Daily Devotions
Mark
"But to those who are disobedient... a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense."
Text: 1 Peter 2:7- 8a
A SAD COMMENT
Jesus understood why there were these constant questions from His detractors. It was sad to see wave after wave of attack against Jesus. Why could they not have given Jesus more leeway with reference to His approach to ministry? Surely the results of His ministry would have told them that He was obviously doing something very right!
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment;
or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear
is made worse.
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins: or else
the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled,
and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into
new wineskins.”
MARK 2:21-22
1. Old ways
The ways of the scribes and Pharisees may indeed be called “old ways”. The characteristics are obvious. (The disciples of John were caught up with the strict ways of John. His ministry was confined to the wilderness. His work was one that was meant to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. His ideas and practices were limited, to say the least)
a) Inflexibility in traditional ideas and practices.
b) Intolerance of others who did things differently.
c) Incomprehensibility that there could be other ways of doing things.
2. New Ways
The ways of Jesus were entirely new to Israel. But new ways did not automatically make Him suspect.
a) As long as truth is not compromised, new ways must not be despised or rejected.
b) As long as people are led to repentance and they come to faith in the Lord, new ways ought to be given due respect.
c) As long as there was good reason and great results there should be cause for genuine interest in the teachings and methods of Jesus.
WHERE THE OLD WAYS AND THE NEW WAYS CANNOT BE INTERFACED
The illustration of old garments and old wineskins not being able to accommodate new unshrunk cloth and new wine is most pointed and obvious.