|
Luke 5:39
And no one after drinking old wine wants the
new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
|
January 18
Old Is Better
New is not always better. It is no secret
that things today are made to be disposable, to
be thrown out once they break. Older
products were built to last and be repaired when
they break. The new is cheaper, both in
price but also in construction.
Any wine expert will tell you that older is
better because it has taken longer to ferment
and gain flavor. In Jesus parable,
drinking old wine is a new experience however.
Someone has drunk old wine will not desire the
old experience of the newer, cheaper wine.
In this passage, Jesus was asked why His
disciples did not fast but instead went on
eating and drinking. Jesus response was to
say in essence that there was a new and better
way.
The Christian life is not meant to be dull and
boring. It is meant to be exciting.
It is not a matter of what we give up to become
Christians but the joy that we gain in
fellowship with God.
Any person who experienced the joy of the Lord
should not want to ever return to a time when
they did not have it. We do not long for
something in the past when we have a better
option today. As is the case of the
parable, once we've tasted old wine, we don't
want a cheaper substitute. So it is with
the joy of our salvation. |
