Old Minds & New Wine

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”  Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?  Of course not.  But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth?  For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.  “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins.  For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.  New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”  Matthew 9:14-17

The older one gets, the more one looks back on the chapters that were, instead of looking ahead to the chapters yet to be written.  Perhaps too much!  It’s difficult to look ahead when your mind is full of the past.  Yet, there is something to be said for meditating on what has happened, if the future is going to make any sense.  For instance, a pastor’s unquestioned task is always to preach God’s Word, in God’s timing, so that the true wisdom of God can bless and direct God’s people.  So a pastor must face what’s ahead while keeping the past in mind.  To let the future have sovereign reign is to fall prey to some of yesterday’s mistakes, spilling the new wine of tomorrow before it has time to mature.  To let the past reign (especially in an old mind) is to turn your back on the promise of all things new. 

We make choices, many without thinking; we are conditioned so, and life demands choices and changes.  And, in the wisdom that unfolds with time, we know everything of the past was not entirely evil or entirely good, as well as we know everything new will one day be in the past.  We live, we choose, we learn.

If our minds are the wineskins of which Jesus taught, then the possibilities of the wine of yesterday or tomorrow are what goes in.  Jesus said you can’t put the new wine (of tomorrow’s experience) into old skins (an old man’s mind, perhaps).  The common reasoning is that the fermenting of the new wine creates growth action that will expand (and burst) the old, stretched-to-the-limit skins.

As it is with old minds and new wines, so it is with the church and her ebb and flow of serving Christ’s Kingdom.  The more churches dwell on the past, lamenting the loss of those good ol’ days, the less fit we become for the new wine of Christ’s promise…behold, I make all things new.[1]  And when God is moving in the hearts of young people to stretch and accept his growth to expand the Kingdom, we do well to make room for that which is coming, or risk the judgment of Pharasee-like hardened skins, ready for bursting.

I know of only one remedy for that, and Apostle Paul made it simple:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:1-2

Renewed minds…new wineskins for what’s coming, made possible by the kind of faith that presents body, mind, and soul to Christ…the surrendered life.

For You Today  

Old wine is best in taste, but it is strong, and is meant to be savored and sipped.  New wine is best in promise, meant to be expanding and changing.  There is room for both…no, there is necessity of both in the Kingdom of God. 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

The Tear in the Fabric  and  Drinking the Pastor's New Wine

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Revelation 21:5

Living in Harmony

 

Thursday, August 13, 2020

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!  For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.  Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion.  And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.  Psalm 133:1-3

Harmony is…the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.[1]

Almost 40 years ago music icons Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s music video lit up the charts in a plea for humanity to find a way to exist in harmony:

Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?[2]

Both of those artists helped define the distinctives of the Baby Boomer generation, those who came along after World War II.  In typical arrogance, fueled by youthful naiveté, the Boomers imagined we were the first to really get it right about how to have a perfect world.  The concept of harmony, just getting along with each other, learning to love each other, worked well in theory; in practice we didn’t do so well.

To wit:  2020.  If the dictionary is right about harmony being a pleasing, consistent whole (of divergent, cacophonous parts), we’re about as much in tune with each other in 2020 as sounds of a catfight in the middle of the night.

It’s hard for me to point a finger at the current generation for the way they’re proclaiming how to get it right in racial harmony, especially when my generation tried the same, worn-out garment of protest, public blaming, exclusion, infighting, and general unrest.  Fighting fire with fire makes for a catchy soundbite, but it’s a horrible methodology for bringing people to a point of respect, and even love, much less the promised land of harmony.

In the same way that light and the absence of light cannot exist in the same space, so harmony will never occupy the same space with anger.  Several weeks ago I preached a sermon on the text of Genesis 33[3] where estranged brothers Jacob and Esau reconciled after a 20-year feud.  The reconciliation only happened because they both decided that the anger that fueled the rift was just not working.  

In fact, putting aside the anger was the only way dust could have enough chance to settle so the importance of their relationship would be seen.

As a visual representation of the choices, I put together two doors, one marked “anger” and the other “reconciliation”.  The tagline for the sermon was:

If you choose reconciliation you must LEAVE the anger behind.  If you choose to remain angry you will NEVER reconcile with anyone.  You just can’t walk through two doors at the same time!

