Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John ...



Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

John 2:1-11

Planning weddings is an interesting and intricate affair.

Who should we invite?

Where should we seat them?

But so and so and such and such don’t speak to each other – and we can’t put whatsit at a table with widget.

* * *

Funny thing – at the end – is everyone seems to get along fine.

* * *

In Jesus’ day weddings were in one way more simple and in another more complicated.

They lasted seven days.

But you didn’t have to worry too much about invitations.

Invitations were implied…

If you kind of knew the host or the family you were invited.

And the family came with you.

You moved in for the week.

* * *

You had to dress up.

And the guests helped to bear the cost of the banquet.

There were rituals and enactments; little celebrations.

There would be a moment when the groom arrived – stepping out of his chambers, dressed up for getting married.

There would be a procession to the bride’s house – for the groom to go and fetch her…

A lot of ceremony.

* * *

Running out of wine – would be a disaster.

An insult to the guests, and a mark of shame on the host.

Society can be quite cruel that way.

Jesus saves the day – at his mother’s request, and with a little bit of reluctance – he takes 5 stone jars of water, and turns them to wine.

* * *

The party continues and the guests are impressed:

‘…you saved the best wine until now.’

- John 2:10

Banquets

In scripture – relationship with God is often compared to or symbolised by a meal / a great feast.

So we have instructions for the tithe in Deuteronomy 14:

“Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed…

…then you may turn it into money, spend the money for whatever you wish – oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And you shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your household rejoicing together.”

- Deuteronomy 14:22-26 (Abridged)

People and God feasting together.

When you say grace – don’t just thank him for the food; why not invite God to eat with you too? It seems to be the sort of thing God does.

* * *

Like the other gospel writers, John was very familiar with the Old Testament; he spoke to a community whose scriptures were the Old Testament. He reminds his readers – in these words of passages and images like Psalm 23:

‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…’

Isaiah 25:

‘On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear…

…he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces…

…It will be said on that day: Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him…

…let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’

- Isaiah 25:6-9

Or today’s Psalm:

“All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.”

- Psalm 36:7-8

As Jesus begins his ministry; John announces that the party has started – the feast has begun – by telling us this specific story – the story of water turned into wine at Cana in Galilee.

The LORD has appeared.

Everything will be different now.

* * *

Later on in John’s gospel – John records Jesus’ use of another wedding metaphor.

Before he dies, Jesus’ disciples ask where he is going:

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

- John 14:2

When a groom has proposed to his bride; and she has accepted. The groom returns to his parent’s house and adds a room on in which they will live.

When the room is ready – he returns to the wife’s home to take her to his… and there is a wedding, a feast, a celebration.

The kind of celebration that Jesus was at when he turned water into wine. That is what John is talking about.

Water or Wine?

Us Methodists are regarded as a little strange by some; we use grape juice instead of wine for communion.

We haven’t always used grape juice.

Although we wanted to for some time before that it was in 1869 that Thomas Branwell Welch discovered a way to pasteurize grape juice so it wouldn’t ferment.

People who were alcoholics could take communion without the fear of falling back into their addiction.

We’re an alcoholic friendly church – and that’s why we use grape juice.

* * *

But as the writer of Ecclesiastes says:

“Feasts are made for laughter; wine gladdens life…”

- Ecclesiastes 10:19

Wine makes water a bit more interesting. Water is for any occasion – but a little wine in your water; for feasts, laughter and celebrations.

It is a powerful drink.

Is Paarl Methodist Church water? Or is it wine?

Do we bring life and joy to the people and the community whose lives we touch?

Do we offer them something more than just the average?

How can each of us be a little more?

* * *

I think we are more like wine that water:

– I was blessed to go with some of you to Rusthoff Old Age Home where you ministered to people with tea, cake and special gifts.

I think you gladdened their hearts.

- You are like wine when you go and visit new mothers in the hospital and offer them helpful gifts.

- You are like wine to those who come in here on a Sunday; you don’t know what they’ve been going through all week…

…you smile, hug and greet them like brothers and sisters even if they are strangers.

- You are like wine to me; when we have Bible Study, when we gather for worship on Sunday, even when we have long ‘boring’ meetings. I come home excited, my heart gladdened; you are like wine.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

In scripture the Spirit is sometimes likened to wine. In Ephesians 5:18-20 Paul instructs the Ephesians:

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts…”

In 1 Cor 12:1-11 he writes to the Corinthians about not being ignorant of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we do the things we need to do; try to live out the life of love that God has called us to live – but to do it without the ‘wine of the spirit’ will only wear us out.

Without gathering together to worship and ‘be filled with the Spirit’.

Jesus’ ministry begins after he is baptised and the spirit descends on him. After 28 years of obscurity; with the Spirit, in one year of activity; Jesus turns the world upside down.

* * *

Paul invites us to take part in the Spirit. And he speaks about some of the various gifts that the Spirit gives people:

Wisdom; Knowledge; Faith; Gifts of Healing; Working of Miracles; Prophecy; Discernment; Tongues – each gift allotted to each one, Just as the Spirit chooses.

And the key here – is that each gift is for the common good; gifts issued by the Spirit according to the whole churches’ need – not according to each individual’s need.

Leading up to in chapter 13 – the highest gift; ‘Love’.

* * *

So we have Jesus, who turns water into wine. Who takes the ordinary and makes it special and powerful – in order to bless the community. Wine at a wedding banquet.

And we have Paul talking about the Holy Spirit.

Like wine – that affects those who partake in it; gladdens their hearts and empowers them to do more than they ever could; for the sake of the community and the Kingdom of God.

Water or Wine?

Will we be water or wine?

What if the Spirit has something for you – a gift – maybe wisdom; wisdom to speak into the situation of someone who is struggling.

What if there is no plan b?

Shouldn’t you accept that gift? Receive it from God, nurture it and use it?

What if the gift God has for you is healing? Physical or Psychological, as you pray for those who are ill?

Shouldn’t you accept that gift and use it.

What if it is to teach?

To discern?

All for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

* * *

I invite us, I invite you today, to begin a journey – anybody can be water – a journey to becoming wine…

Not for your own sake – but for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Over the next two weeks we will look a bit more at chapters 12 and 13 of Corinthians; and think and pray about how we can discover, receive and use the gifts god gives us; in our community.

Then I believe we will begin to see the Kingdom of God, here in this place.

AMEN

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