new wine versus old

I love John Michael Talbot's application of Mk 2.18-22;

There is often tension about how to fit a new movement raised up by the Spirit into the church. Too much conformity of the new to the old will destroy the uniqueness of the new. Too much rigidity on the part of the new towards the old will cause it to degenerate into self-righteousness.

DO NOT FORCE THE NEW INTO OLD CATEGORIES

The context is that Jesus and the apostles were being compared to the practice of another "renewal" group: John the Baptist and his disciples. They were also being compared to the established renewal group in Israel: the Pharisees. The apparent issue was the practice of fasting. Jesus' answer, however, applies to all customs and practices of religion. He said we cannot sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak or put new wine into an old wineskin. To try to do so would destroy both.

Jesus does not go so far as to say that old wine or old wineskins are bad. Neither does he say that the old cloak is bad. Quite the contrary! Old wine is sought after as the best. Likewise, there is nothing quite so comfortable as an old cloak. It is just a bad thing to try to artificially force a new movement into old categories. The new movement may not initially appear to be as good but may end up better than the old, given time.

DO NOT STIFLE THE SPIRIT

Whatever new communities and movements the Spirit raises up through various founders must be given freedom by the church to develop their own "wineskins," without being forced into the old. Likewise, the new movement must respectfully recognize that they can learn much from the older movements.

Do we stifle the Spirit by trying to put new wine into old wineskins? Do we sin through pride by not recognizing that old wine is in many ways
better than new? Do we sin through pride by not admitting that the new may someday be better than the old? These are the questions we must answer for a new movement to be consistent with the words of Jesus.