We Don’t Necessarily Want to be Freed from Old Prejudices

Old methods of making leather shoes. 

Scripture:

Luke 5:33   Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink. ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵ The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶ He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’”

Observation:

This conversation between the religious leaders and Jesus takes us to an interesting conclusion. The Pharisees and their scribes were extremely legalistic and determined to follow the letter of the law. This included what they thought was important about fasting. While the Old Testament only required fasting once a year, they had created additional requirements so that the people would need to fast twice a week. 

The purpose of fasting was for spiritual preparation and repentance for spiritual renewal. What they didn’t understand was that the One who was to bring that spiritual renewal was now standing before them. Why would you fast when the reason for celebration had already begun! It made no sense to Jesus. 

This is the first time that Jesus seems to acknowledge that he will be taken away from the people. He knew that he would eventually be facing death and in that time, the people would certainly pray and fast. 

Jesus moves into teaching by use of a parable. This has to do with new fabric and old garments, and new wine and old wineskins. This is about the struggle between the legalism of the past and the ways in which the Spirit will move in the future. The leaders have a problem with having a different perspective on a familiar issue. Neale tells us, “it is the change from ethnicity to repentance as the method of entry to the new community that is in contention. This is not the replacement of Judaism with a new religion” (Neale, NBBC). 

Only Luke’s gospel includes the statement in verse 39. It seems a bit of an odd closure to the parable when it appears that Jesus wants us to embrace the new, why then, does he speak favorably of the old. John Wesley believes that Jesus is telling them that it’s very hard to give up your old prejudices. In fact, we may not want to be freed from the old way that we have done things. Therefore, we may see the new that is happening and yet cling to the past and say, “The old is good.”

Application:

There is comfort to be found in the way things used to be. I have to confess a bit of nostalgia as during this year I’ve had time to reflect on how things had been. Maybe you’re like me and getting a little bit of cabin fever by now. While I will go to church shortly this morning, it’s not like it used to be. Only about 30% of the people are attending in person and with social distancing — it’s just different. And while I can lament that I liked it the way it used to be, if I only focus on what was, I will miss what is. 

Because I’ve not been traveling, I get to go to church on Sundays with my granddaughters. They sit with me every Sunday on the back row of the church. I have noticed a new habit — for those who go in person — we really have staked out our spots so, if anyone sits in that place, it really messes things up :) Through this season my granddaughters have learned to take communion. Every Sunday they can now recite the Lord’s Prayer. It’s turned into a special time for me. While I miss what was, I’m okay with embracing what is. This has also become very special. 

Wesley’s comment really struck me because he said that people didn’t want to be freed from their prejudices. That’s a very challenging statement, not just about actions and activities, but about the condition of the heart. We have work to do in the area of prejudices. I think we face these questions almost every day, although we may not know it. This may especially be true when it comes to questions of racism. We don’t really want to look at this question because, it could be painful, as it just might reveal that we have been holding onto some prejudices. This is why I believe Luke included verse 39, because it’s so much more comfortable to say, “Ah — but everything has been so good, why change it now.” 

We change now because we live in the “already” of the kingdom of God. Jesus has already come, and has already prepared a new way for us to move forward in this world. Jesus ate with those whom the world condemned. Jesus intentionally broke down the walls of prejudice within his new kingdom. He knew that it wouldn’t fit into the old wineskins and therefore there had to be something new. We are invited to live in the new, but that is a space where we must continually live in growth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the on-going promptings for change that come from the Lord, we will slip into the old and comfortable patterns of the past. God wants to do something new and different through us when we are willing to be freed from old prejudices. 

Prayer:

Lord, take my heart and make it ever new.  Amen.