Do Whatever He Tells You (John 2:1-11)
John 2:1-11 (NRSV)
2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
January 14, 2018 Sermon Notes
Lily and I began the week with a quick visit to Galveston, Texas. It was a last opportunity to get out of town before the new semester begins. One of our destinations was the Moody Mansion. It is a beautiful building which served as the home for one of America’s richest families of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. W.L. Moody, a cotton planter, financier, and insurance mogul, raised four children in the house with his wife Lizzie. Their home became the center of social life in Galveston and was the place to see and be seen. Many of their children were married in that mansion in opulent ceremonies that reflected the financial and social status of the family.
The legacy of those beautiful ceremonies lives on even today. In 1986 the mansion was turned into a museum and the headquarters of the family’s charitable foundation. In between the concerts and civic gatherings held in the house, the main ball room is rented out as a wedding location. The marriages that take place at the Moody Mansion are not casual affairs. Part of this is economic. It is one of the most expensive venues in town. A lot of planning is required to make the ceremony and reception live up to setting. It is truly an beautiful place that is now open to any couple who wishes to begin their lives together surrounded by the elegance of a previous age.
There is good reason for all this planning. Weddings are the last place we want anything to go wrong. Couples spend months poring over all the details. They want the dress, the decorations, and the refreshments to all be just right. What is true for us today, was just as true for couples in the ancient world.
In today’s text we see Jesus at the start of his ministry. Three days into the gospel of John, Jesus, his mom, and his disciples have all been invited to a wedding in the village of Cana. We do not know anything about the couple. They might have been family members, friends, or simply neighbors from down the road. In that era, the entire community would gather for a week-long celebration of the couple’s new life together.
They have no wine
Unfortunately, things are not going well. The reception has run into a problem that could bring embarrassment to the family in front of everyone they know. They have run out of wine. Running out of wine is not a simple matter. Ancient Palestinian culture prized hospitality. Failing to show that hospitality was simply shameful.
Fortunately, Jesus’ mother was one of the invited guests. When Mary saw what was going on she took matters into her own hands. Ignoring her son’s protests that it was not yet time for him to reveal himself to the world, she placed Jesus on the spot and told the wait staff to do whatever he told them to do. Jesus told them fill the ceremonial jars used for washing with water. These jars were then taken to the master of ceremonies who discovered them full of the greatest wine he had ever tasted.
For John, the point of this story is not so much about the miracle itself. In fact, John does not use the word miracle. Instead, John refers calls this event a sign. It is demonstration of the power and authority that Jesus has. Essentially, Jesus is not showing off. This is not a parlor trick. The fact that he is able to do these incredible deeds is a sign that he is who he says he is. Turning water into wine was not simply about making sure that the party continued for a few more hours. It was a sign of Christ’s overflowing generosity and the deliciousness of life in kingdom of God.
The servants who had drawn the water knew
Most of the guests had no idea what Jesus had done. Not even the chief steward (someone we might today call the wedding planner) understood what was going on. He critiqued the bridegroom for holding back the “good stuff” until after everyone had gotten drunk on the cheap boxed wine. It is not at all unusual for people in positions of authority to miss out on the good things God is doing all around them, especially when those events do not fit the normal pattern. Only the servants knew what had really happened. Only the servants had a full grasp of just how good Christ’s grace actually was.
We visited another site in Texas which showed us just how easy it is for us to get complacent with the way things are. Even though the Civil War was officially over and President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, slaves in Texas were not freed until June 19, 1865. It was not until two months after peace had been declared and Maj. General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston with an army of occupation that the slaves were able to begin life as free people. This day became known as Juneteenth and the yearly celebration of their freedom became a vital piece of African-American culture and identity.
The problem was that the leaders of Galveston, just like white people throughout the country, were not ready for racial equality. Gradually, Juneteenth celebrations were suppressed as Jim Crow laws began to take hold. Former slaves who had tasted the sweet wine of freedom were slowly forced back into servanthood and second class status. It was not until the era of the civil rights and the struggles of Martin Luther King, Malcom X, and Rosa Parks that public Juneteenth commemorations began to reemerge. Once more, the day had become a sign of freedom, celebration, and identity. Slowly things began to change, and Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth an official holiday in 1980.
All human beings periodically suffer from a shortage of imagination. White America could not conceive of a society in which Blacks were their equals. The lack of vision that caused Juneteenth to be suppressed is the same lack of vision that the chief steward demonstrated. Jesus chose to work in a way that he could not comprehend. The steward appreciated the quality of the wine, but was not able to properly read the signs. Neither he, nor the guests he served, understood just how overwhelming and world-changing the limitless grace of God truly is. Only those who were in the most need in that society, the servants, knew the true value of what Jesus had done.
His disciples believed in him
The Wedding at Cana is a story which has brought comfort to Christians throughout the centuries. There is good reason for this. Only three days into John’s Gospel we read a powerful sign of who Jesus is, and what he is going to accomplish in the world. The signs of his limitless love, grace, and forgiveness are on display for anyone who cares to pay attention.
This reality is a comfort to anyone in need of forgiveness. It is an incredible joy and relief to know that no matter broken or insignificant we are, it is possible to filled with the overflowing grace of God. This story is a sign of the fact that Jesus has the ability and authority to take ordinary vessels and transform them into bearers of the kingdom. In short, if he can turn water into wine, he can turn sinners like us into forgiven children of God. His goodness is all around us. The question is, do we notice the signs in our midst?
Bad things happen when we do not pay attention to the signs of God’s love. We become defensive. We think that there is a limit to love, forgiveness, and grace. We horde what we have and keep the best wine for ourselves. This temptation is demonstrated each and every day.
Just imagine how different our conversations about immigration, tax policy, education, and health care would be if we began the discussion with an awareness of the limitless nature of God’s goodness. While Jesus did not give specific policy pronouncements, he did demonstrate for us the overflowing love of God. People and political parties will always disagree on how to best bring the good life into being. However, as Christians, we can never lose sight to the fact that we worship a God of endless love and generosity. Prayerful compassion and kindness must always guide our decisions and actions.
Finally, this story also reminds that not everyone will immediately see and understand the signs of our times. The very same event that inspired the servants and Jesus’ newfound disciples confused the chief steward and the bridegroom. We should not be surprised when people do not automatically understand or accept what Jesus is doing. Instead, we should believe that the one who had authority over water and wine, also has authority over sin and death. Secure in that knowledge, let us do what he tells us to do, by striving to offer the overflowing grace of God to our world.
