THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:33-39
“No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Luke 5:37)
Praying and fasting are examples of deep religious devotion.
Jesus is being challenged on not being religious enough.
But He ignores the question ‘religion’ and talks about ‘relationship’ instead.
The bridegroom has arrived, the climax of a traditional Jewish marriage.
All the preparations leading up to his arrival are eclipsed, forgotten.
Let the celebration begin.
Jesus is ‘God-with-us’, we can be in personal relationship with Him.
He did not come to start a religion, but to restore people to fellowship with God.
God wants us to know Him, love Him, talk with Him, work with Him, love for Him.
All our actions become ‘religious’ in that respect, whatever we do we do for Him.
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Yet history shows people prefer the old wine of religion… sacred rules, rituals, traditions.
Christians have been just as guilty of judging others for not being religious enough.
Why don’t you go to church, or pray, or tithe, or rest on Sunday, or dress up for church, or…?
Jesus came to bring us into the joy and celebration of living with, like and for God.
Religious practices are fine, if they are a part of our relating personally to God.
But the wine is the personal relationship, not the religious ritual.
Are you experiencing this ‘new wine’?
Or are you stuck in being religious, missing out on the joy of being with Him?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, strengthen my bond with You and with God, so that my whole life is a new wine experience. May religion decline, and relationship with You increase!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
One day we should co-write blogs together. Wouldn’t that be fun? 😉 lol I can see you now….”too much work”.
Anywho. I love that Jesus bases everything he does on a personal relationship with God. Instead of religion. Knowing that very well men fight and kill in the name of religion. I think of my sister Iman who is Muslim. When we meet. We make sure we don’t discuss Muslim or Christianity. My job is not to preach or convert religion on anyone. Its about building a relationship in love like a friend Jesus is. All religions may fight but they all have one thing in common. A goal or purpose to fulfill. Someone or something they believe in.
I sense Jesus is trying to tell us he is closer than we know. But we often pull away and as I prepare to write a poem to recite to say at a friends funeral who ended her own life today. I remember Jesus was there that night. I remember he was always there and he will never leave. I can trust him. When the world slowly fades to dust. He’s a best friend to have a personal relationship with.