Old Wineskins

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Mattthew 9:14-17)

Many of us are “old wineskins.”  We have aged.  I’m one.  However, I have a problem with the claim that pouring “new wine” into me will be a bad idea.  “New wine” are new ideas and demands on my life that may at first be challenging.  I will not burst.  I suspect many of my contemporaries feel the same way. 

Matthew said people should not put new wine into old wineskins. I disagree.  I refuse to be put out to pasture.  The old is good and vital.  Nevertheless, we old ones do need to consider new ways and ideas especially when they are thoughtful and appealing ways and ideas of the younger generation.  We need to drink.

Mutual respect will keep us wineskins intact and ready to pour our “wine” – our experience and wisdom – into the new wineskins of our future, especially our children and grandchildren.  They need to drink the "old wine" we offer.

Deacon David Pierce