The New Wineskins

Mark 2:22

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.”

This pandemic has lasted for a year now, and with it we have learned new ways of doing things.  We have learned new ways to shop, work, worship, and to fellowship with one another, for example.  Some of these new ways will be around after the pandemic is over because we have discovered that we like them.  Who knew that Zooming with family members on Sunday night could be so fun?

Jesus represented someone different who was preaching something new.  He was “the new wine.”  The new wine could only be poured into people who were ready to hear the good news.  The Pharisees were “the old wineskins” who were unable to hear the good of the good news because they held fast to their old notions of the law.

Christians are called to be lifelong students of the scriptures, especially the scriptures that contain the teachings of Jesus.  We are to soak up the wine of His teachings over the course of our lifetimes; absorbing new truths as they are revealed to us and as we are ready to learn them.  We are to never stop searching and learning and asking God to reveal His truth to us.  In this way, we are a perpetually new wineskin.

Jesus continues to pour out His new wine.  Will we receive it?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)