11马太九章十六节的旧衣服,表征人靠着天然的旧生命而有的好举止、好行为和宗教的作法。主耶稣非常有智慧。在十六节祂没有说,“你们约翰的门徒必须领悟,你们的衣服破旧且满了破洞。你们禁食,实际上就是剪一块未漂过的布,用来补你们衣服的破洞。”主耶稣没有直接这样说,祂乃是向约翰的门徒指明,他们没有一件完美的衣服,并且指明他们的衣服有破洞,他们想要借着禁食来补这些破洞。没有人能说出像主耶稣在十六节所说的话。祂智慧的话里满了意义、责备、启示和教训。主对约翰的门徒说,“你们为什么问我禁食的事?你们的禁食是一种补破衣的作法。你们的禁食表明,你们知道自己的衣服有破洞,需要修补。……你们利用我来补你们的破洞。……你们从我这未漂过的布剪一块来补你们衣服的破洞。但我这布满了缩水的能力,不要把它补在你们破旧的衣服上。你们若这样作,破洞会更大。”
11The old garment in Matthew 9:16 signifies man’s good behavior, good deeds, and religious practices produced by man’s old, natural life. The Lord Jesus was very wise. In verse 16 He did not say, “You disciples of John must realize that your garments are torn and full of holes. By fasting you are actually cutting a piece of unfulled cloth and using it to patch the holes in your garments.” Instead of saying this directly, the Lord Jesus indicated to the disciples of John that they did not have a perfect garment. He indicated that their garments had holes and that by fasting they were trying to patch the holes. No human being could utter such a word as that spoken by the Lord Jesus in verse 16. His wise word was full of meaning, rebuke, revelation, and instruction. The Lord was saying…, “Why do you ask Me about fasting? Your fasting is a way of patching your torn garment. By your fasting you show that you realize that you have holes in your garments that need to be mended… You are utilizing Me to patch your holes…You are cutting a piece from My unfulled cloth to mend the holes in your garments. But My cloth is full of shrinking power. Don’t put any part of it on your old torn garments. If you do, the hole will become larger.”