The soul stretching journey towards God.

***

Gospel: Luke 5: 33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Jesus likens himself – and the faith he inspires – to new wine poured into fresh wineskins. He intends to stretch us. 

This is what can make Christianity hard at times.

***

Consider a few practical examples.

Let’s say you prefer talking to listening. Try listening first for an entire day. You’ll feel stretched.

Or you recognize your impatience. Slow down at those yellow lights. Let someone ahead of you at the grocery store. Allow you children’s rooms to remain messy for another day. You’ll feel stretched.

Or say you lean a little too heavily on a habit. Give it up for a day. You’ll feel stretched.

By sunset, we may be tempted to say, “The old is good.” But we should also realize that we were made for more. 

If we allow the Spirit to stretch us, then over time we’ll become a better listener; more patient; less reliant upon people or things, and more dependent upon grace.

We’ll become more of who God made us to be: a happier, healthier, holier version of our Christian selves. 

***

In what way is the Lord inviting me to be stretched today?

***

***

Image credits: (1) Renewing Hope Counseling (2) Grace Bible Church, Holidays, PA (3) CreativeYouthIdeas.com