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).

“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).

During Christ’s time, garments were often made of natural fiber such as wool or linen and were well-worn as people did not have the vast array of clothing as we do today.  Thus, when a garment was damaged or torn and needed to be patched or repaired, no one would think to sew on a piece of “unshrunk” material, because when washed, the new cloth would now shrink and “pull” at the older material and cause another tear.

Jesus uses this analogy as a metaphor to express His radically new teaching cannot simply be incorporated into the Jewish mindset but must take precedence over the law and culture of the past.

Fr. John