Relationship between
God and God’s Word - Hosea 2:14-20 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 Mark 2:13-22
St. Mark does not take long in presenting in his Gospel that something new is afoot. He begins the discussion of the new thing that is happening with the call of Levi the tax collector. By the Book, that is their Bible, the book of Leviticus and Torah Levi was a sinner, unclean for his collusion with the enemy, the Romans. Yet, Jesus approaches him and calls him into relationship. This is more than a relationship of friendship; it is a relationship of discipleship. \
The new thing continues with the telling of Jesus at dinner with a house full of tax collectors and sinners. This action draws criticism from the Biblical Legalists who are quick to call him to account for his presence at their dinner table. Jesus was eating and drinking with the unclean. By the Law of Moses (again Leviticus), this would be to render Jesus unclean by association with them. The Book forbade fraternization with such people as these.
This raises a real dilemma given that Jesus is God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob – the God who created heaven and earth and all things. What are we to think, that God has disowned the Law? Are we to believe that God has contradicted what had been written, reported from God’s mouth to Moses ear who penned the law in its entirety? Are we to believe that God is inconsistent or unfaithful to the written Word of God? It raises a serious question about the relationship between God and the Word of God as had been written from of old. It raised a serious question in the ear of those Biblical Legalists who came to observe Jesus seemingly set aside may parts of the Torah. Jesus broke the Sabbath Law by healing on the Sabbath, and by plucking grain to eat on the Sabbath. Jesus broke the Kosher Law by eating with such tax collectors and sinners as these, and by eating food that unwashed and with hands that were unwashed. It was no wonder that these Biblical Legalists could not accept that Jesus was related to their God of the Torah in any way; much less believe his claim to be God. No one who broke the law could be from God.
The story of the new wine continues in the discussion surrounding fasting. It is said that the three pillars of the ancient faith are Prayer, Fasting, and Alms Giving. The Legalists call Jesus account for why his disciples do not follow the Biblical tradition. Jesus uses the image of the marriage feast. How can the guests fast while the “groom” is still present? There will be plenty of time for fasting when he is gone. Jesus refers to himself as the groom. He challenges, how it can be possible to fast while God is present on earth. This is the sign of the Messianic Age. How can we fast when the Messiah has come? There will be time for fasting when he is gone. We know how he left. He was taken by force, beaten, and crucified. These are events truly worthy of fasting.
What was the new wine that Jesus was pouring into new wine
skins? It certainly was not that Jesus
was accepting unclean people to work.
The Old Testament is riddled with examples of unclean sinner who are
called upon to work for God. Abraham was
constantly being forgiven for straying from God’s plan. Moses was forgiven and chosen in his human
weakness to work for God. Last week the
story of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) indicated that God first cleansed Isaiah to make him
able to speak for God. The story
depicted in the Hosea text listed above contains the image of God taking a
bride, the people of
Forgiveness of God and working with sinful yet forgiven people is not the new wine. The new wine that required new wine skins was the presence of the God in human form. God had truly consummated something new in the incarnation of that superceded all other events. This new wine burst the old skins, the events of which lead up to the crucifixion of Christ. In the presence of the Messiah, a new mold would have to be poured. God was operating as never before.