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Epiphany 2 “DID YOU SEE THAT?” Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1
Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 Preached at Baldwin Presbyterian
Church on January 17th 2010 I was
watching a guitarist playing, brilliant guy, could get sounds out of guitars
that you never thought they had in them. I was trying to pick up some tips to
improve my own technique. This guy knew his scales, the fingers of his left
hand zipped up and down the strings like greased lightning. But it was
a little trick he did with the pick he held in his right hand that I’ve never
seen anybody else do, before or since. Usually he held the pick between his
thumb and forefinger, but occasionally, if he wanted to play a harmonic or a
bass note (Or even both at the same time) he would flick the pick to between
his middle fingers, play the bass string with his thumb, a chord in the
middle and a note on the top string with his little finger. He would do this
just for a quick phrase, then go back to normal. Now that may not seem like much to some of
you, but if you are some one who tries to play the guitar, then that is very
impressive. First time
I noticed him do it, I said to my friend who was with me, “Did you see that?”
“See who?” he said, thinking some pretty girl had just walked in. ‘See what
he did with his pick!” “Oh” he said and laughed. “No”. You have to watch out
or you can miss out! I was
watching a basketball game and one of the opposing side not only knocked one
of the other players to the floor, but grabbed hold of his foot and tried to
trip him when he got up. I said to my friend, “Did you see that?” The referee
didn’t. Despite my ignorance of the technicalities of American sports, I
suspect this was not a legal procedure. And the man about two rows down from
me on the balcony certainly gave his verbal expression as to what he thought
about it. You have to watch out or you can miss out! A man goes
to a party. One of the family friends has just married. It’s late in the day
and the steward brings round the drinks. He thinks twice about having a glass
of wine, because at these functions, as time went on, and peoples taste buds
became a little desensitized, they tended to start serving the cheap and
nasty stuff. But he has
a sip and then goes over to greet the brides Father. “Sir”, he says, “I want
to shake you by the hand. Most people serve the best wine at the beginning of
the day, but you have saved the best till last!” The Father smiles in
appreciation, but also looks a little confused. He’d just had a message that
the wine was all gone and he was anticipating complaints, not compliments. He rushed
off to find his wife, “Did you hear that?” he said, “We’ve got jars of full
of wine, how did that happen?” “I really don’t know” she replies, “I think
it’s got something to do with Mary’s Son, y’know the carpenter who’s started
going round preaching a bit. It’s amazing!” It was
amazing. It was the first miracle, the first sign that John’s gospel records,
where Jesus starts to reveal His glory to the disciples, by turning water
into wine. Yet most people at the wedding party saw no miracle. They just
thought that the family had saved the best wine till the end and they knew
nothing of great big jars being filled with water that when poured out became
the richest, reddest, most sparkling wine, in town. Where Jesus is involved,
you have to watch out or you can miss it! I guess
the servants who filled the jars didn’t miss out. They’d be going around for
quite a while saying, “Did you see that?” Same with the disciples. They were
starting to see that there was more to this Jesus than they thought possible.
It was a sign to them of His glory. His
mother, Mary? Well, she’d known Jesus was something special ever since the
angels had started calling. John suggests that it’s Mary who prods Jesus into
performing the miracle. Maybe she’s been chatting with the bride’s mother, we
don’t know how she knew, but she comes to Jesus and tells him, “Son, the
wines running out”. At first
Jesus seems reluctant. He seems to say, “Mother, What’s that got to do with
me?” He knows that she, of all people knows who He really is, has a faith
that recognizes His unique connection to God, but it’s as though He says,
“This isn’t the time and the place to let everybody else in on the secret”.
