“No one who drinks a well-aged wine wants new wine,” Jesus said, “but says, ‘The well-aged wine is better’” (Luke 5:39).
In the parable preceding these verses, Jesus is telling people that his presence is a new situation that demands a new response: the bridegroom is here; the heavenly banquet has begun ahead of time, and thus eating and drinking are more appropriate for his disciples than fasting and praying. You don’t fast on the day of the wedding!
But it’s hard to make this kind of shift, because old habits die hard. It’s difficult for those accustomed to well-aged wine to appreciate the new. Whatever you’re accustomed to is what seems best, because it’s familiar, and familiarity is comforting.
It makes me wonder what old habits I have that seem right simply because they’re familiar. Am I paying close enough attention to what God is doing now that I can respond appropriately? Even when it offends my sense of propriety?
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