wine is eager to drink new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’”
Reflections
“New wine must be put into fresh skins.”We might call the Jesus Christ event, his incarnation, saving activities, passion, death, resur- rection, and ascension, as a “di- vine visitation” (Brendan Byrne), where God became historically present in Jesus, bringing and demonstrating his pure and all- embracing love. The visitation is radical in nature. It brought the consciousness and expectations of people in Jesus’ days upside down. It opposed the prevailing system of abuse and exploitation; it exposed hypocrisy. It brought to the fore the saving love of God and the value and dignity of the human person before him.The divine visitation in Jesus left a legacy of love, mercy and compassion. This legacy is cul- ture-changing; it is changing the culture of death, hatred and des- truction. The legacy goes against the attitude of indifference and carelessness. Jesus love, mercy and compassion are life-changing and life-giving. They bring hope. And they are only welcomed by a converted heart, the heart that al- lows itself to be touched by them, the heart that opens up itself to the truth, and the heart that de- lights only with the authentically good and valuable. The converted heart is the fresh skin that receives Jesus’ legacy of love, mercy and compassion.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019