From the mid “1990’s” I was often invited to speak at industry conferences about the impact of the internet on business because I was a “contrarian.” Other speakers were “true believers” in “the new order.” They said the internet would change everything; within a decade, all shopping would be done online and most physical stores would go out of business.    

My philosophy was: “The more things change, the more they stay the same – only different.” I didn’t subscribe to the “everything will be different” theory because I believed some fundamental factors would not change, should not change to be successful, even though many things would change.

When I read Luke’s account of Jesus’ “old wine, new wineskins” story (Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:21-22 and Luke 5:33-39) I am reminded of this philosophy. In Matthew and Mark’s version, Jesus simply tells the crowd, “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

This saying is often interpreted to mean that the Spirit is constantly blowing where the Spirit will, doing new things to reach new people. As the church, we can’t be bound by tradition and set in our ways letting old habits get in the way. We must follow where the Spirit leads us and reach people where they are.

As we celebrate the Reformation’s 500th Anniversary, change should be on our mind. Unlike many Lutherans, Luther thought the church should continue to reform itself. Where is God calling you? What new wineskin do you need, do we need, to convey the new wine of the Spirit? How do we respond as God does a new thing?

But Luther and Luke also thought the more things change, the more they stay the same, only different. Luther thought of the church as one (one Lord, one faith, one baptism …) and knew God’s love and grace and our call to love God and neighbor must always remain, no matter what wineskins we use to carry and share the Gospel.

Read Luke 5:33-39 and think about the last line of Luke’s story – Luke’s almost paradoxical difference from Matthew and Mark’s account. Then ask yourself, what is the old wine I love? What remains the same, despite the changes, the new wineskins? And what do we have to do with new wine (and new wineskins) to love it like the old?
Hint: God loves you UNCONDITIONALLY! God meets you right where you are and loves you enough not to leave you there! 

Mike

Today’s reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+5:33-39