[Jesus speaking]
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.
What are the old traditions that I don’t want to let go of, that are not necessarily part of Biblical Dogma (core to the Bible)?
Here are some of the traditions in the church that I have seen that are difficult to overcome: no tattoos, varying music selections or styles, and giving money is all that counts. I have had to let go of some of my traditions over the years too: Sunday football-watching, dressing up for church, and church gossiping.
Jesus here is trying to get the Pharisees to see that their man-made traditions are not to be held in higher esteem than the work of God in people’s lives. The old ways of doing things by the law (and measuring up to it) are out! The new way of modeling life after Jesus (and accepting him as Lord and Savior) is in. The two will not mix!
Who really cares if you fast or not, if your heart in fasting or not fasting is not right with God? Who cares how you dress or if you use the right Christian words and hang in the right Christian circles, if you gossip and don’t actively live out your faith?
I often think of this life as a battlefield and wonder: Would a general put up with this type of behavior when under attack? Jesus is our spiritual general. He wants us to stand and fight and serve each other. He is not looking for spiritual advisors who prefer to give advice rather than serve. These people tend to be heavy on blame and opinions, but light on lifting loads and helping others. They will not get their hands dirty or be bloodied in spiritual warfare.
Lord, forgive me for the times I have gotten petty and self-righteous with your children or those who have not yet come to know you. Help me to stay humble and gracious, willing to learn and continuing to grow in your goodness and grace!
It really is easy for us to focus on our perceived faults of others and go to a place of judgement and condemnation, and forget how we were, and still can be, with God. How He was patient with us, and when we repented (and before we had faith, looked like we never would), God was quick to forgive us, and declare us righteous. Do we do that with others? Especially those who seem so opposite to us, just as we were so different from God when we still rejected Him.
It would be great to let the Holy Spirit show us how we felt before, and give us a tenderness towards others, being patient to see what God does in their lives.