In the Gospels the Pharisees were a religious sect that held to the literal understanding of truth, they made long prayer in public to be seen, gave alms for the reward of their peers, and held fast to the letter of the law. I understand that these were actual people, but for God to tell us about them has but little value; except, when we understand that there is a Pharisee in each one of us. This Pharisee in us looks at the things of God from a self serving attitude, from the carnal fleshly ‘reward and punishment’ system, seeing only that which the five sense can grasp. But, for those that want more from their relationship with God, these same parables give us a hint as to what is in the way.
The parable in Luke five is about new and old wineskins. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins…But new wine must be put into new wine skins.”
In the days of old it was no different than that of today; the religion of man ruled, the methods of the carnal flesh reined, the literal understanding of the teachings of God was all that was grasped; thus man was perishing and Christ had to come and save us from ourselves. If we view this parable as nothing more than a lesson on how to preserve wine, as the surface value indicates, then we also have missed a deeper understanding of God’s teachings. If we see only with earthly eyes, if we hear thru earthly ears, and we continue to think through our carnal brain, then nothing more than the ‘reward and punishment’ system, and a literal violent acknowledgement of truth can ever be comprehended. But, if one repents, that is to change the way he thinks, throw away the old wineskin, allowing God’s Spirit to transform each from within, then Christ’s new teaching has a new wineskin unto which to pour His new Wine. A man must be emptied of this man-made religion, these misinformed teachings from these corporations called ‘church’, and turn from our ways, change the way we views things, (repent), and humble ourselves, then God will heal our land, (our very person), and pour His Wine into our now new wineskin.
Religion doesn’t work, it never has, for if it did, then why would this new wine burst the old wineskin. Those that hold to the traditions of man don’t immediately desire new, saying that the old wine is better. I hope we know better.
