Do You Want Water Or Wine?
Sermon
One of the best things about a wedding is that the whole family meets together under really happy conditions. You see relatives you haven't seen for years, and on the whole, people are on their best behaviour and anxious to enjoy themselves. And the food and the wine are major ingredients in that enjoyment.
In the days when there was very little entertainment, weddings were occasions for the whole village to meet together socially. In the Middle East where Jesus grew up, weddings commonly lasted for a week or more, and attracted people for miles around.
It does my heart good that Jesus' very first act, and right at the beginning of his ministry, was to attend a wedding and to change the water there into wine. And since the wedding would have lasted for a week or more, perhaps it wasn't too surprising that Jesus changed something like 180 gallons of water into wine. Even so, that's an awful lot of wine to consume!
This miracle of changing water into wine is one of the few non-healing miracles that Jesus performed. It's only recorded in St John's gospel, but it's given considerable prominence by John and he regards it as the first sign of glory pointing to the divinity of Jesus. John goes on throughout his gospel to develop this theme of the divinity of Jesus, gradually unveiling more signs of glory until they culminate in the resurrection of Jesus, the ultimate sign of his divinity.
Apart from being a happy social occasion and an opportunity to meet lots of people, why should a wedding be so important? And why should Jesus use his divine powers in the rather unnecessary act of changing water into wine? After all, wine is hardly essential to life. In fact it could be regarded as damaging to life, especially to those who knock back 180 gallons of it.
Perhaps this act hints that enjoyment and fun are important ingredients of life. Perhaps Jesus is showing by the very first act of his ministry that God is interested in the whole of life and is delighted by parties and eager that they should go with a swing.
I can't believe that with considerably more than 180 gallons of wine (they'd already run out of the first lot when Jesus performed his miracle) that no-one became drunk. I can't believe that out of all those guests nobody abused the drink. Yet Jesus doesn't say, "I can't produce any more wine. People would only get drunk." Neither do we hear a single word of recrimination or blame or distaste or disgust on Jesus' lips. On the contrary he's extremely concerned that people should have a really good time and goes out of his way to ensure that this happens.
Yet actually in our society in this country, Christianity and church-going and religion are regarded as so sober and serious that you might be forgiven for believing that Jesus changed wine into water. Christians are often seen as kill-joys, and Christianity is often equated only with morality, and a somewhat stuffy morality at that. Church is regarded as utterly boring and a place where “thou shalt not” reigns supreme.
Yet Jesus changed water into wine, not the other way round. Many health-conscious people today would consider water to be the healthy option and perhaps the option we ought to adopt. And water is certainly significant and symbolic throughout the Bible, especially in St John's gospel. So why didn't Jesus say, "We've already consumed all the wine provided. We don't need any more. I really think it would be safer to move on to water. Water is a symbol of growth and cleansing and moreover, is good for you."
But when his mother approached him to help out in a difficult situation, Jesus didn't become moralistic or condemning. He didn't hesitate to change water into wine, and moreover, to provide an over-abundance of wine.
There's nothing wrong with water. It's health giving, it's essential for life and growth, and it cleans and refreshes. And it's safe. No-one can get intoxicated on water. But on the whole, it's not a very exciting drink.
Wine is much more exciting, but it carries an element of risk. It's much less safe than water, and it's not necessary in order to sustain life. But when good wine is used properly, it can give a great feeling of well-being which water can never give, and wine can enhance health. But if wine is imbibed freely, it can also remove inhibitions so that we're seen for who we really are. And if it's abused, it can eventually damage health.
I believe Jesus still changes water into wine. I think he can take ordinary humdrum, unexciting, safe human lives, and transform them. Change them into something exciting and fun and enjoyable. But that change carries an element of risk.
It's not essential to life. You can live perfectly well without Jesus, and many people do. Many people live good, decent and happy lives without Jesus. And there's nothing wrong with that. But Jesus at the centre of life can give a great feeling of well-being which ordinary life can never give, and he can enhance health.
