The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
The Hymn #39 Praise to the Lord 3.1
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 370 My Hope Is Built 3.11
The Word Transforms Everything
The Hymn #294 O Word of God Incarnate 3.31
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #309 O Jesus, Blessed Lord 3.70
KJV Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
KJV John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Second Sunday After Epiphany
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thy grace Thou hast instituted holy matrimony, in which Thou keepest us from unchastity, and other offenses: We beseech Thee to send Thy blessing upon every husband and wife, that they may not provoke each other to anger and strife, but live peaceably together in love and godliness, receive Thy gracious help in all temptations, and rear their children in accordance with Thy will; grant unto us all to walk before Thee, in purity and holiness, to put all our trust in Thee, and lead such lives on earth, that in the world to come we may have everlasting life, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
The Word Transforms Everything
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
This miracle not only teaches the power of God's Word but also shows His miraculous abundance and grace in the use of His Word.
These details are important and fit into the overall message of the Bible. It seems as if Joseph is no longer alive, although the Bible is not as fascinated by Joseph and Mary as the later traditions were. Christianity became a Mary religion during the Middle Ages. Those who leave Protestantism often do so through Marian devotion, which is sad.
Mary became the focus of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages because the Church emphasized Jesus as the judge and transferred His mercy and love to Mary, who became His boss and supervisor. The extremes never really stopped becoming more extreme, with a relatively new Roman Catholic proclamation saying that Mary offered up her Son at Calvary, become the first priest - in one sense.
The first detail to notice was the presence of Jesus and His disciples at a wedding. In the first centuries of the Church there developed a strong anti-woman, anti-marriage perspective, as if the most holy life was one where people did not marry but prayed all day, either alone or in communal groups. This was not a Biblical teaching but one that invaded from outside culture.
We can see similar cultural invasions today, where something popular merges with church teaching and starts to take over. One is the business model, as if a shepherd's duty is counting sheep rather than caring for sheep.
The anti-marriage philosophy is also popular, as if those who avoid marriage are happiest. But that only applies to men and women. When it is same sex, then it is something to be pursued as an absolute right. That is how mixed up we are, and pagan Rome was no better.
Jesus blessed all marriages by being at this wedding with His disciples and His mother. Marriage language is associated with Jesus, coming from His direct teaching. He is the groom and the church is the bride.
The presence of His mother and her suggestions show that she was hosting this marriage for a couple who lacked the relatives to carry out this responsibility. Those weddings (like the funerals) were very important extended family events. Mary's role suggests a lack of money too, which is revealed when they run out of the most important beverage - wine. That is like having no meat left at the barbeque, no fish for the fish fry, no dessert at the PTA meeting.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
They ran out of wine, so Mary suggested to Jesus that He do something about it. Her faith in His infinite power is implied. She knows His divine status, far better than anyone else, so she asks.
Next is a significant detail. Jesus did not address Mary as "mother" or even as "dear woman," (some translations). He simply called her "Woman" as He did at the cross.
The Bible is the antidote for the errors that soon invaded the Christian Church. One was the elevation of Mary to divine status. It started early in the Christian Church and got out of control after the Council of Ephesus. In a few centuries, Mary was "assumed into heaven" either after her death or without dying, to show that she was without sin.
In calling His mother "woman," Jesus asserted His Lordship. He also responded that the wine shortage was not his problem, nor his mother's responsibility. As we can see from many passages, Jesus' abruptness had a purpose in drawing out verbal responses. Rather than shutting down hope and faith, they encourage both.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
In faith, Mary simply ordered the servant to obey her Son. Does this sound like a mother with infinite trust in her Son? Most people will smile at the irony. One of our friends captions her daughter's photos with "This is my daughter, Rhodes Scholar..." I told this mother that it reminded me of being introduced by my mother as "Dr. Greg Jackson." I would say, "You can call me Greg, Mom," but she persisted. This is such a realistic detail that it makes us smile.
Not my business or Yours? OK - "Do whatever He commands, servants."
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
This first miracle is completely public and lacking in any possibility of a trick. Magic consists of trickery, such as making people think of one reality while providing an alternative. A magician can mix two clear liquids and produce a colored one. Photographers can too! For the audience, the color change is magical - not chemistry.
We can many different ways in which the miracle happened only through the Word. Clear water was drawn by the servants, and clear water went into the large jars. If there had been a special substance inside, the aroma would have come up to greet the servants. Wine perfumes the air with its aroma. Nothing was realized until the master of ceremonies tasted it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
The master of ceremonies knew nothing about this transpiring. He simply tasted the water-into-wine. It was so good that he admonished the bridegroom for keeping the best wine until last. No one could do a Kool-Aid trick, as the details show, with water added to a mixture.
I am afraid that most Christian leaders seem to miss the point - that the Word of Jesus alone transformed the water. What He commanded, happened. And it happened with great abundance and quality - symbolic of Jesus promising life in abundance. That did not mean an abundance of luxurious living, but even more of what we love in life, those intangibles.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Notice the connection between the first miracle and the work of the Holy Spirit. "The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, because they do not believe on Me." John 16:8ff.
This is a miracle to teach the power of the Word and to believe in that power.
The Word of God, through faith, transforms everything. Just as ordinary water becomes extraordinary wine, so do the routine aspects of life become glorious because God blesses them through faith.
Unbelievers cannot see this and despise the life of Christians, only finding fault. Apostate church leaders smirk that they can persecute faithful pastors and congregations, blinded by their own unbelief.
Central to this message today is the purpose of the Bible, especially (but not only) the Gospel of John - to teach faith in Christ.
This includes complete trust in the forgiveness of Christ. When we hang onto regret and do not accept the forgiveness given in the Gospel, then we are actually doubting the power of the Word.
How could He forgive all my sins?
That is answered by - How could he turn water into wine?
With the emphasis on all rather than some of my sins.
All the water was transformed, not half or 80%.
In the same way, all our activities are transformed by faith in Christ. The Gospel is a leaven that permeates, slowly, everything we do. As Luther wrote in his catechism, we become more caring, more patient, more generous through the action of the Gospel.
The Gospel transforms our grief, because of faith in Christ and the hope of everlasting life. That does not eliminate grief, but it changes it from meaningless pain to remembering in love.
The Gospel transforms family life, because we do not see responsibilities as burdens but as a privilege and a blessing to carry out. At the moment it is not always fun, the great litmus test of the day, but we look back with satisfaction at what God gives us to do.
It is funny that few things are more hated than required English classes in college. One way to motivate people is to have them think, "How will this help me in the future?" But another way is based on faith. "Be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you."
Required English at a Christian college is like being on vacation. It is work, but vacations are work too (and they cost rather than pay). When students greet and hug after a month of Christmas break, it is clear that they do not hold a grudge against required English.
Christ gives us life in abundance, through His transforming Word.