For You Today

Let’s go back to before this day’s generation, or my generation…back before Black Lives Matter, or Ku Klux Klan, or anything in recent memory…let’s let wisdom from Solomon be our last word.

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.  Proverbs 15:1

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

VIDEO

Title image Pixabay.com ∞  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For other posts on Psalm 133 see Dew on the Beard and alt-Center

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[1] Oxford Dictionary

[2] Ebony and Ivory, written by Paul McCartney, 1981

[3] Read the Sermon Two Doors or watch it on Youtube

 

Dancing With the Morning Star

[1]

“But to what will I compare this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11: 16-19, 28-30^(NRSV)

It must have been pretty easy for Jesus to feel like he was the captain of the Titanic.  Those who weren’t hurling insults his way doubted him or treated him with complacency.

The doubters included Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, who was in prison, but sent emissaries to prod Jesus into doing something to prove he was Messiah.  The religious authorities didn’t much like the Baptist (he was, after all, in jail); they said he had a demon because of his asceticism.  Jesus was much different; he partied and hung-out with both the despised and the movers and shakers.  They called him a wine-bibber (read that party animal). 

Jesus’ friends in Bethsaida and Capernaum were complacent.  They saw miracle upon wonder and remained chilled, unmoved.  “Ho-hum…that was a good trick, Jesus; do another one.”  Jesus shook his head and told them they were like children who couldn’t make up their minds whether to play wedding or funeral, so they sat doing nothing.

Friends, Foes and Followers….they all misread Jesus.  They wanted proof and benefit in hand.  He had come to give them so much more; he had come to give them himself in relationship….and they were surprised when he didn’t act like they thought he should.

1.     He had come into the world to be the Savior.

2.     The world had said, "OK, if you ARE the Messiah, then this is the way you should act...and this...and this....

3.     But Jesus wouldn't dance to their music.

And so we ask the question - WHY DIDN'T JESUS DANCE? 

1.     The crowds wanted a "break-dancer" to entertain them.

2.     The established religious leaders wanted a more traditional "fox-trotter," who would learn all the correct steps and moves before playing on their dance floor.

The Lord had a dance of the soul in mind.  People wanted fancy steps and action...Jesus wanted them to see the Great Musician.

When Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, whom Jesus declared the greatest of the prophets, questioned Jesus about His mission, Jesus used the John’s question as a spring-board to teach several important TRUTHS about His mission, and the relationship God wants to have with of us.

Relationship is a dance.  I’ve never danced much, or well; I’m not very graceful.  We even took dance lessons a couple summers ago.  I went through the classes and did what I was told.  I moved around a good bit, but dancing still escapes me.  Somehow I missed the music gene…and that’s the point:  Elizabeth can dance, but she’s got a miserable partner.  If you’ve got no music on the inside, it doesn’t matter what you do on the outside – it’s only shuffling around.    

The dance of God is like that; you have to be born again on the inside to genuinely dance the kind of relationship He wants to have with you.  And when you begin to dance with the Morning Star some stuff happens…

You get surprised a lot

Surprised by My Fickleness

I get surprised by my own fickleness.  Like Jesus’ followers, friends and foes, we get a little upset when Jesus acts differently than we want.  That’s human nature!  We want things our way, and even when we’re treated better than we deserve, it’s not enough.  Few are ever satisfied.

I heard about a farmer who was so critical of everything that he drove his neighbors crazy.  If it rained he complained the crops would rot; if it was dry that was bad.  None of his farm machines measured-up.  Finally, one of his neighbors decided to shut him up for good.  He had recently bought a hunting dog, and found out the hound could actually walk on water.  He convinced his negative neighbor to go duck hunting with him. 

The next morning when the first shots rang out, the hound ran right out on the water, retrieved the duck, turned around and trotted back without so much as getting damp.  Said the proud owner of the hound, “Well…my dog walks on water; what do you think of that?”  Said the negative neighbor, “Can’t swim, can he?” 

