Bible
Study: Colossians1:15-20.
/ Luke 5:33-39.
Much of
the Jewish religious practices had become reduced to mere traditions so much so
that even when they saw God face to face in the person of Jesus, they were
still too blind by traditions to recognise him.
It is like
making an arduous journey to see a friend and then, one day, this friend comes
to meet you on the way telling you that you are following the wrong road, but
you push him aside, beat him up and even try to kill him, then you continue
your journey.
At first,
Jesus wanted to reform that religion, hence you hear him say things like “I was
sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24. With
practices such as fasting, the Jews had become lost.
It wasn’t the
case that Jesus was against fasting neither did he say praying to God was
wrong. He was giving us a proper context and the true spirituality behind
fasting as a religious exercise.
As a mere
tradition, fasting had become something that people do to show others their level
of holiness but Jesus was saying, no, no, no. Fasting is not what you do to
make you look good before people, instead, it is an act that draws you closer
to God and should be therefore be known to God alone who rewards in secret
those whose prayers are not done simply to attract men’s attention. (Read
Matthew 6:17-18).
In today’s
Gospel passage, Jesus used the question about fasting as a means of revealing
to the people his true divinity as God in the midst of them. He tells them, as
long as he was still with them in the flesh, there was no need for fasting and
in fact, by his very coming as the long awaited bridegroom, something new and
fresh has begun.
Practices such
as fasting or standing in the market place to pray which have become dead
traditions would now be renewed and if at all they were to continue, a new
light and understanding will be given to them. This is the meaning of “New wine
into new wineskins.”
Christ’s
coming marked a new beginning. It is something that had never happened before. As
St. Paul describes it in the first reading, Christ is the first born of all
creation for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth. His coming
among men is like new wine being poured into our hearts. As such if we do not
renew our minds, that is, if we do not get new wineskins, we would not be able
to contain Christ.
If much of
our religion is about appearing good before people, we fast to draw men’s attention
to ourselves, then we are still operating with old wineskins, the old wineskins
of the Jews at the time of Jesus, a wineskin that was laden with hypocrisy. We
need new wineskins, wineskins that represent fresh hearts, sincere pure and
undefiled.
Let us
pray:
Thank you
Jesus for this enlightenment. May my worship not be reduced to mere traditions
but let it proceed from a sincere heart that gives you true honour and
adoration. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. And Happy
Birthday to all those born today especially my lovely daddy.
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