52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
There is a curious characteristic about humans that I see very prevalent in Western cultures. We are always driven to the new things. Much of this is due to the advertising that bombards our senses. We are a culture of consumers. And in order to keep the engine of the economy going we must keep purchasing. So, two factors are at work. The goods we buy are designed to wear out and break, and they are constantly being changed and “improved” to entice us to purchase the new. Things are designed to break and not be repaired. I am one of those people who tries to fix things when they break. Often times I am successful and I get more time and use out of what was broken. I am sure you see the evidence of our throw away culture. As you drive around on trash day you can see the ‘old’ piled by the curb. In Germany the towns set up certain days to put out the ‘old’ to be picked up and disposed of. We would see trucks traveling through those towns picking up the best of what was discarded. They were often from the countries to the East in the former Soviet Union. They gather the ‘old’ and bring it back to their town and sell it and make a profit. This same principle is prevalent in the Church. People come to Church and they expect new, exciting, fresh, and original. But the Gospel doesn’t have much advertising appeal. Hearing that you are a sinner saved by grace is not the most dazzling message. The core message of the Gospel is simple. Much of it we have heard already. Only occasionally will you hear something new. The longer I walk with the Lord, and the more I study the Word, the more familiar and routine it becomes. And at the same time the more exciting and liberating its message is. The job of teachers is to bring the old and the new. Old truth and new application.
The Arnold Journey 