More Than Patches

Re:Verse passage – Luke 5:33-39 (day four)

“No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment;”

This text begs us ask ourselves if we are standing in the way of receiving the full grace and forgiveness that God offers through Jesus. Often times, we assess our lives – have I gone to church at least once this month (yes)? Have I tithed a little bit (yes, some)? Have I served somewhere for any amount of time (yep) – by the number of boxes that we can check off. Then, the boxes we check off can trick us into thinking, “I must be in good standing with God right now. Phew.” However, if we miss a box, we might passively ask God to help us do better in the future and to forgive us for not checking that box off. Many of us have probably been stuck in that cycle at some point in our lives, or still are.

But that’s not what Jesus wants. That’s not how God wants us to live. A legalistic approach to following God will get us nowhere. Jesus came bringing new garments that are more incredible and glorious than we can ever imagine and offered for us to be clothed in those garments. But, there are still those of us asking if we can just cut a little patch from the robe that Jesus offers. We might think we don’t want or need the whole thing. But Jesus didn’t come to hand out patches. He came to clothe us and to offer us the life and salvation that only He brings. He came to make all things new, including us, if we will let Him clothe us with His garments. So, stop patching your old garment and trade it in for Jesus’ grace-filled one!