Advent 2025: Fri 19 Dec
Mark 2.21-22 All things new
21 ‘No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.’
Jesus makes a simple point using everyday examples. He did not go into deep theological arguments but spoke in terms that people could relate to, though we realise there were times when Jesus’ message was not ready to be understood, even by his disciples. They sometimes needed further explanation from Jesus regarding his parables and teachings. If the disciples, who were with Jesus most of the time, needed extra lessons, then ordinary folk may have been left confused.
If you patch new cloth onto an old garment it will in time shrink and pull on the garment, causing a tear. We tend to think of wine being held in stone jars, but it could be held in a leather bag – goodness knows how that would affect the taste of the wine! Wine and leather mature together, the new skin taking the changes in pressure as the wine further ferments. The skin cannot be used again for new wine as it will rupture under pressure.
There was nothing new in those examples. We may understand the practical words, but Jesus is applying these simple principles to Kingdom life. Jesus taught and preached the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven. News is new! The old covenant and traditional teachings will not sit comfortably with this new dispensation, to the point of destruction.
Good News requires New Hearts to receive it.
Can you argue that you can continue with old wine if you can source old wineskins (likewise for old garments and patches)?
Where does new wine mean in your Church fellowship?
Does new wine imply modern worship forms?
Father God, when I am comfortable in the way I worship you would you touch me more deeply with your love and challenge me to respond back to you in new and deeper ways? Amen.
A new age has dawned with the arrival of the Saviour. We await the completion of God’s plan when Jesus returns.
Paul