The First of Many Miracles to Come

January 17, 2010 First of many miracles to come Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C John 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 Word Jazz – that is a form of poetry much like the spoken word, this is from Britain – someone’s take on the story of Jesus turning water into wine So in our need for hope for survival It’s time to turn the pages of the Bible To the wedding in Cana in the land near Galilee Where Jesus and his mom enjoyed festivity Noshing on the free eats Eating on the free treats Sipping on the red wine Having quite a swell time “Hey, bartender, can you top off my glass What’s that you say? There’s no wine in the flask? Ran out so soon? That’s so low-class!” Midnight rolled around No more wine was found Tuesday the party popped Wednesday the party flopped Jesus said “Let’s go Come on, Mom, let’s blow.” But Mary told him “No! It isn’t time to go The wine has got to flow The people need to know That – we can! “Okay, okay” She heard him say Beneath his breath He was bored to death But he did her will And went to fill The empty jugs That stank of swill That cheap red wine That wasn’t so fine Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Most of the guests went home after the wedding and said, “Jesus performed a miracle and turned the jugs of water into jugs of wine. That proves you should believe in him. When things get bad, just pray to him and ask him for another miracle while you wait on the sofa.” But a few of the guests stayed after the party and asked Jesus how he did it. He told them how he did it and told them they could do it, too. He said to them what his mother said to him. “Change the system. Be an agent. Don’t be a victim. Let go of yesterday. Don’t get uptight about tomorrow. Work with what you’ve got. Be birdlike. Be barnless. I am the vine, you are the wine, don’t whine, take your time, and run with what you’ve begun.” These few are the ones that do, and you can, too. It’s true. So let us make the besta for the lasta… From Cana to Costa Mesa…. Amen! This is a very long poem – I only read parts of it for you. But it captures the point that John was trying to make perfectly. That this was the first miracle of Jesus career – but the whole point for us is that the best is yet to come. The miracles of life are not the huge things or the horrible things – it is in what we are willing to look forward to. Unlike the other gospels where Jesus does up to 30 miracles – John only focuses on 8. Eight turning points in Jesus’ life where he showed others that he could make a difference. In the other stories, Jesus is out on the front lines of help – he is healing the sick, enabling the discouraged, coming back to life. But in this story he , his mother and his first five disciples are at a party- drinking wine and celebrating and having a good time. And his mother becomes concerned that the wine is running out. It’s just something that we as Christians would say – what difference does that make for us. Why should we be concerned about the wine. When we are not supposed to get drunk. But for this culture – wine was a sign of prosperity, a sign that things were going well. Wine overflowing was a sign of the presence of God – it was a preparation for the party to come, when God made everything right in our lives. Jesus says that my time has not come, but his mother tells him that the time is now- Time to show the people the God is not just present in our suffering, but in our celebration. God doesn’t just want to hear our bad news, but our good news. Not only is God happy for us – God guarantees to make the celebration even better than you can imagine. So Jesus uses his power for the first time at a wedding. If the wine had run out – people would have been talking about this family for years. They would have expected them to make it up by giving extra gifts for everyone else who ever got married in the neighborhood. And of course you cant have a wedding without gifts. At another party – the guest were expected to bring the wine. Everyone would bring a jug and poor it all into a community pot – so that everyone could celebrate and have a good time. Times were hard for one family – so that decided that they would fill their pot with water – no one would never know – there was no way their jug would matter, if everyone else bought wine. It turns out that everyone felt that way – and the community had to celebrate with water – no one had filled their jug with wine. The point is – that in community – all of our gifts really do matter. And that no one’s contribution is more important that the other. That is the point that Paul is making to us in the 1Corinthians text. Unlike this couple – people were beginning to think that their gifts were more important than anyone elses. If they gave the better gift, then they also have a right to control everyone else. They had a right to judge the contributions of others. And there were willing to give- but only to those in their church. God gives every church a different set of gifts, given the different set of people in the church. Each person has a unique gift. And yet Paul reminds of that even though the gifts are different- the Spirit that brings them is the same. Jesus is still coming to the party – bringing his special gifts with him. And he gives them freely to us – so that everyone can enjoy. What gifts do we have amongst us – and how do we use them? Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Mary said to Jesus, “This poetry is nice But sorry son it just will not suffice – No time to rhyme, son, It’s time to run, son, You gotta work with what you’ve got. And you’ve got a heck of a lot! Enough of yesterday and tomorrow Seize today, son, and run with what you’ve begun…. Mary motivated, Jesus activated. The bride and the groom Came out of their room Emerged from their gloom And shared a glass… And told the guests: “This isn’t normal! It isn’t formal! This big faux pas On Mardi Gras Has changed the rules And made us fools… How did this come to pass? Give us another glass! The wine that’s best Was saved for last!” It was the Merlot of mindfulness It was the Syrah of sincerity It was the Cabernet of kindness It was the Chardonnay of social change It was the Zinfandel of fidelity It was the Rose’ of righteousness It was the Pinot of patience It was Jesus’ Juice of Justice…. In other words – this is epiphany – time for us to see things differently. Time for us to put our gifts into our lives. Time for us to realize the spirit is working in us so that the party that has been going on for generations continues. I am not as poetic as Jim Burklo – who wrote the word jazz – but my point is that the spirit flows freely in us – the gifts are the fruit of the spirit. Let us thank God for the abundance we have been given – and let us look forw