New Wine into Old Wineskins?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is one of the things Jesus had to say about wine: “Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17 NASB). I am so very thankful that Jesus loved wine, not because I want to get drunk, but because His love for it brings such clarity to things that would, otherwise, never be understood.
In this passage, the point is very clear, at least from where I am sitting (Admittedly, I usually sit down close to the blackboard when He is teaching!): If anyone should be so foolish, as to put new wine into old wineskins, well, the result would be even more foolish—he would lose all of his wine. Why? The old wineskin has already been stretched from previous fermentation, and, consequently, as the new wine continues to ferment, creating alcohol and CO2, the old wineskin will burst and, thus, the wine will spill out and be wasted. A tragedy, indeed, for some like Jesus and me, who happens to love the stuff.
I love the story of Jesus changing the water into the best-ever wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee! As you remember, it was His Mother, who involved Him in this, when she said to Him, “Son, the wine has run out; they have no wine.” His response to her is quite interesting and noteworthy: Mama, what am I going to do with you? Please don’t do this to me just now, as I am not ready to let people know everything about me (my paraphrase of “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”). Well, as you know, Jesus, like the rest of us boys, had a hard time saying “No” to His Mother, so, well you know the rest of the story. The party was not lost after all—120 gallons of the finest vintage wine ever produced (I think His mother was thinking more along the lines of a few bottles of wine, not 120-180 gallons, but, then, I must assume that the Jews loved to drink wine at wedding parties, and I know for sure that Jesus always does things in a superabundant way!).
Anyway, the headwaiter tasted the wine and said to the groom, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now (I think the reason is obvious, but if you don’t get it, let me know and I will explain it in tomorrow’s perspective! Well, on second thought, I will go ahead and tell you now: To give drunks the best wine last, amounts to the same thing as putting new wine into an old wineskin—the wine is wasted. Drunks think Mogen David is “good” wine!).” Let the festivities begin! I really like it when Jesus throws a party, mainly because He runs off all the religious bigots before the real party begins.
Then of course there is the wine of the Eucharist; HOW HE MUST HAVE LOVED IT! I find it so sad that so many pastors attempt to water-down the wine of the Eucharist, taking it in a completely reverse direction. Jesus turned water into wine, but they have turned wine into water (grape juice).
Didn’t I tell you that it is foolish, not to mention, wasteful, to put new wine into old wineskins? If I didn’t, I meant to!