The Lord had been displaying His works, which spoke of a new order in the midst of Israel—the old order; but Israel was unsuited as a vessel to hold the new wine. Hence in chapter 6. He infringes the established order of things by virtually setting aside the sabbath; for, like David of old, He is the rejected and neglected One. The sabbath was the sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Ezekiel 20:12); but the Son of man in the counsels of God has everything put under Him, therefore He is Lord also of the sabbath. The old order could allow the One in whom goodness and grace were being manifested, and His disciples, to be poor and hungry; the latter were doing on account of hunger (Matthew 12:1) what was allowed (Deuteronomy 23:25) after the wave-sheaf had been offered. (Leviticus 23;14) A new piece could not be put upon the old garment, and therefore the old must give place to the new. Hence, He asserts His title as Son of man over the sabbath. Then, in verse 6, &c., sovereign goodness asserts its own right to display itself, notwithstanding their thoughts, and to do good on the sabbath days. It cannot be restrained in its actings towards want and woe by the established order.
Consequently, new vessels are chosen adapted to hold the new wine which was flowing forth; but first (v. 12) we see Him all night in prayer to God. Who can speak of what was breathed out into the ear of God from the heart of the lowly, dependent Man, who Himself bare our griefs and carried our sorrows, and “when it was day” of the fresh actings in perfect communion with the heart and mind of God? We trace now some of these actings in choosing the twelve to link them in with the outflow of grace. He comes down and stands with them in the plain or plateau, and a great multitude came round to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases. Then the new wine flows out. “The whole multitude sought to touch Him: for virtue went out of Him.” How one lingers over such a moment, drinking of the new wine which gladdens the heart as we witness the exquisite tenderness of grace! Virtue went out of Him and healed them all. What of hunger now, as those eyes are lifted up upon His disciples, and “Blessed, blessed,” comes from His lips and bespeaks their portion? Poor and hungry, sorrowful and rejected, they might be; but blessed in His company. Blessed above prophets and kings who had been before them, but had never witnessed what greeted now their sight. (Chapter 10:23,24)
As we linger on such a scene, it may be profitable in our own day to take heed to the tendency there is to revert to that which is ready to vanish away. “No man when he hath drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, the old is better. “Laodicea is rich and full now. It has reverted to the old order, and got down into the earth, and it excludes Christ. Ignorant of its true condition, it knows not its loss in Christ being outside. In Philadelphia, on the contrary, there is rejection by that which claims to be the established order; but identification with Christ, and a part in that order which has its sphere in the city and temple of my God.