Rev. Dr. Bary R. Fleet - Pastor
January 14, 2007 - 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1-5
Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

Good Trade!

Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman waling on the side of the road. As the trip was long and quiet, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she'd like a ride.

With a word or two of thanks, she got in the car.

After driving a ways and using up "small talk," the Navajo woman noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.

"What's in the bag?" asked the old woman.

Sally looked down at the bag, was a bit embarrassed, and said, "It's a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband."

The Navajo woman was silent for a moment, and then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder said, "Good trade!"*

Today's scripture isn't about trading husbands for anything, but it is about trading 150 or so gallons of water for wine ... not just wine, but "good wine."

John tells the story about the wedding in Cana where Jesus miraculously turns water into wine. John says that this was the first of Jesus' signs.

A sign ... of what?

John's Gospel isn't intended to be a historical account of Jesus' life, as much as it is a theological account. Remember, John's gospel doesn't begin with Jesus' birth, but with something much more intellectual: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of the world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:1-5.)

John is talking theology, not history.

So ... Jesus' first "sign" must have to do with some theological truth. This is a story of abundance. Somebody didn't plan very well. Either more guests came than were expected, or the host simply didn't order enough wine to begin with. So, what was supposed to be a joyful occasion was marred by scarcity, by a void. There was no more wine ... no more joy.

But before he did anything, he acknowledged that she might be overstepping her boundaries ... this simply was not her problem. Legend suggests that the reason Mary got involved was that this was the marriage of her nephew ... the son of her sister. But what is important is that Mary trusted the Jesus could do something to make a difference. Her instructions to the servants were simple: "Do whatever he tells you."

Jesus wasn't ready yet to "come out," but he wasn't a man who could refuse his mother.

We know the story: He ordered that the jugs be filled with water, and when the steward tasted the water, it had become wine ... and not just ordinary table wine, but "good wine."

So what is the "sign"? It is this: That Jesus takes scarcity and turns it into abundance! John isn't talking about the material abundance right now as much as he is talking about the abundance of joy! When things seem empty, not only does Jesus fill the emptiness, but he fills it with something amazing, something miraculous!

How many times have we wished we had more faith? We find ourselves going through a particularly difficult time ... and it feels like we are spiritually empty. There is nothing there.

What if our faith, our belief, our love for God is a gift of God, and not something we do ourselves? What if God is present, wanting to give us even more faith, more love, more energy to meet the demands of life?

What if this story in John's gospel is true? There's a party in Cana, out in Galilee, and the wine give out. Jesus tells the servants to fill the large stone jugs (6 of them, each holding between 20 and 30 gallons) with water, but it turns out not to be water, but wine ... way more than enough wine for any party!

I would invite each of us to consider the possibility that this story really is a sign of what God wants to do for us in our time of need ... when we are feeling empty ... when the joy is gone and only the problems remain. That is exactly the time that Jesus wants to fill us with more than we could ever imagine, that's exactly when Jesus wants to be sure that our supply of joy is almost limitless! I would invite us to consider this story as one of God's promises -- that God is there, ready to fill our emptiness, ready to get the party back on track! I would invite us to consider trading our sense of emptiness with a sense that God is wanting to give us life and life abundantly. Now, that's a good trade!**

*This story was taken from Homiletics / January 2007, Vol. 19, No. 1, p. 24.
** Much of this sermon is credited to the Pulpit Resource, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 9-12.