Insights Into The Covid-19 Church Era –Part XXXV
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18-20)
Grounded in tradition, battling “old wineskins” is part of the Jewish faith. Tradition has preserved the Torah, given by Moses, and the Talmud, a collection of rabbinical interpretations. With the love of his life, Mary, pregnant, and not being the father, Joseph could “break the engagement quietly,” but chose not to “disgrace her publicly.” Being “righteous,” he did what was right. An angel tells him to “take Mary as your wife, for the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Joseph could have yielded to an old wineskin to quietly put her away, or yield to a new wineskin by standing with her. Because the Trinity conceived this child, Jesus would have a heavenly Father, be His only begotten Son, and would be conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ birth in a manger, the flight to Egypt from Herod’s wrath, and His teaching as a young boy in the Temple are all fruits of this new wineskin. After those events, not much is known about Joseph. Being a “righteous man,” He would say, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” By allowing new wine to be poured into the new wineskin of his life, he would be recorded among the “righteous.” What an honor!
Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, exposed the Puritanical wineskins of early New England. Arthur Dimmesdale, a young Puritan minister, fathers a child to Hester Prynne but opts to keep it secret. When Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, returns home to a pregnant wife, he devotes his life to finding who fathered the child, so he can seek revenge. Dimmesdale is eaten up by guilt. Hester not only survives her punishment of wearing a scarlet letter “A” or “Adultery”, but transforms her image where the public thinks her “A” stands or “angel” for the way she raised her child. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale shrivel under the old Puritanical wineskin of judgment. The new wineskin of being faithful and pure in raising her child, redeems Hester.
The woman caught in adultery and Mary Magdalene’s stories illustrate new wineskins. Guilty, both should have been stoned to death according to old wineskin Law which demanded judgment. Instead, the new wine of grace was extended to both. When Jesus said, “He who is without sin, throw the first stone,” none could throw their stones because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The old judgmental wine would find them guilty. But all her “accusers” were gone. Jesus extended the new wine of grace by telling her to “go and sin no more.” What would that look like? Read passages about Mary Magdalene and you will see.
How would this grace work today? A girl discovers she is pregnant, The scared father leaves her high and dry. She wonders how she will support and raise a child as a single parent and bear the guilt of birthing an “illegitimate” child? Where is the church in all this? Their old wineskin would demand he repent of her sin before the congregation, just like Hester. Not supported by family, church, or friends, she feels hopeless. A secret abortion becomes an option. What would be a new, better wineskin? A supportive church community built on trusting relationships that would teach her mothering techniques, help meet needs as a single parent (like the 1st century Church who took care of their widows and orphans), babysit to free her to have some “adult” time, to give positive fellowship, etc. would help. In other words do I John 3:16 of laying down your life for your brethren.
Like Joseph, we need to offer new wineskins to difficult situations where old wineskins solutions no longer work. We need to replace the old wine of judgment with the new wine of love, acceptance, and community.