Wine And Wineskins

Jesus often spoken in parables when He was attempting to communicate a message of deep spiritual significance. He must have felt those particular topics or principles were of utmost importance. Otherwise, why would He have only chosen them, as opposed to teaching everything through parables?

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
matthew 9:17 niv

The Old Has Gone. The New Has Come.

In multiple places throughout the New Testament, we are implored to die to our old, fallen nature, and to seek to become more like Jesus through submitting to His word. One particular metaphor (Parable) has always stood out to me in Jesus’ teaching of this truth: The Parable of The Wine and The Wineskins.

Wineskin

The wineskin was basically a leather bottle. Leather — the tanned hide of an animal — had the ability to contain a liquid without it soaking through.

Wine

The wine, not unlike our wines today, is made of fermenting grapes (plus additional ingredients) that produce gases throughout the fermentation process.

Old

Jesus use of the reference to “old” to represent the world’s ways.

Old wine — the world’s priorities, values, objectives, methods, emotions, and so on.
Old wineskins — the world’s belief system that motivates us to pursue old wine.

New

Jesus use of the reference to “new” to represent His word, His ways, and His son Jesus.

New wine — God’s priorities, values, objectives, methods, emotions, and so on.
New wineskins — God’s belief system that motivates us to pursue Him and His ways.

New wine in old wineskins

Jesus said, “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined…”
Matthew 9:17 NIV

Due to it having aged and dried over time, the old leather will no longer be able to stretch and accommodate the expanding gases from the fermenting new wine.

More often than I would have imagined before becoming a pastor and counselor, many Christianites move their adult lives unknowingly pouring new wine into old wineskins. Attending Sunday School or being part of a small group. Sitting under the teaching of preaching and teaching from the scriptures. Listening to Christian music. Praying with their kids, their spouse, and before meals. Giving of their resources to further God’s work.

Moving the piano

Let me digress. Have you ever heard the make-believe story of moving the piano from the right side of the platform to the left side of the platform at the old church. If moved from one Sunday to the next, the entire congregation would have been outraged. But if it was moved one foot to the left each Sunday, within a year the piano would be resting nicely to the left, virtually unnoticed.

Back to my point

Just as subtle as moving a piano fifty feet, one foot at a time, the new wineskin of God’s word has slowly faded into the nature of the same old wineskin that emerged from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. So subtle. Virtually unnoticed. But nonetheless the wineskin changed.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 NIV

Pattern of the world

Pattern of the world (aka Old Wineskin). Hmm. What is that pattern?

WHAT I DO & HOW I DO IT + HOW YOU PERCEIVE WHAT I DO & HOW I DO IT = MY IDENTITY, WORTH, & VALUE

Pouring Jesus’ love, grace, and mercy (NEW WINE) into a framework of performance and approval (OLD WINESKIN) bursts the wineskin. The new wine of Jesus’ love, grace, and mercy has turned into performance, perfectionism, and religion. Both are lost.

Once again, the hurting world misses another opportunity to experience the truth, love, and grace of Jesus’ lived out through a transformed heart.

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