Wine Skins For Tomorrow

  • Wineskins are a reflexive tool

    Sociologist Anthon Giddens first introduced me to the idea that human social life is possible because we are reflexive and purposeful creatures. In other words, we monitor what we do as we live together and we ask ourselves why and if we achieved our purpose in so acting. His writings suggest that monitoring occurs at both conscious and unconscious levels. He is bold enough to encourage doing as much of our monitoring as possible at the conscious level enabling more reflexivity.

    Jesus’ use of the imagery of wineskins was not so academic. He was being pragmatic. By calling attention to wineskins, Jesus is making the same point as Giddens, we can and must become more intentional. The central question, “Are the ways we live, the concepts with which we organize what we believe capable of communicating the life with God to which we have been invited?” The critical question, “If that was once true, is it still true today?”

    As we read in the Gospels, the ministry of Jesus is the new wineskin for the love and mercy of God in the world. In Luke 7:20-22:

    When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

    The utility of the wineskin analogy comes in verse 23.

    Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me

    New wineskins challenge those comfortable with use of the old. The problem is we all are nurtured to faith in wineskins that are in danger of becoming ‘old.’ John, the messenger tasked with preparing the way for Jesus began to question because his frame of reference was populated by ‘old wineskins.’

    We who only know a world of ‘old’ wineskins need an external monitoring measure to guide our reflexive response to the challenges and changes of our day. That external measure is provided in God revealing himself to the slaves in Egypt and to us today. The Bible repeatedly describes it. I have come to label it as the varietal faith. To know if the wineskins of our vintage measure up, we need to apply these values revealed in the character of God:

    1. Righteousness—life lived with God and neighbors that eliminates alienation and brokenness
    2. Compassion—the quality of living that extends mercy and grace when alienation and brokenness enter the community
    3. Fellowship—love and worship towards God, love and forgiveness towards neighbors

    I have some ideas on wineskins structured by these values. I am sure you do too. I will be share mine in future blogs.

  • Wineskins: Change concept for the community of Jesus Followers

    Why wineskins?

    In New Testament era Israel wineskins were a common tool used in the process of winemaking. Wine was generally fermented grape juice commonly used because of the poor quality of water. The wineskins were most often whole goatskins sewn and treated to provide an appropriate vessel for a year’s current production. The skins were vented at one point to allow the gases produced in fermentation to escape. The process of fermentation is the reason new wineskins were required. Skins became brittle over time which rendered them risky as vessels of the current vintage.

    For Jesus the wineskin was convenient tool to assist his audience to better reflect on his teaching and on their experience of his ministry. What he taught and how he lived both required his audience to make changes in their personal and religious lives. His parable of the wineskins sought to ease this process.

    His audience had personal experience with wineskins that had failed. His analogy transfers that knowledge making it applicable to his point: the failure of current religious practice and belief to represent the revelation of God guiding the Jewish people. Equally the people need to change how they lived with each other. Their relationship to God and their relations with each other had been poorly served by the pharisaic turn in Judaism.

    The parable was also a metaphor for the new teaching and new relationships needing new containers. Jesus taught that their faith must become more internal in motivation so that externally their actions demonstrated more devotion to God and more love for others. The difficulties of breaking these long-held habits required a new experience with God—the Holy Spirit.

    The parable was not for first generation followers of Jesus alone. This parable, like all the words of Jesus, also provides meaning for each succeeding generation. My assumption is: the varietal faith remains consistent with each generation experiencing and producing a vintage that requires new wineskins. This process is under the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised. The new contexts which shape the lives of each generation require new applications of the varietal faith thus creating a vintage that needs to ferment within appropriate skins.

    When a figure of speech is used to point out a routine practice, the speaker desires one outcome. We take the routine practice for granted, that’s what makes it routine. If the speaker is successful, we will become aware of even intentional about our use of that behavior in the future. I am convinced that this is the purpose for Jesus using this parable.

    Jesus is providing us with a template for managing change. As his followers we have often viewed change as a failure to follow him. Wineskins indicate that we experience change. Wineskins can become a tool for us to more successfully follow Jesus. Our challenge becomes analyzing change, even anticipating it, and creating Kingdom building responses.

    Share your thoughts