a sermon for 19th Jan – (John 2.1-11)
I once asked a Year 6 pupil, top end of primary school, if you could do any of the miracles of Jesus what would you want to do – walk on water? Heal the sick? And this child, quick as quick, piped up: I’d want to turn water into wine! Think of the money you could make!!
It is good for us to picture Jesus at this wedding. There will have been dancing and lots of fun and laughter and joy. Our image of Jesus can get a bit serious and no doubt as we get into Lent, we will do that, quite right. But its okay to make a note today to enjoy the Joy of Jesus; to picture him laughing and dancing.
Point one today is something about the Joy of Jesus. Adding Jesus into the mix of life – needs to bring about some joy. If there’s no joy then we’re doing it wrong. If there’s only fear, only doubt, then you need more Jesus to be added to your mix of life.
I don’t think I mean Happy. I think Happy is great, and no doubt dancing and wine will help with all of that. But I think that Joy is often a quiet deep feeling that knows that you are held and loved.
So adding Jesus into the mix brings joy.
I love the generosity of Jesus. At one point I guestimated that Jesus made 700 litres of wine. So that’s one litre each for 700 people – that’s a big wedding – or it’s a litre per day for a week for a 100 people? Oh to be generous like Jesus!
May you know something of the Joy that Jesus brings to our lives.
Point two is Talk to Jesus about anything and everything. Mary says to him – they have no more wine.
Its not exactly that big a deal, its not like leprosy, or exorcism, or raising the dead.
But it is a big deal to the groom and the groom’s family. This is a big deal. So don’t say to yourself – Oh I wont bother God with this because its probably not a big deal. When actually, it is a bother to you. So take it to the Lord in prayer.
And I like the way that Mary offers up her prayer. It isn’t ‘Oi Jesus this is what I want you to do’.
Elsewhere Jesus encourages us Not to pray long winded prayers. Mary tells Jesus the problem and then leaves Him to find a way.
There are times when we are very opinionated about what we would like God to do. I often think that those sort of prayers are cathartic in the pray-er, in letting us vent our feelings our anger and fear at God.
So those are good prayers too.
But here’s a prayer – it could be a tired prayer – they have no more wine, I don’t know what to do, but I know that you’re the sort of God who thinks outside the box – so I’m just telling you.
It’s a prayer that requires us to pay attention to where there is anger and fear and trouble. To say to Jesus – My friend is ill, there are people suffering in Ukraine, and so on.
They have no more wine. It is a beautiful simple prayer.
Point three should be something about Mary. What has she seen in Jesus? Has Jesus been practicing little miracles in the kitchen?
We know of No Miracles in the gospels before Jesus is baptised. But there is some early Fan Fiction, perhaps 150AD, that speaks of Jesus at Primary School making birds out of mud and breathing life into them.
Mary believes in Jesus, almost before He does. She seems to have more faith in Him because she ignores her son’s plea: Mum! Leave me out of this!
And turns to the waiters and just says: Do whatever He tells you.
Points so far –
The Joy of Jesus
Talking to Jesus about anything
The faith of Mary and the
The Courage of the servants.
Its utterly mad, fill the stone jars with water. Its simple but its mad. Oh and Take this liquid to the Master of Ceremonies.
Did they know? Had they already had a sip? Had they seen that it was no longer clear but red?
Jesus asks them to do something simple but they would have felt the fear of looking a complete idiot.
Often we see something Good that needs to be done, sometimes we walk by on the other side, we lack the courage, we quickly think of excuses and excuse ourselves,
But sometimes we don’t walk by, we listen to God, we stop, and we try.
This isn’t us being asked to walk on water, this is us being asked to stop and be a good Samaritan,
to go up to Lazarus and unbind him,
to get the crowds to sit on the ground in rows as we bring fish and bread to them –
The servants are not doing anything miraculous – so perhaps God might nudge us to invite someone to Alpha, to Church, or to ask someone How are you – and then to allow them space to actually tell you and not to take ‘fine’ as an acceptable answer – and then perhaps to follow it up with a ‘How can I pray for you?’.
These servants are wonderful people.
I don’t see the disciples doing anything during this miracle. I’m sorry to say that. Jesus doesn’t ask the Disciples to nip off to the shops,
He doesn’t ask them to fill the ceremonial jars to the brim with water. So what are they doing during all of this?
I want to suggest that what they are doing is Watching. They are seeing.
I bet there were lots of people who did not see this miracle. All they knew was that there was suddenly a lot of extra wine to be had. I suspect that a lot of miracles like that happen right underneath our noses and we do not notice.
At the end of all this we read that His disciples believed in Him. This means that they know, they saw.
They might not quite get why Jesus has re-purposed Ceremonial washing jars – that’s like me filling up the font with wine – I’m confident that some of you would be saying: Is that appropriate? Isn’t that a bit disrespectful? I suppose it is. But Jesus is bringing in His Kingdom of love and joy and peace, and it will come by gift and wonder, shock and awe.
May you come to see with the eyes of these disciples.
Others saw more wine, but no miracle, the servants saw a miracle, but it’s the disciples who are putting it together and seeing that Jesus really is the sign, the saviour, –
May we see, with their eyes, the signs of God at work in our lives,
May you trust Jesus like these servants and continue to risk showing His love and faith and joy
May we learn to pray simple prayers like Mary.
And May we know the Joy that Jesus brings. Amen