Leave The Old To Become New

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟐𝟕:𝟏-𝟓, 𝟏𝟓-𝟐𝟗

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟑𝟓:𝟏-𝟔 “𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝." 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟗:𝟏𝟒-𝟏𝟕

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑯𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒔.” (𝒗.17) 

         The great philosopher Isaac Newton’s third law on motion in states that: “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” and could very well apply to our Gospel for today in which Jesus speaks about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.

         The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage today in which Matthew wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.

         Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel passage is all about.

         The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.

         The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they seek divine intervention.

         And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.14) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present.

         This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).

         What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.

         And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.

         In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.

         The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.

         As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixed and closed to accept the truths of Christ may make us physically alive but mentally dead.

         To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that we must remain open not only to new ideas but to accepting the truths of Christ because the opposite which is a closed mind would result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.

         In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.

         For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.

         This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.

         The imagery presented in this Gospel is what is being relived at the Aspirant’s Retreat being conducted by the BLD Global Districts as the penultimate leg in the spiritual journey of members who have committed to enter into a covenantal relationship with the Lord.

         I still remember what the late BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in one of his homily as he told those attending one of the retreat that they could make their presence at the retreat more meaningful if they will surrender to Jesus all their sins which is the only thing that Jesus, in whom all things were made, doesn’t own. 

         Again, this is what fasting and becoming new wineskins is all about. We fast and submit to Jesus all our sins so that we can make room for the new wine (the truths of the Gospel) and thus be made right in the presence of our Lord and Savior. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 5, 2025)