Sermon: Preserving the Best of Both in the Church World
Scripture: Matt 9:10-17 “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him. 10 Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and [a]sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”
“14 Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus replied to them, “Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor is new wine put into old [b]wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”
Introduction: Some time after his call, Matthew sought to bring his old associates to hear Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and was concerned about them. Those who have received Christ, cannot but desire that others also may be brought to him. Those who suppose their souls to be without disease will not welcome the spiritual Physician. This was the case with the Pharisees; they despised Christ, because they thought themselves whole; but the poor publicans and sinners felt that they needed instruction and forgiveness. It is easy, and too common, to put the worst constructions upon the best words and actions of others. Jesus Christ eating with sinners is an act of mercy. Jesus is seeking to save those who are lost. The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our minds, and to change our ways. If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no need for Christ to come among them. Instead of criticizing Jesus, these observers should have examine themselves to search out any sickness or need in their lives needing the attention of the great Physician.
In this case, Jesus used parables to clarify spiritual truths that many overlooked. Jesus defined his mission by saying “The son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. Some of His greatest teachings were birthed in the middle of controversy. Jesus’ befriending Matthew and dining in a house full of tax collectors and publicans was shocking to say the least. The pharisees and Sadducees were constantly seeking ways to entrap Jesus with his words. In this lesson Jesus is caught between questions from these religious leaders and the disciples of John the Baptist. When the religious leaders had a complaint about Jesus, they would approach his disciples and ask, Why does your master do____? When they have a complaint about the disciples, they would ask Jesus, Why does your disciples do ____? The strategy was to divide and conquer. Once again, Jesus is put on the spot. The key issue sounds like it’s about fasting. Yet several things are on the line. How does your ministry compare with the Pharisee and John the Baptist’s ministry? How does the lifestyle of your disciples compare with us? Our way is well worn, and your way is new, which is right?
Today, we may find ourselves put on the spot. This will always occurs when we make our way, our style or practice the standard of righteousness. When we do, we often criticize all who differ from us. At times, we label them as being totally wrong. Conflict occurs we when compare our ministry, worship style, our rituals with others.
Years ago, conflicts raged about secular tunes being used in gospel music. There was no conflict between Hymns and traditional gospel music, yet many of the gospel melodies were patterned after secular tunes. Rap music and Contemporary music were nonexistent. When anything new comes along, we struggle to know what should be preserved and what should be discarded. This struggle may seem new, but it is an age-old problem. Jesus in this discourse helps us to realize the importance preserving the best of both worlds and the danger of putting new wine in old wineskins. New wineskins are flexible and easy to stretch, while old wineskins are difficult to stretch. How can we preserve the best of both worlds? Notice, Jesus mentions old cloth, old wineskins, and old wine, all of which are good and useful when use in the right way and for the right purpose. He compares these things to rigid traditions and religious practices, seasoned saints, and difficult disciplines. Then he talks about new wine, new wineskins, new cloth, all of which are good and right when used in the right place and the right way. It applies to new Christians, new liberties, and activities and actions. We preserve the best of both worlds by understanding God is doing a new thing.
1. God’s New Thing Has Already Started. “But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”
Jesus could have responded in a harsh manner, but his gentle response helps them to know he understands their concern. Jesus could have condemn their pride and self-righteousness, but he paints a picture of a wedding celebration. His disciples are guests of the bridegroom, filled with joy because they are in the presence of the bridegroom. All their needs are supplied, they bare no expense, pay no price and dance to the music. There will be plenty of time for fasting and sacrifice. When the celebration is over and the difficulty of married life comes, they will fast. There will be many difficult days, periods of grief in this hostile world. To everything there is a time and season. My disciples are not yet strong enough for rigid disciplines of religion. They have not been trained the way the Pharisee have nor the way John trained his followers.
Some religious groups, during that time, lived a hard life of fasting and self-sacrifice. They lived without many of the creature comforts of life, believing it was the only way to please God. Others lived in isolation without human companionship. Many prophets lived in caves, on mountains, and in deserts, living on the land, eating whatever was available. John the Baptist dressed in camel hair, eating locust and wild honey, living in isolation. His disciples patterned their lives after him. They owned little or no property, enjoyed few creature comforts and believed enjoyment and pleasure were sinful. Their focus was good works. God is doing a new thing with the focus on faith.
Jesus’ disciples had no such rigid training or religious disciplines. They were Galileans fisherman, businessmen, tax collector, and property owners. To impose all the religious traditions and rigid disciplines on their lives now would destroy them. It would be destroying the new to preserve the old.
2. God’s New Thing is Flexible and Inclusive. “But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”
The religious leaders avoided sinners and publicans. They refused to eat with them and saw them as unacceptable. God’s new thing is for all and is open to all. The old system was restrictive and limited. God’s new thing is open to whosoever will. Since disciplines are learned, understood, and practiced, we should be flexible and inclusive of others desiring to follow Christ.
Every disciple of Christ began the journey as babes in Christ. The journey from lust to love, from selfishness to self-sacrifice, and trying to trusting, takes time. Maturity does not happen overnight. Jesus wanted them to consider the weakness of others and the infirmities of young followers. We must not put upon them the hardest duties at first. We must lead them gently as they are able to follow.
3. God’s New Way Can Preserve The Old and New. “Nor is new wine put into old [b]wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”
The old wineskins have lost their elasticity, which is good and normal. When they were young and their wine was new, it stretched to accommodate the fermentation of the wine. It kept the wine intact, allowed it to properly age and enhanced the flavor. Even though they are old, they have not lost their usefulness. They can be repurposed as water bottles or dry good containers. Handle them with care because they still have value.
New wine must be placed in new wineskins because the wine is fermenting, full of action and energy. The taste is different, the smell is different, and the movement is constant. The new wine must be allowed to go through the process. The key lesson in these parables of preservation is with the proper care and use both can be preserved. If we fail to use proper care, old wineskins will break and the valuable wine will be lost. Young ministry gifts will miscarriage and produce no fruit. When God send in the new wine, it is not a replacement of the old. Neither should we try to pour new wine in old wineskins because God has two goals in mind. God want to preserve the best of both worlds.
We need the new wine because it add so much sparkle and excitement to the church and allow God to move in different ways. God can display fresh movement, unharnessed resources, and untapped potential. It adds so much color, sparkle, and action to the church. We need the old wine and the old wineskins with their richness and fulness. Their pomp and circumstance add flavor that warms the stomach and makes life more wholesome. Jesus was not trying to destroy the form and save the power, he was about preserving the old and the new.
The Church of God accommodates both traditional and contemporary, both form and power, both freedom and discipline. Let’s care for the new wine with its weaknesses and limitations. Help them mature, grow and bring forth much fruit. Let’s value the season saints and allow space for the use of their spiritual gifts and abilities to strengthen the church.
When children begin their school career, notice the amount of time given to work, play, lunch and rest and sleep. As they mature, a shift occurs, there is less time for sleep and rest, play and recess and more time for work. When they graduate and get married, we don’t begin the marriage with an apron and a bloom, we begin with a celebration and a honeymoon. There will be plenty of time for chores, housework, a job, children, and taxes, but it begins with a honeymoon. Fasting and sacrifice will come.
God desires a church that will accommodate new and old wine, new and old wineskins, traditional and contemporary, dancing and mourning. Let’s joined God in preserving both. Let’s preserve the best of both in the church world
