New Wine into Old Wineskins
Friday- 03.18.2016
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
What does all this mean? This parable is answering the question, "Why don't your disciples keep the full Law?" As we will see in the story of Jesus, this will continually be an area of conflict for Jesus and the Pharisees.
Enter the old garment and the wineskins. The Law is the old garment/old wineskin. The new covenant that Jesus is bringing is the unshrunk cloth/new wine. Jesus is giving the Pharisees (and us) an important warning- Do not stick this new covenant into your understanding of the old covenant. Jesus was doing something completely new!
When you read through Galatians, you can't help but think Paul had this parable in mind has he wrote to the Galatian Christians.
Listen to what Paul writes in Romans, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4 ESV)
One note before I wrap up- Jesus is clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the Law is still important. He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17).
One week from Good Friday, this little two verse parable reminds us of something wonderful and beautiful- In Christ, God did something completely new. Holy Week is a week of our Savior redefining life- where once there was death, now there is life.
–Mark 2:21-22 ESV
We have two mini-parables here. First, there is an old garment with a hole in it. Would one mend the garment with a piece of new cloth, only to have the new cloth shrink when it is washed and tear away from the garment?
Second, would you put new wine into a wineskin that has been used? As the new wine ferments, the old skin would not be able to expand with the fermenting wine and eventually burst the wineskin.
To understand this parable, we must first look at little context. Let's look at a few points of context:
- This parable is found at the beginning of Mark's gospel/Jesus' ministry.
- The larger passage is an A-B-A pattern. If you read the passage prior to this passage and the passage following this passage you will see there are two questions asked ("For what reason do...your disciples not fast" and "Why do [your disciples] do on the Sabbath that which is not lawful?")
- This A-B-A pattern uses B to bring insight to the two A sections.
What does all this mean? This parable is answering the question, "Why don't your disciples keep the full Law?" As we will see in the story of Jesus, this will continually be an area of conflict for Jesus and the Pharisees.
Enter the old garment and the wineskins. The Law is the old garment/old wineskin. The new covenant that Jesus is bringing is the unshrunk cloth/new wine. Jesus is giving the Pharisees (and us) an important warning- Do not stick this new covenant into your understanding of the old covenant. Jesus was doing something completely new!
When you read through Galatians, you can't help but think Paul had this parable in mind has he wrote to the Galatian Christians.
- So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 ESV)
- For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6 ESV)
Listen to what Paul writes in Romans, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4 ESV)
One note before I wrap up- Jesus is clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the Law is still important. He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17).
One week from Good Friday, this little two verse parable reminds us of something wonderful and beautiful- In Christ, God did something completely new. Holy Week is a week of our Savior redefining life- where once there was death, now there is life.
Praying with Hutzpah
Friday- 03.11.2016
Today's parable is a short parable. Many of us might not know this parable, but most of us will be familiar with Jesus' statement at the parable's conclusion. It follows immediately after the Lord's Prayer in Luke's gospel. Let's look at the parable together (I have chosen Eugene Peterson's translation):
Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors,
he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open."
–Luke 11:5-9 (The Message)
Most of the writing concerning this parable revolves around one Greek word 'anaideia'. In the above translation, Peterson translates this word as 'stand your ground.' Traditionally, this word has been translated as 'importunity'. One of the best translations of this word is found in the Complete Jewish Bible, where it is translated using the Yiddish word 'if you show hutzpah'.
Why is this such an important word in this parable? Jesus is telling his apostles that believers are to boldly pray for the things that God has promised. Notice the way I said that- I don't think Jesus is telling us to pray for whatever we want. In the context of the Lord's Prayer, I believe Jesus is telling us to be bold when it comes to the things His Father has promised.
At times, we seem afraid to pray to God as an intimate friend- much less to pray with hutzpah, nerve, or boldness. However, if you read through the lament Psalms or the book of Job, you will see great biblical examples of this type of prayer (Psalm 5 is a great example).
I hope we read this parable and are encouraged. Encouraged to pray with boldness. Encouraged to know that God does hear our prayers. Encouraged to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors,
he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open."
–Luke 11:5-9 (The Message)
Most of the writing concerning this parable revolves around one Greek word 'anaideia'. In the above translation, Peterson translates this word as 'stand your ground.' Traditionally, this word has been translated as 'importunity'. One of the best translations of this word is found in the Complete Jewish Bible, where it is translated using the Yiddish word 'if you show hutzpah'.
Why is this such an important word in this parable? Jesus is telling his apostles that believers are to boldly pray for the things that God has promised. Notice the way I said that- I don't think Jesus is telling us to pray for whatever we want. In the context of the Lord's Prayer, I believe Jesus is telling us to be bold when it comes to the things His Father has promised.
At times, we seem afraid to pray to God as an intimate friend- much less to pray with hutzpah, nerve, or boldness. However, if you read through the lament Psalms or the book of Job, you will see great biblical examples of this type of prayer (Psalm 5 is a great example).
I hope we read this parable and are encouraged. Encouraged to pray with boldness. Encouraged to know that God does hear our prayers. Encouraged to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."