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Read: Luke 5:36-39
Listen: Luke 5

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.” Luke 5:36

The anxious tenor of accusation strikes early in Jesus’s ministry. He is not like other rabbis, nor are his disciples like other disciples. Early on, people accuse them for not fasting. When pressed, Jesus responds with a parable. He says that in the same way you cannot fix an old garment with a new patch without ruining the clothing, so the kingdom of heaven does not fit into the old system. The same is true for new wine in old wineskins. Wine that is still fermenting and expanding will burst an old, brittle container. Jesus’s onlookers don’t understand God’s kingdom, and Jesus doesn’t fit into their system. Something new is happening here. Jesus is that new thing.

It is often easy for us to think we can invite Jesus into our lives without being changed by him. As if his way is something we can add to flavor a menu we’ve already selected. However, following Jesus isn’t about adding him to our pre-selected plans. We follow him to get to where he is going, not where we are going. His way is backwards to our natural tendencies. He calls us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. It is a lifestyle marked by joyful generosity instead of impatient receiving. It requires time set aside to know him and serve him.

TODAY: Spend time asking God to reveal where you’ve been trying to fit Jesus into your way of life. Confess anything he brings to mind, and ask him to shape you throughout this series.