Prepare for New Wine

Fasting, abstaining from food for spiritual purposes, was a regular and accepted practice of Judaism, especially amongst the Pharisees and even the disciples of John the Baptizer. Yet, Jesus’ disciples never fasted during His earthly ministry. When questioned on this point, Jesus told the inquirers the sadness associated with fasting was not appropriate for disciples who could celebrate being in the presence of God in the flesh. Fasting would have to wait until He was no longer physically in their presence.

Then Jesus gave His listeners insight on the coming of a new age in their faith, the dispensation of grace. Jesus cautioned them against trying to fit new concepts into old traditions. Some of the traditions of Judaism would not be relevant under the age of grace. To illustrate, Jesus pointed out how new wine could not be poured into old wineskins. If new, strong wine was poured into old, inelastic wineskins, the fermentation process would rip the wineskin apart. Trying to combine the old ways with new circumstances simply would not work.

That is worth noting as we move into a new calendar year. January 1^st always brings new hopes and aspirations. It is an opportunity to embrace new beginnings, goals, relationships and more. It brings an opportunity to learn from the past also; to put former pains, failures and mistakes behind us and move forward. That process of beginning again requires we discern what needs to be taken forward and what needs to be left behind.