A reading from the gospel according to Luke 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
33 “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”
36 And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
37 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.
38 Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
39 And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
Reflection: NEW
Good News: Being with Jesus is like a feast.
As usual, the scribes and Pharisees were quick to criticize the disciples of Jesus for not fasting, unlike the disciples of John the Baptist. It is ironic because they themselves did not become disciples of John. So they asked Jesus for an explanation. The Lord took the opportunity to teach a lesson about His mission.
In the gospel reading, Jesus presents Himself as the bridegroom who unites us with the Father. While he was in the company of His disciples, there was no need to fast because with Him, life is like a wedding feast. After all, He came so that the people will be reunited with the Father.
Like in a real wedding, the bride and the groom begin a NEW life of togetherness. Jesus came to give us NEW life with God as our father. Hence, the bible is divided into two, the Old Testament and the New Testament. We now leave old traditions aside and start a new journey with Jesus as our guide, master and teacher. We shed our old mindset in order to imbibe the new teachings of our Lord.
Of course it is not easy to just throw away “old clothes” especially if they have sentimental value or simply because “the old is good”. We would rather patch them if they are torn and they may look good as new. However, in our spiritual life, the old and the NEW cannot mix. It is therefore best to LET GO of old beliefs and traditions that are no longer in consonance with the gospel.
It is never an easy task but with prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit will be there to re-NEW us.
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Jesus uses the imagery of new wine and new wineskins to illustrate a profound truth about spiritual renewal and transformation. The Pharisees and the scribes question Jesus about why His disciples do not fast like John’s disciples or the Pharisees. In response, Jesus explains that there is a time for fasting, but it is not during the celebration of the bridegroom’s presence. He then shares a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”
This passage challenges us to consider the condition of our spiritual “wineskins.” The new wine represents the dynamic, life-giving presence of Jesus and His teachings. The old wineskins symbolize rigid religious traditions and mindsets that cannot contain the transformative power of the Gospel.
Jesus calls us to embrace the newness He brings, to open our hearts and minds to the fresh work of the Holy Spirit. Just as old wineskins would burst when filled with new wine, our old ways of thinking and living cannot hold the fullness of the life Christ offers. We are invited to let go of outdated patterns, to be renewed and transformed, allowing God’s grace to fill us completely.
This transformation is not merely about adopting new religious practices; it is about a total renewal of our being. It requires us to remain flexible, teachable, and responsive to God’s leading. When we allow Jesus to pour His new wine into us, we become vessels of His love, grace, and truth, equipped to serve His purposes in a changing world.
As we reflect on this passage, let us examine our lives and ask ourselves: Are we trying to fit the new life Jesus offers into old, rigid forms? Or are we allowing the Holy Spirit to make us new, creating within us the capacity to hold the abundance of His blessings? Let us become new wineskins, ready to be filled with the new wine of Christ’s transforming power, and willing to pour out His love to those around us.
