Pastor Lorraine's Sermon for October 19, 2003

A Glimpse of His Glory
John 2:1-12

Jesus has been identified as the "Lamb of God" by John the Baptist
  He has started gathering his disciples-but not all of them have been called
  Nathanael recognized the Messiah when he told him he had seen him under the fig tree
    picking up with the end of John 1-read John 2:1-12

It's fascinating to me that the first glimpse of Jesus' ministry takes place at a party…
  Jesus was probably about 30
    He and his newly formed band of disciples showed up at a wedding
      Jesus' mother was there-and probably other family as well

Cana is a town in Galilee-we're not sure where, but somewhere in the highlands
  It's Nathanael's hometown

A wedding was a big celebration in the life of people
  The celebration often lasted a week
  Bridegroom and his friends made a gala procession through the streets
    to fetch the bride's party by torchlight
      Then all went to the groom's house for a feast worthy of royalty
        Think of Fiddler on the Roof…
          Of peasant Jewish families dancing across the courtyard
                in their finest embroidered clothes
          Of music and laughter
          Of banquet tables laden with platters of food
and jugs of wine
  The feast might go on for as long as a week
-as long as the food and wine and good cheer held out
    Weddings were a time of great joy

Some of those with Jesus had originally been followers of John the Baptist
    This must have seemed a bit raucous
      After all with John the Baptist they had a very simple diet and clothing
        What was the conversation about?
          Did the guests recognize them?  
            At this point John the Baptist and his disciples
              were more well known than Jesus
      We don't know-John doesn't say

Rather we hear of a social crisis in which the whole feast nearly ground to a halt…
            …the wine ran out!
  As emergencies go-this one falls well down the list as far as we're concerned
              at least from the perspective of 2003
    It caused embarrassment
        But did it require a Messiah
          who had come to heal the sick and free captives
              to give us life…
        Did a social faux pas need a Messiah?  Yes!
          In that day running out of wine
would have caused life long embarrassment
-the kind you never get over
          Forever they would be known as
            "the ones who ran out of wine at the wedding"

    Jesus' Mother notices and tells Jesus "They're just about out of wine."
      Jesus isn't ready for this one…
        "Is that any of our business, Mother-yours or mine?
            This isn't my time. Don't push me."
      You can hear the weariness in his voice… the desire to let it be…
        If he acts-it will mean his time had come
          From then on his life would change
            No longer would he be free to do as he desired
          If the word got out-he'd never be alone again
            They would come from everywhere-in crowds
              sick and lame
paralytics
epileptics
deaf and mute
demon-possessed
lepers
It wouldn't end until he died-that he knew
Then Jesus makes a decision
  It won't be the last time he changed his plans
to accommodate someone else
to put the needs of others first
to care about someone enough to take action
to save the reputation of someone
"Fill the pots with water"
  There were 6 stoneware water pots that held 20-30 gallons
    They were there for the ritual washings
The Jews must wash before eating
  I wonder if the servants didn't assume Jesus wanted them refilled
        for more ritual washing
    But then he says to fill their wine pitchers
        and take them to the host
    I'm guessing there were some raised eyebrows at that
      But being servants, they did as they were told
The host accepted the glass from the servants
  He realized that something out of the ordinary has taken place
    BUT, not the miracle of changing water to wine
    RATHER, a departure from customary etiquette
  "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and
after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff.
But you've saved the best till now!"
It only adds to the joy and surprise of the wedding
The crisis is over-there's more wine
  People don't seem to question where it came from-it's just there
        The feast goes on
Most don't even know what happened
-only that there's more wine and it's good
But some know…
  Jesus' Mother
  The disciples
  The servants-I wonder what they said to each other
      When or if they realized Jesus was the Messiah

  It was the first glimpse of his glory
    Jesus' disciples believed in him
      They echoed Nathanael's words
        "Rabbi! You are the Son of God."
    I wonder if they remembered Jesus response…
      "You haven't seen anything yet!
        Before this is over you're going to see the
        heaven open and God's angels descending to
        the Son of Man and ascending again."
  This was life changing

We have seen a glimpse of God's glory… today
  Through Scripture and the retelling of the story
    Through understanding how it was to be at the wedding with Jesus
    Through insight into the nature of God-who God is
  Through the gift of Jesus to us today
    Jesus allows us to see glimpsesssof his glory
      It's all around-more than we can comprehend
        In nature-God's creation tells of God's glory
    In God revealing glory to us personally
      Those places where my water changes to wine
Not enough time becomes enough
Love gone sour rekindles
Forced retirement becomes an open door
Big and little glimpses of God's glory-but real
In realizing that God doesn't just "save the best for last"
  God saves the best for NOW-the sacrament of the present moment
    In the now it is God's best
      In my now I have the fullness of God's best
    Do I hold back?
    Do I enter into the fullness of God?

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