The Gospel of Luke – Jesus is for everyone: Don’t hold onto the past when Jesus is doing something new

Many people find change difficult. We grow used to the familiar and we don’t like change. Jesus gives 3 examples of not holding on to the past:

Don’t be a party pooper (vs 33-35) – Some people love to spoil a party. People were celebrating a great event at Levi’s house – he had left his life as a tax collector and was following Jesus. The Pharisees wanted people to follow their religion. Jesus was doing a new thing. God was on a rescue mission to bring us into relationship with Him. You cannot fast at a wedding. The Pharisees were fighting Jesus over breaking their man made religious rules and traditions. God is looking to do a new thing in our lives. Do not try to restrict and criticise what God is doing in peoples lives.
Don’t try and add Jesus to your old life (vs 36) – God is doing a new thing. He is bringing in a new covenant. You are a new creation, you have a new set of clothes to wear (Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:1-17). We are called to give up our old ways and not to try to add Jesus on to our old ways.
Don’t try to contain God’s new work in old structures (vs37-38) – Wine was really important in Jesus’ day. It was a vital part of Jewish worship. New wineskins were supple and they stretched as the wine fermented. New wine in old wineskins would cause the wineskins to burst as the wine fermented. Jesus is saying He is doing a new thing and He is warning His listeners not to try to fit Him into their religious practices. God wants to do a new thing in our lives.