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“Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the
new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the
skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh
wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires
new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” Luke 5:37–39
This short parable comes at the beginning of Jesus’ public
ministry. He just called Levi, the tax collector, to become one of
His disciples, and then Levi invited Jesus to dine at his home with
other tax collectors and sinners. When the scribes and Pharisees
saw this, they objected and challenged our Lord. In response, Jesus
tells this parable as a way of explaining that He came to call
everyone to change and to experience a new transformation of their
life.
The “new wine” spoken of in this parable is the grace poured forth
from the Cross. Remember that blood and water sprung forth from His
side as He hung upon the Cross. This has been symbolically
understood as the grace and mercy given to us from the Cross, which
is transmitted today through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy
Communion. Baptism transforms us into a new creation, and, as a new
creation in Christ, we must desire the new wine of the Most Holy
Eucharist so as to be daily transformed by our Lord.
Many of the Church Fathers point out that the “old wine” that many
prefer is a reference to those who wanted to continue living
according to the old law. This is especially true of the scribes
and Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking this parable. Jesus was
bringing them a new teaching and preparing them for a new grace.
But they rejected it, preferring the old life they were
living.
One thing this tells us is that if we are to receive this new wine
of the grace of God, we must be ready and willing to abandon our
old selves and become new. Change can be hard. Even as evangelized
Christians who are already living in the grace of Christ, we will
be continually called to a deeper and deeper change in our lives.
Too often we can easily become complacent and content with the life
we are living. When that happens, it will hinder our Lord from
pouring the new wine of His grace into our souls in ongoing
superabundance.
How do you deal with change in life? If you want to grow in
holiness, you can be certain that change is the only constant in
life. We must become new creations each and every day, growing,
being more fully transformed, changing our ways, giving up the old
and embracing that which is ever new. This requires a certain
amount of courage as we come face-to-face with the daily need to be
changed by grace. It means daily death to our old self and daily
becoming a new creation in God.
Reflect, today, upon the courage it takes to change. What is it in
your life that you may be afraid to change? What “old wine” do you
prefer over the “new wine” of God’s grace? What old habits or
attachments do you have that our Lord wants you to let go of? Face
the changes God wants for you with courage and trust, and You will
indeed become more fully the new creation in Christ you are meant
to be.
My most merciful Lord, I know You call me to continual change in
my life. Please give me the courage I need to face all that I need
to detach from in life and all that hinders me from becoming the
glorious new creation You have called me to become. Pour forth Your
abundant grace into my life, dear Lord, making me into Your new and
glorious creation in grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: The Feast in the House of Levi
by Paolo Veronese, via Wikimedia Commons
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