I think Jesus sees us when we are in a stale state of living, and he knows there’s a way to rejuvenate us to a more productive state, but we tend to think we deserve to be thrown in the trash.
Have you ever picked up a slice of bread and instantly had a disgusted feeling in your stomach? As soon as you touched the stiff, lifeless slice, you knew it was stale. It’s funny how you don’t know it’s stale until you touch it—until you have an encounter with the slice. You can’t just look at a slice of bread and know it’s stale.
In Luke 5:29-39, Jesus uses a couple of parables to discuss when it’s appropriate to fast and when it’s inappropriate to fast. One of the parables is about a wedding feast where people wouldn’t fast because they are celebrating in the presence of the groom. Jesus uses this common event to illustrate that this is why his disciples are not fasting—Jesus’ presence means they are in the presence of the groom.
Another parable compares the purpose of old wine skins to new wine skins. In that time, people would store wine in clay jars or wine skins, which were pouches made from the hide of goats. Once a freshly made wine skin had been used once it had to be rejuvenated with water and oils before it could be used again or it would burst and spill all the wine. Jesus uses, yet again, a common process to explain how the Pharisees are used to the old movement of religion where fasting had become more legalistic than purposeful, and they are not open to the changes that Jesus is presenting.
I think this can be like finding stale bread in your pantry. The loaf is just sitting there on the shelf existing. It looks nice and delectable, but in all reality it’s stale. If I’m being completely honest with myself, this is the state of life I feel like I’ve been in lately. Life’s circumstances present themselves and I just tend to be content where I am without thirsting for improvement.
Most of us would just throw this stale bread in the trash. It’s no longer usable, right? Have you ever tried to rejuvenate a stale slice of bread? It is possible; we just don’t always think to do it. You can heat it up with a moist paper towel or add some butter. I think Jesus sees us when we are in a stale state of living, and he knows there’s a way to rejuvenate us to a more productive state, but we tend to think we deserve to be thrown in the trash.
Can you relate to this stale state of living? Let’s allow Jesus to rejuvenate us to a more delectable state of living.
