Matthew 9:14-17 NRSVue
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
John’s disciples, like the older brother of the Prodigal Son, have a
grievance, and Jesus’ answer sparkles in an unexpected way: /I am the
bridegroom, and the party will not last for ever./ He picks up a hint of
self-righteousness in their question, but he does not linger on it, just uses
a metaphor. They went off wondering, as I wonder sometimes: Am I an old
wineskin? Lord, renew me, fill me with your new wine.
Reflection
There are rich overtones in the words used here: a /patch/ is pleroma
(fullness); and a /tear/ is schism (schism). What is Jesus teaching? The
treasures of Judaism are not to be torn away in a schism, but rather to be
preserved in the fullness of Jesus' teaching. We must preserve both the old
and the new wine.
Reflection
Prayer renews us, as does any activity of faith. It can be like the new wine
in fresh wineskins. It's like the joy of meeting a friend after a long time,
or indeed meeting the friends we meet daily. If prayer is not refreshing and
renewing our spirits, maybe we pray the wrong way. If we find the way to pray
that enlivens us and brings us the quiet joy of God, we have found the
treasure of faith.
Reflection
Jesus speaks here of the continuity of his message with the religious beliefs
of the people. He respects their beliefs and practices but knows that
something new and deeper is needed. He freshens their understanding of God's
dealings with them over centuries and then gives his own new message. The map
of our faith lives is made up of all that has happened in our lives and in
our faith. Faith is always developing and dynamic, new truths building on the
truths of the past.
Reflection
Do I sometimes hang on to things that I would be better letting go ofs: old,
treasured and worn out ideas and attitudes can come between me and being
fully in the presence of Jesus?
Reflection
If I find myself to be aware that Jesus is with me, I pray for the new heart
I need to receive his spirit; if I am less aware that ‘the bridegroom is
with me’, I am invited to create a little more space – to ‘fast’, to
review my habits, to prepare a new wineskin.