Jesus probably couldn’t have pleased that guy either…or most of us.  But like Jesus said (v.19) wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.  This is like our saying, judge words by the actions. We can be as fickle as we will…we are not going to change Jesus.  He will always love us.  That’s surprising!

Surprised by My Faith Fault-line

And then I also get surprised by my “faith fault-line”.  It’s amazing, isn’t it?  We, like those who saw Jesus perform miracles of God’s grace, and remained as complacent as a chair…it’s like we know this Almighty God created an infinite universe and is willing to love us, die for us and wants us to come close so he can bless us – well, it’s just no big deal.  It IS a big deal; it’s something to get all excited about and shout and praise and tell others. 

Jesus warned those who failed to acknowledge God’s goodness to repent, or change their ways.  I am surprised at how stubborn I can be in this.  I get really settled in what I like and what I do.  Jesus wants so much more for me.  And that’s good news.  We may be Methodists, but if we’ve got a pulse, we ought to be shouting this news from the rooftops! 

So, in dancing with the dayspring, morning star, you get surprised a lot, and…

You get loved a lot

The rest provided by an easy yoke and light burden is arguably one of the most recognized metaphors in Scripture.  Who isn’t burdened?  Who hasn’t needed rest from it all?  But it is also a commonly misunderstood rest.  It isn’t a burden-free life Jesus offers – he called it his burden.  He just said it was “light”. 

The rest Jesus offers is from the inner turmoil that describes life that is self-driven, as opposed to God-led.

In June 2011 we got a new addition to our family.  Gracie Cotton was orphaned and she adopted us…sorta!  It’s a long story. She was five then, and when your human companion has gone away, it’s hard to get used to a new place, rules and even where to do your business (and which rug to avoid).  We learned that she is fickle when it comes to food, and exceedingly fearful of summer lightning storms.  And we discovered that in just a couple of days our hearts were melting like butter on hot grits.

In the space of a few weeks Gracie, a bright, alert, quick learner began to accept the comfort of my yoke.  We call it a leash, but it’s comforting for her.  With that leash I care for her, that she won’t get lost.  I lead her to the right places, and when back in our house, our home, she is released into family fellowship in all the rooms.  In short, she gets loved…a lot!

And that’s how it is in the dance with the Morning Star….in spite of my fickleness and faith fault-line, I get loved a lot. 

Jesus didn't dance to the music some selfish people thought was important.  But He does stand ready on the dance floor.  He wants to help you do the "dance of life."  Just take His hand, He will lead.

And that’s what our table this morning celebrates…the dance of life with the Bright and Morning Star!

Lord, we pray that we’d learn to run to Your yoke…in the Name of the Father, Because of the Son, Cooperating with the Spirit…Amen!

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[1] Title Image Rembrandt, via Wikimedia Commons

When Tolerance Grows Up into Spiritual Maturity

[1]

Friday, December 15, 2017

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.  But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things.  If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.  But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.  Philippians 3:12-16^(NLT)

Paul takes the humble position of allowing for his own human fragility.  In one of his other letters (to the Corinthian church) Paul stated it clearly that when he let go of having to control everything – letting God do what God does – his weakness became the effective mighty power of God.[2]

Rather than trying to be “strong” in his own abilities, Paul desired to put the past behind and focus on what God was doing.  Henry Blackaby’s Bible study Experiencing God calls that mindset locating where God is working and cooperating with Him.  

The important point is that Paul understood, even in a wonderfully vibrant fellowship like the church at Philippi, there were going to be disagreements; that is inevitable with human beings!  What Paul wanted to stress was that even in the most controversial of differing opinions genuine spiritual maturity will not lose sight of the goal.

Tolerance has been an overly-accepted word in our vernacular the past several decades.  It hangs like a Behavior Storm Trooper over the entire culture.  We are expected to tolerate others’ viewpoints; in fact, we are expected to surpass tolerance to the degree that all people’s ideas and values are considered equally valid.  That may be high-sounding, but it is dangerous.  For instance, the person that holds an idea that thirty-five cents in his pocket is enough to buy a new car is going to have a huge problem when it comes to the Mercedes dealer allowing him to drive a $63,000 E-Class SUV off the lot for that price; not all ideas are equal!  There will be conflict…if not arrests!

