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Gospel Matthew 9:14-17 |
14 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. 17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Faith isn’t just duty—it’s relationship, joy, and transformation. It should grow and adapt. Clinging to old forms may hinder divine movement. Like new wineskins, we must remain flexible and ready for fresh insight.
"New Wine"
You came not with law’s rigid flame,
But with love that called my name.
In skins once dry with earthly strain,
You pour new wine—life’s holy rain.
Old patches tear with every try,
But You mend me where I cry.
New wineskins stretch with Spirit’s song,
Your covenant where I belong.
Teach me joy while You are near,
Not bound by rites but love sincere.
Pour within, let grace extend,
To make me new until the end.
Lord Jesus,
You are the Bridegroom of my soul, the bringer of joy, the author of new beginnings. In Your presence, mourning turns to dancing, and rigid rituals dissolve into living faith.
Make me a new wineskin, Lord— flexible, open, ready for the overflow of Your Spirit. May I not cling to the old simply out of comfort, but embrace the renewal You offer with courage and hope. Fill me with Your joy, teach me through Your grace, and let the ferment of Your truth bubble within me, reaching every corner of my life until it shines with Your light. In the celebration of Your nearness, I rejoice.
Amen.
Historical Background
This passage occurs during Jesus’ early ministry, when His radical approach to spirituality drew attention—and controversy. John's disciples ask why Jesus' followers don’t fast, a common religious practice at the time. Jesus uses metaphors—wedding guests, patching garments, and wineskins—to explain that something new has arrived: a new covenant and a new way of relating to God.
Fasting Tradition: Jewish groups often fasted as an expression of mourning, repentance, or devotion. Pharisees and John’s disciples practiced regular fasting.
New Wine in Old Wineskins: A vivid analogy from daily life in ancient Israel. Wineskins, made from animal hides, would stretch when new wine fermented. Using old skins would cause them to burst—symbolizing how old systems couldn’t contain Jesus' new teachings.
Theological Context
Jesus isn’t abolishing spiritual discipline like fasting—He’s reframing it. The metaphors signal:
Presence of the Bridegroom: Jesus presents Himself as the bridegroom. When He is present, celebration, not mourning, is appropriate.
New Covenant: His ministry inaugurates a new era—grace over law, renewal over ritual.
Transformation: True faith requires new vessels—open hearts ready for divine transformation.
Pericope:
III. Ministry and Mission in Galilee
THE QUESTION ABOUT FASTING
Matthew 9:14-17
Gospel Acclamation
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
Reflection:
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