(What He actually says is, “My hour has not yet come.”) It’s one
of those times though that mom knows best. Call it a woman’s intuition if you
like. She doesn’t argue with Him or try to persuade Him. Just turns to the
servants and says, “Do whatever He tells you.” There are
these huge, enormous water jars there. These aren’t little wine bottles, but
six, whopping, big, stone jars that hold about twenty or thirty gallons of
water. They were usually used for ceremonial washings that were a significant
part of the ritual life of every Jewish person A lot of
talk took place between the rabbis and the scribes about when to wash, what
to wash, and even what kind of pot could hold the water to be used in the
washing. Jesus chooses to use these ‘holy vessels’ for an act completely
outside their intended purpose. It’s kind of ironic that some of the
religious folk at the wedding probably would have taken issue with Jesus for
putting wine in their holy stone jars! We are
never told how it happened, but after the servants have filled the jars to
the brim, Jesus tells them to draw some of the water off, they take it to the
steward; he tastes it, and recognizes it as the finest wine he’s tasted all
day. He’s got no idea where it’s come from, but is surely pleased that the
servants have managed to obtain it. The servants on the other hand, know that
a miracle has taken place. This
passage of Scripture is is rich in meaning. For the Jewish people, wine, like
bread had a particular significance as being a symbol of God's presence and
blessing. That symbolism carried over and was given new significance within
the Christian Church, something we remind ourselves of at every communion
service. Yet the
thing I'd like to focus on is the ever-present possibility of missing out on
what God is doing in our midst. At times the worries of life obscure the ways
of God. At other times, living as we do in such a materialistic culture, our
constant craving for things of this world makes us so insensitive to the
things of God's Kingdom. God acts and we just don't see it. I've had
people say to me as a pastor, "I would believe if only God gave me some
definite sign". I sometimes feel like shaking them, (rather like some
folk feel when a referee makes a bad call at a ball game) and saying,
"Wake up, Open your mind. Your life from the moment you get out of bed
is surrounded and peopled with evidences of God's blessings." "Do
you have a home? Do you have family who care about you? Is there a church you
can be a part of? Do you own a bible? Do you get to eat every day? Then
friend you are more blessed than many people in this world who do not enjoy a
tenth the luxuries you have, yet still every day, open their lives and
receive the goodness of God's love. How much more does God have to bless you
till you count it as a sign?” There are
miracles surrounding our lives every day. Miracles taking place in our
schools. In our places of work. In our offices. In our hospitals. In our
lives. God isn’t holding back. God is showering down blessing upon blessing
upon blessing. Do you see that? Last week
I encouraged you to make 2010 a prayerful year. That’s one sure way to see
that you don’t miss out on all the good stuff that God is doing around your
life. Tune in to what God is saying
and tune your life into what God wants for your life, and you are less likely
to miss out on what God is doing. Now, I
know that what I’m describing as miracles some would say are just everyday
happenings or even coincidences or things with totally rational explanations.
That’s what the Steward said. “There’s new wine in my glass, so it follows
that the logical conclusion is that it must have been there all the time. No
miracle here that I can see.” But if you
asked the servants who had put the water in the jars or the disciples for
whom it became a sign of God’s glory; “Has a miracle had taken place?” they
would put you right! It’s that sort of story.
It invites you either to say, “I can explain that some other way” or
to say, “Wow!” I’m
impressed by the extravagance of this miracle. Six thirty-gallon stone jars
full of the richest wine is more than enough for any body throwing a party!
I’m reminded that Jesus has more than enough love and grace and peace and joy
to offer than we will ever need. He can turn the stagnant, insipid water of
everyday experience into sparkling encounters with His love. Now it’s
time for a random fact. Did you know that the African Impala is an animal
that can leap almost ten feet high and a distance of fifteen to twenty feet?
Did you also know that if you keep one in a zoo that you only have to put a
three foot high wall around its’ enclosure to keep it fenced in? Why? Because
an Impala will not jump unless it can see where its feet are going to land. The faith
that Jesus calls us to is one that doesn’t give us the luxury of knowing
where it will lead us. Faith in Christ does not come with a prescribed
landing spot. Allow the new wine of God’s Holy Spirit to become your driving
force and I cannot tell you where you it will lead you. But I do
caution you that unless you commit your life to following Jesus Christ then
every day of your life that you walk without Him, you will miss out on things
that the love and grace of God are doing all around you. It would
be tragic if on the last day our judgment came in the form of an angel
saying, “Did you see that?” and our only reply was, “No, I was too centered
on myself to realize miracles were taking place all around me.” The
message is plain. Center your life on Jesus and the new wine of the Holy
Spirit will be there, in all His richness and abundance, to surround your
life. Sometimes it will come as the wine of healing. Sometimes it will be a
boost in a time of joy or a pick me up in a time of sadness. Open your
heart to Jesus Christ and Christ will come. Open your eyes to the everyday
miracles around you and you will see that God is there for you. Focus on the
darkness and you’ll always have your back to the light. Walk in the light and
even the darkness will disappear. Adrian
Pratt |