No one pours new wine into old wineskins
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The Jewish rabbis, particularly the scribes and the Pharisees, would want to contain Jesus and his message in the ways of the Mosaic Law and their traditions. But doing so would be like containing the fresh and liberating spirit of Jesus’ teaching—the “new wine”—in the same old mentality and outlook— the “old wineskins.” This will not do; the new wine will simply burst the skins. What is needed is a new, fresh, and open mindset that can receive Jesus’ revelation about God’s dealing with his people.
The “old way” in Jewish piety gives emphasis on austere living based on fasting, abstinence, and a long list of prohibitions. But Jesus teaches a new freedom that transforms life by the liberating actions brought about by the Spirit—love, joy, peace, gentleness, forgiveness. He brings joy to life, akin to participating in a wedding banquet. He refers to himself as the “bridegroom” (v 19) in whose presence fasting is out of place. He eats with sinners and outcasts. He cures even on the Sabbath to put an end to people’s long suffering. He calls “blessed” (Mt 5:3) those who have less in life and low standing in society. Indeed, the Kingdom of God cannot be received except by a joyful spirit.
Gospel • Mk 2:18-22 18
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”
Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.