16 No man putteth a piece of new
cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from
the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the
bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put
new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. (Matt
9:16-17 )
The
Collect
Second
Sunday after Trinity
|
O
|
LORD, who never failest to help and
govern those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love; Keep us, we
beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have
a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
These two parables being of such brevity, I have decided to cover both in
today's devotion. They are closely related to each other in meaning as well.
Does the measure of antiquity add value to a vase or a statue? Yes, material
things, well-preserved, may gain value over time for their antique value. But
what of ideas, principles, and truth? Ideas do not gain value over time.
Often ideas are evil from the beginning. Principles, if they are sound and
meaningful, may gain value, or they may become antiquated and useless as new
ways of operation become known. What of Truth? Truth is timeless. That which
was true from the beginning will be true today, and tomorrow, and forever. The
age, or recency, of ideas and principles, laws and morals, are not
dependent upon the calendar for value. They stand or fall upon their own
merits.
In the two parables today, we have a contrast being presented between Law and
Grace – legalism and liberty! The Law, planted by God at Eden (Genesis 1:28) and
later at Sinai, is the seed from which Grace may grow. An apple seed may be
perfect as a seed, but it can never grow into an apple tree until it is planted
in good soil, nourished by the rains of Spring, germinated through the process
God has placed in its nature, burst through its shell, and reaches for the sun
above the surface. That apples seed will have taken on a new form when it
begins to grow into a tree. First came the Law to make us aware of the futility
of self-righteousness and our complete hopelessness in saving ourselves. If we
knew not the Law, how could we appreciate Grace? When Grace came in its
effulgence rays of light, what a blessing that we knew when we were saved from
the penalty of the Law through the Grace of Christ.
16 No man putteth a
piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up
taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. The
process of time has a wearing down effect on garments. Even the earth is
presently undergoing this wearing down process (unlike the evolutionists who
believe in the increasing complexities of nature's structure). Lift up
your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens
shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and
they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for
ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. (Isaiah 51:6)
Who should want to drag a piece of the world through the gates of Heaven? There
is nothing this world has to offer that is befitting the glorious New Heaven.
There is a story I wrote of an old Korean Papasan named Kim. He loved the
beauty of the Korean mountains that surrounded his village, the allure of the
early morning fog that drifted as a white river over the rice paddies, and he
loved to watch the joyous children playing along the sycamore trees that lined
his fields. When he grew old and ready to die, he lay sick on his bed at home.
The family gathered about told him of the joys of heaven, but old Kim asked if
he could find Korea in heaven. "No, of course not," they
responded, "heaven offers much more than Korea could ever afford."
"In that case," responded the old man, "I do not wish to go to
heaven." Finally, as his last breath was being drawn, he asked to be
carried outside and laid on the fertile ground of his Korean homeland. This
done, he lay with one hand grasping the Korean soil, and thusly he died. When
he arrived at heaven's gate, St. Peter welcomed the old man but, as he was
entering the gate, St Peter said, "Wait, Mr. Kim! What do you have in your
hand?" "It is the dirt of Korea," said Kim. "I'm
sorry," said St Peter. "No one can enter heaven with anything other
than their simple souls." "Then I shall not enter," responded
Kim. He sat outside the gate in the heat of the sun. He was most miserable. A
great angel came out and pleaded for Kim to release the dirt and enter heaven,
but Kim would hear none of it. The weather took on the chilling winds of late
fall and early winter. The old man was dreadfully cold. Finally, a precious
little angel came out that looked very much Korean and begged the old man to
drop the dirt and come into the pleasant land of heaven. "Father Kim, all
who remain outside of heaven are as good as dead. Your hands are so terribly
afflicted with arthritis that the dirt has become a burden to you. Please drop
the dirt and come inside." Old Kim slowly stood up, his hands no longer
able to clasp the dirt which began to filter as sand through his aged fingers.
With shoulders upright and chin held high, he walked toward Heaven's Gate.
When the winter's blast gradually swept behind him, Kim entered fully the gate
of Heaven. He was amazed. Why had no one told him? He saw the most wonderful
Korea he had ever seen, with grand and gorgeous mountains of waterfalls far
more splendid than those of Korea, and little children (faces aglow) playing
along the sycamore trees that lined the rich and abundant paddies. "Why
did I hesitate?" the old man wondered as he arrived at the land of his
most wildest dreams.
The old things of this world are truly out of place compared with the glories
of heaven. So the old demands of the Law in the face of the abundant
forgiveness and grace offered through the shed blood of Christ.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old
bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles
perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Would we all not like to become as newly born children? We come into this world
with no bad reputations to haunt us, no regrets of past sins, and hearts
full of hope for that which is coming in our lives. We have that same fortune
and hope when we are born anew in Christ! Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new. (2 Cor 5:17)This should fill our hearts with gladness.
Why do men not put new wine into old bottles? New wine is full of life and is
still germinating and expanding. The old bottles of leather have grown brittle
and will break with such new wine. The old is unable to hold the new. When we
are born anew in Christ, all of those old sins and indiscretion should fall
away. Christ gives us a new heart of His imputed righteousness. The old heart
full of the filth and dregs of sin must fall away. The old heart of man cannot
hold the new wine of the Holy Ghost – it must be changed for a new heart. Like
the heart, the old wine bottles were made of the flesh of animals (skin). But
the new wine bottles (new heart) is also made of flesh, but this flesh has
God's Law written there upon instead of upon stone tables of rigid compulsion. How
easy to be kind and loving to a child, a son, a daughter – because our actions
to these are governed by love. So should our actions toward all men be governed
by love that streams from the heart of Christ into ours. Do you have such a
heart? Class dismissed!
