Short Thought continued.....

Desire the New

 

‘”And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins;

the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.  

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, “The old is better.”’

(Luke 5:37-39 NIV)

 

Jesus spoke these words whilst at a banquet hosted by the tax collector, Levi.

Jesus had invited Levi to follow him; Levi’s response was to get up, leave everything,

follow Jesus and hold a banquet for him at his house (Luke 5:27-29).

 

Jesus uses the craft of winemaking to speak about the old and the new.

 

New wine needs to be poured into a new wineskin because as it ferments it needs

space to expand into; a new wineskin has the elasticity and capacity to stretch.

 

Once a wineskin has been used it loses elasticity becoming tough and hard.

An old wineskin cannot be reused: it has been stretched to full capacity and has fulfilled its purpose.

If new wine is poured into an old wineskin, as it ferments it ruptures the old wineskin

and both the new wine and the old wineskin are ruined.

 

Old cannot contain new.

 

Often our desire is for the old.

We think the old is better: it’s familiar and what we’re used to.

But if the old has reached its full capacity and fulfilled its purpose it gives no space for expansion,

it restricts what is poured into it, to the point of rupture.

 

Our desire needs to be for the new.

For new to happen a new container or space is needed, one which has capacity for expansion.

God is continually doing a new thing, it’s in His nature.  God’s desire is for His people to be in

a space where they can expand and stretch in their faith, character and Kingdom works.

 

For us the new is the unknown, the unfamiliar;

a place where we ‘live by faith not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7);

where we have to face and overcome our fears and doubts.

But it’s the better place: it’s where we mature in Christ and find His best.

 

Levi trusted Jesus: he left behind his ‘old’ following Jesus into the new better way.

 

Prayer: Jesus, Your desire is not that we remain in our ‘old wineskins’ which restrict us;

Your desire is that we follow You into Your new for us.  As we come with You pour out Your Spirit

on us (Acts 2:17) and bless us with courage to ‘live by faith not by sight’.  Amen.

 

Thought: What ‘old wineskin’ has served and fulfilled its purpose?

What new and better place is Jesus inviting you to?

​