrection of Jesus (see Acts 10:1—11:18).

The metaphor of the unshrunk cloth on an old garment warns against superficial attempts to remedy a profound spiritual problem. True transformation cannot happen through adherence to the religious rules of our past. John’s disciples fasted to demonstrate their devotion to God, which was appropriate under the old, legalistic system but was no longer necessary under the new covenant of grace (Romans 3:20–24; 5:20; John 1:16–17; Galatians 2:16; 5:4). Jesus brought the good news of the gospel—the New Covenant—which is the message of salvation by grace through faith, and not works, obtained for us by the blood of Christ (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 10:29).

The principle of not sewing an unshrunk cloth onto an old garment remains relevant for Bible readers today. It challenges us to avoid rigid adherence to outdated traditions when confronted with the transformative power of Christ’s grace and truth. Instead of trying to patch up our “old garment” with an “unshrunk cloth,” we should wholly embrace our new identity in Jesus Christ: “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).