Christ replies to the question of why His disciples do not fast like the Pharisees with illustrations that emphasize the need for beliefs and actions to be correct and appropriate to God's way of life. In His second illustration, Jesus draws from the common knowledge that no one would waste a piece of new cloth to repair an old garment. If new cloth is used to patch an old garment and becomes wet, it shrinks as it dries, straining the old fabric and worsening the tear. Jesus shows that His new doctrines do not align with the old rites of the Pharisees, which involved frequent fasting. Combining His teachings with their old ways would distort the truth. The old human way of life must be completely replaced with the new godly way, as they are incompatible due to the righteousness and spiritual strength of God's new way against the weakness and wickedness of the old.