Mark 2:21-22

This is the 2nd part of Pastor Kurt's latest sermon on the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 2:21-22 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Verses 21 and 22 tell us that Christianity was radically different then the old religion. Jesus was not reforming Judaism. He was coming to do something radically new!

So what’s new about it?

Matthew 23:23 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."

Jesus wasn’t anti-law, but we need to fulfill it with our hearts. Do it from justice, mercy and faith.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

“As I have loved you”! We could almost love like others love us. Or maybe even as we love ourselves. But loving like Christ has loved us elevates the command to the near impossible. How does Christ love?

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

We don’t live for ourselves! We live for others! It glorifies God when we do. We are to walk in Christ’s love. However He loved – we should love! Christianity is to take the heart beat and love of Christ and give it to as many people as you can.

This is the test of love:

1 John 2:7-77 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 4: 7-11 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

God loves us unconditionally. That’s how we are to love others. It was sacrificial. How do we give ourselves up for others? His love is selfless: all for the glory of God and benefit of others. His love was lavish!

There is no limit to the love and grace of God!