New Wineskins

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’ Matthew 9:9-17

When God is doing a new thing, we cannot bring our old games and ways. Too often, we want God to do new things without us having to change one iota. Matthew had to get up from his tax booth and invite Jesus to his home. We are afraid and anxious about change, it is a normal human reaction. Yet all miracles and wonders happen when we are willing to get up from our normal and follow Jesus into uncharted territories. We are in that season now. Let us get up, change our hearts and follow him.

Miraculous Creator, source of all wonder

we like the comfort of our worn-out ways

we fear having to change our daily patterns

yet when we change and turn we find new life.

We build walls and believe we are secure

we think we are in charge yet we are followers

our wineskins are old and ready to breakdown

give us the courage to change our hearts.

The world is in turmoil and great flux

we tremble on the edge of great changes to come

help us to follow you into your wonderful now

and live so that all may have brand new lives. Amen.