New Wine

(Mark 2:22)

Bro. David Yelulani

(Banket, Zimbabwe)

When something that we use begins to wear out, we start to look for a new one. If a car is old, one component after another begins to wear out. The hassle of having to get it repaired every few weeks becomes too much. The costs rise. The inconvenience increases. Then, when the personal treasury is sorted out, the owner goes off and buys a new one. The seats are more comfortable. The paint isn't scratched. The brakes work well. The car goes like a bomb. And the smell inside is wonderful. Even the driver feels like a new person.

Jesus didn't fit into the old moulds. He was altogether new. In many ways the old religion had become a dull observance of many petty rules and regulations. There was no joy, no peace, no personal power, and no escape from the burdensome guilt that breaking the many laws imposed on people. Jesus was not just a repair of the old model. He brought a new faith, a new under- standing of God, a new way of living. He was a breath of fresh air. There were no glass bottles. Wine was stored in goats' skins. As the wine fermented, so the skin stretched. Once used it could not be re- used. The skin would not stretch again. The new wine would cause it to break.

Have you tasted the new wine of Christ's empowering love ?