Thurs.’s Devo - New Wine

Read Genesis 26:17-27:46; Matthew 9:1-17; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 3:9-10
We all know the story of how Jacob stole Esau’s blessing which seems so deceiving and wrong to us. God had to put Jacob through some tough trials to humble him and teach him he couldn’t control everyone but this one had God’s name stamped all over it. Jacob was suppose to get the blessing just maybe not that way. What Jacob did stirred up the spirit of murder in Esau that caused Jacob to have to flee to the house of Laban, the place of where his mother grew up. There he will learn submission and hard work.
In Matthew, Jesus went back over to the other side of the lake and was in his own town. They brought him a man that was paralyzed and he was healed. The teachers of the law were always watching trying to decide if he was indeed the Messiah. Because Jesus was so unconventional and didn’t come from their schools are didn’t submit to them they were very jealous and suspicious. They watched his every move and judged it. Jesus always knew their hearts and what they were thinking so he nailed them every time. Today, they accused Jesus of being a blasphemer since he forgave the man’s sins.
Jesus was alway offending the teachers of the law. He chose the outcast and lowly to be his followers instead of them. His choice of Matthew really went against their ideals. Matthew was a tax collector. The Jews were forbidden to eat with him or be his friend. The only people that could befriend a tax collector were harlots and prostitutes. So when Jesus chose Matthew and went to his house to eat, even his own disciples were a little uneasy. Jesus explained that he didn’t come to help people who didn’t think they needed help, he came to help those who knew they needed help. Jesus was pouring his new wine into their old wineskins and it was not holding. Those that allowed the Spirit of God to give them new wineskins could hold this new wine.
Proverbs reminds us that giving our first fruits will also cause us to overflow with this new wine.
Lord, help us to see things in the Spirit and adjust our lives to what you are doing.