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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"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. Neither do men 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 9:16-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
One thing is certain when becoming a Christian. We’re expected to put what was behind us to accept the newness that we are to become in Jesus.
In fact, scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The old is gone. The new has come. Out with the old and in with the new. God’s word is clear.
And yet, we have many who seem to feel they can live in both worlds as Christ’s disciples…new in Him while still committed to their sinful ways of the past. They want the world and its offerings but also want Jesus and what He offers as well.
This is clearly against what Jesus expects of His followers. We need only look at today’s scripture to understand that.
For Jesus, as He so often does in His teachings, uses illustrations to drive through His point…using common life examples to teach spiritual truths.
First, He talks about mending garments.
In biblical times, just like today, accidents happen and sometimes we catch our clothing on something that could cause it to tear or rip. When that happens, typically we want to repair it so we can continue to wear it. This was the case even more so in the times of Jesus as people didn’t have large wardrobes to select from nor have a lot of places where they could purchase clothes.
So what was the best way to patch a torn garment? Jesus tells His disciples that "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.” The garment itself had been worn and washed many times and so the material was already shrunk. To repair it properly, one would need to use a patch from a garment that was also used and preshrunk. This way, the patch would not change as the garment continued to be washed, retaining its form. Conversely, a patch from new material sewn onto an old garment would shrink when that old garment was washed, tearing and ripping away from the garment and making the damage worse than before.
It’s obvious that you can’t mix the old with the new. They simply aren’t compatible. That’s the fundamental point that Jesus tries to make.
Secondly, Jesus uses an illustration about wineskins to make the same point. He said, “Neither do men 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."
New wineskins were used to hold new wine. It was a pretty well known fact.
Why?
Because new wineskins would be able to stretch and expand without breaking. This was important because as the new wine was poured in and stored, it would ferment and cause the skin to expand. New wineskins would be able to expand without bursting and wasting the wine. Old wineskins, already stretched, would not be able to expand further without breaking and allowing the wine to run out.
So what is Jesus trying to say here?
He’s saying that all His ways…ways that were and are new and incompatible with the world’s ways…cannot be housed in a person who decides that he or she doesn’t want to be a “new creation”, allowing the old to be gone in exchange for the newness of Christ Jesus.
Just as new wine cannot be stored in an old wineskin.
Question: How is your wineskin?
Have you fully surrendered yourself to Jesus, allowing yourself to be a new wineskin ready to accept and retain the new wine that He brings through His word and Spirit?
Or have you decided to try and have Jesus and the world together, placing His new wine in your old wineskin…and discovering that you can’t seem to stop repeating prior sinful behavior, each time seeing your old wineskin break and Christ pour out…leaving you ruined and empty?
Friends, we can’t possibly hold Jesus within us unless we fully become new in Him…that new creation that Paul talks about in his letter to the church in Corinth. Is it difficult? Yes…because Satan wants nothing more than for us to stay connected to the sinful ways of the world where he seeks to destroy every good and perfect thing that God does. But remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)…the same Christ who wants to change and transform us now (2 Corinthians 5:17) and forever (John 3:16).
That’s good news…that’s the gospel. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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