Rev Gav

Character

Luke 36-38

³⁶ Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

³⁷ “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. ³⁸ New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

Reflect

Jesus had just been questioned about why his disciples did not fast — regularly abstaining from eating — as did the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. Jesus then went on to use two metaphors to make the same point. Firstly, he talked about cloth, and then he talked about wine and wineskins (note that back then, wine was stored in skins rather than glass bottles). So what was he on about?

Jesus was explaining that something new was happening through him and the coming of his kingdom. In other words, like new cloth, you could not ‘patch’ Jesus’ new way of thinking or doing things onto the old way of the Pharisees and John the Baptist. The wine metaphor described the same thing. You did not pour new wine (which was still fermenting) into old wineskins as the old skins would burst.

Jesus’ way was revolutionary. He was saying that you came to God through relationship and not through obedience to a set of laws (or legalism). It is easy for today’s church to slip back into legalism -— to make Christianity about obeying a set of rules or laws rather than being about relationship. Jesus was and is concerned about the state of our hearts rather than what we achieve. We call this ‘character’. Later on in the gospel (good news) accounts, this is summed up as, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself.” It is all about relationship.

Do

Today, the most important thing that you will do is spend time with yourself, God and others — whether in person or online. It will be your interactions, conversations and your ability to listen that matter most. Commit all your relationships and conversations to God.

Pray

Holy God
You know all the secrets of my heart
and nothing is hidden from you.
Fill me with your Holy Spirit,
that I might love you with all my heart
and love others as myself.
Be at the centre of all my relationships,
that my conversations may be
full of light, love and compassion.
This day and for ever.
Amen.

Think

If we are judged on the quality of our relationships — with ourselves, with God and with others — and not what we achieve, the number of activities we are involved in, or the ‘good’ we do, how would it change how we live our lives?