Matthew 9: 16-17

                “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”

The trouble with most walks in Christ is that we forget that His yoke is easy and His burden light.   We take it upon ourselves, but forget to give our burdens up to Him in return. So it comes to no surprise when we find ourselves overwhelmed and eventually burnt out. We began to believe that the pursuit of righteousness is too much to bear.    By not making that exchange we are trying to balance Christ with the world. It can’t be done; no man can serve two masters.  

The above passage is an illustration used to convey a message, but given from two different perspectives to ensure the point is reached to it intended audience. In comparison we find that the old garment and the wineskins are the same and it can be inferred that they are used to represent man. The same goes for the piece of unshrunk cloth and the wine; they are synonymous with one another representing Christ.

Taking in Christ while you are still clothed in your old worldly garments, you will find that those worldly skins break. The Wine of the Holy Spirit that Christ sent to fill and bless you is spilled and you lie in ruin. As you try to mend together the old wineskin using bits and pieces of unshrunk cloth, you find you can't.    With Christ its all or nothing.  Ruined, you are now only able to carry wine up to that original break.  Anything past that mark and you break again, this time making the original tear worse, until you are no longer able to carry any wine at all.

We struggle to rebuild and obtain the blessings that have been promised to us because we are still trying to work with the same beat up wineskins. How then do you prepare new wineskins?  The answer, you don’t. It is like the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Christ does not give us more than we can bear, that being said the Holy Spirit isn’t poured out in increments. When we are born again in Christ we become new creatures. New creatures with new wineskins, Christ pours out the Holy Spirit and each person takes of him to their fill. This is easily compared to the parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-28). Whereas the talents are given according to our abilities the minas are given equally to all, it is up to us what we do with them. The Wine is given out equally to everyone in abundance. The wineskins however are according to ability. We start small and when we prove ourselves through our diligence and obedience we are given bigger better wineskins so we can better use the minas that are given. Its spiritual growth, as you grow you began to understand more and you are trusted with more so you need of a bigger wineskin to accommodate the increase of what has been entrusted to you. God gives us the tools necessary for us to be successful; he will give us new wineskins according to our ability.

Each day we are given a fresh start, you can’t receive the same wine twice. God is always revealing himself through the Holy Spirit. The talents given come with a new perspective, you can’t give a man command of many if he hasn’t commanded a few. If you do he is sure to mess up in the process, its progressive. When he has proven himself he is granted new wineskins and given new wine, and is able to handle the task at hand.

Are you making the most of the wine that is being offered? Or are you trying to receive new wine in old garments?