Drinking Old Wine

9/22/2009

Luke 5:38-39 38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” New American Standard Bible

What Jesus said to them was not a riddle or a paradox or even a mystery – it was simply a plain truth: new wine must be aged in new wine skins because old wine skins cannot take the stretching process of aging the new. The other thing He said was this: “Old wine tastes better than new wine.” True, it does, but old wine gets consumed and new wine must be made in order for it to become old wine. The old may be good enough but it is passing away and when it does, then what? New wine must be made, that’s what!

All this to say they had a tough time with what Jesus was sharing and how Jesus was conducting Himself – but a new day had come; it was time to develop a taste for something new; if they could or if they would. And Jesus spent His entire ministry trying to convince them He was the Key to accepting the new…They could if they accepted Him...

I can attempt to follow the Lord out of my comfort zone. I can attempt to follow Jesus the way I always have (old wine). Or I can throw out the old and accept the new (which doesn’t taste as good) which is better and more effective. The choice is mine but the Master urges me to follow Him and accept the destruction of the old ways in me that I know and am comfortable with, and believe in the new ways in which He leads even if they are difficult, uncomfortable or taste different…

Father in Heaven,

You are all about me getting in step with You and living my life in response to Your every command. I still have a long way to go but I am developing a taste for the new and I want to please only You. Help me this day to keep in step with the Spirit and to follow You with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength – trusting You and following through – in Jesus’ Name, amen.