Tolerance can also tip the scale toward arrogance.  Check into a discussion between a Christian conservative and a Christian progressive and you will not have to wait long before the accusations and tempers begin to fly.  The same holds true for liberal and conservative political discussions. 

What Paul suggests is spiritual maturity.  Hear it again from the apostle:

If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.  But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. 

Holding on to the progress already made is a matter of not losing your Christian cool!  It means being willing to be weak personally so that God’s Spirit can be strong in the middle of strengthening relationships.  It means in spite of a disagreement you’re willing to wait for God to make things clear.  A dear friend of mine made that point with me after he’d witnessed my prolonging a heated discussion with another believer.  He said:  You know, Russell, you don’t have to have an answer for everything!

This is the essence of spiritual maturity – when you refuse to take personal offense over a disagreement.  When someone wants to get in your face and turn up the volume, you can turn the other cheek and offer graciousness; if not, you disown the opportunity to build-up the person who disagrees with you. 

And if you’re simply (and arrogantly) tolerating someone’s ideas (because in your humble opinion he or she is an idiot) your attitude towards them can only bring deeper separation and fuel the angry fires of misunderstanding.

So, as Paul also said:

…but we are to hold to the truth with love in our hearts.  We are to grow up and be more like Christ.  He is the leader of the church.  Ephesians 4:15^(NLV)

For You Today

Growing-up into the likeness of Christ – keep that in focus!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] 1 Corinthians 12:10

Living in a Dumpster

[i]

Friday, July 15, 2016

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female.  For you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28^(NLT)

Separation, arguments, prejudice, unfairness; what a tangled existence we human beings create for each other.  When it comes to things that separate or divide people, the list is pretty long:

·       Race – that’s always a big one these days.

·       Lifestyle – there are messy people, clean people, fast and slow people; there are skinny people and generously piled “high and wide” people.

·       Language – Press one to continue in English

·       Region – I am one of the few “Yankee preachers” to ever have an ordination certificate signed by one Jefferson Davis!

·       Age – the young person complains the adults have it made, while the aged shake their heads in disdain over the way youth is wasted on the young.

·       Economics – the poor and rich seldom rub elbows.

·       Religion – Our creeds have created more different kinds of separation and distrust than 9/11.

·       Gender – there is a whole war going on to determine who has the power, or even if you will stay the gender you were born; whew!…tangled mess, indeed!

Separation…you stay over there, don’t get in my space!  Anger, contention, strife, games-playing, backbiting.  This is the stuff of which legalism is made.  This is what Jesus came to forgive…and what he expects us to forsake.

While the list of things that separate us is quite long, there is only a very short list of that which unites people.  There are two:  family and love.  That’s it…just family and love.  I tried to think of anything else that will truly unite people, and, other than accepting one another in this human family with love, there is nothing. 

In 2007 we added two rooms to our house so my Mom and Dad could live with us.  During the 8 month project there was an 8’x25’ dumpster next to the house full of scrap wood, shingles, discarded Pepsi bottles and sandwich wrappers. 

Other inhabitants included millions of fly larvae, mice and roaches, not to mention the odd family or two of black snakes.  (Don’t tell Elizabeth I said that!)

If I were to have asked Mom and Dad if they preferred to live in the new rooms or the dumpster, the only question would be if I have been drinking.  Nobody in his right mind lives in a dumpster if there’s a new house waiting. 

Yet, when it comes to living in faith, accepting others, we human beings would rather live in the “dumpster of separation” our prejudices and fears create, rather than the new rooms of joy Jesus is building for us.

For You Today

Paul calls to us to make a decision about the dumpster.  How do we live like Paul said – in Christ, with Christ living his life through our life?  It’s living together in love, in the faith family.  That’s what Jesus came to die for, that we might have a together life; we call it communion.  Sin separates us from God and each other.  Jesus came to break down the barriers that separate us, so that we can walk together. 

He came to tow away the dumpster of separation.  He’s building a new house full of love and family.  And there’s room for everybody!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

[i] Title Image: Russell Brownworth