If Jesus is imbibed freely, he can remove inhibitions so that we're seen for who we really are. That can be quite threatening, but it's also immensely liberating. If you're seen for who you really are, you never have to pretend again. You never have to put on a good face, because everybody knows your real face.
But if the presence of Jesus in your life is abused in some way, that abuse can eventually damage your health. His presence can be abused by those who make all sorts of conditions before they will accept other people, and especially before they will acknowledge other people as Christians. His presence can also be abused by those who claim to follow him but whose behaviour is immoral in some way. And his presence can be abused by those who hold high positions in his name, but who don't actually know him.
So there's a risk in allowing Jesus to turn the water of your life into wine. There's nothing wrong with water, and there's nothing wrong with people's lives without Jesus. But like wine, life transformed by Jesus is so much more exciting, is full of fun and enjoyment and risk. And remember, no matter what the quality of the water, Jesus always produces good wine.
Nobody at a wedding is forced to drink wine, and Jesus never forces his presence on anyone. But the invitation is always there, and you might like to consider it when you receive wine, the blood of Jesus, at communion today, because when you receive that wine, you're imbibing Jesus. The invitation is this. Would you like your life to be changed from water into wine?
In the days when there was very little entertainment, weddings were occasions for the whole village to meet together socially. In the Middle East where Jesus grew up, weddings commonly lasted for a week or more, and attracted people for miles around.
It does my heart good that Jesus' very first act, and right at the beginning of his ministry, was to attend a wedding and to change the water there into wine. And since the wedding would have lasted for a week or more, perhaps it wasn't too surprising that Jesus changed something like 180 gallons of water into wine. Even so, that's an awful lot of wine to consume!
This miracle of changing water into wine is one of the few non-healing miracles that Jesus performed. It's only recorded in St John's gospel, but it's given considerable prominence by John and he regards it as the first sign of glory pointing to the divinity of Jesus. John goes on throughout his gospel to develop this theme of the divinity of Jesus, gradually unveiling more signs of glory until they culminate in the resurrection of Jesus, the ultimate sign of his divinity.
Apart from being a happy social occasion and an opportunity to meet lots of people, why should a wedding be so important? And why should Jesus use his divine powers in the rather unnecessary act of changing water into wine? After all, wine is hardly essential to life. In fact it could be regarded as damaging to life, especially to those who knock back 180 gallons of it.
Perhaps this act hints that enjoyment and fun are important ingredients of life. Perhaps Jesus is showing by the very first act of his ministry that God is interested in the whole of life and is delighted by parties and eager that they should go with a swing.
I can't believe that with considerably more than 180 gallons of wine (they'd already run out of the first lot when Jesus performed his miracle) that no-one became drunk. I can't believe that out of all those guests nobody abused the drink. Yet Jesus doesn't say, "I can't produce any more wine. People would only get drunk." Neither do we hear a single word of recrimination or blame or distaste or disgust on Jesus' lips. On the contrary he's extremely concerned that people should have a really good time and goes out of his way to ensure that this happens.
Yet actually in our society in this country, Christianity and church-going and religion are regarded as so sober and serious that you might be forgiven for believing that Jesus changed wine into water. Christians are often seen as kill-joys, and Christianity is often equated only with morality, and a somewhat stuffy morality at that. Church is regarded as utterly boring and a place where “thou shalt not” reigns supreme.
Yet Jesus changed water into wine, not the other way round. Many health-conscious people today would consider water to be the healthy option and perhaps the option we ought to adopt. And water is certainly significant and symbolic throughout the Bible, especially in St John's gospel. So why didn't Jesus say, "We've already consumed all the wine provided. We don't need any more. I really think it would be safer to move on to water. Water is a symbol of growth and cleansing and moreover, is good for you."
There's nothing wrong with water. It's health giving, it's essential for life and growth, and it cleans and refreshes. And it's safe. No-one can get intoxicated on water. But on the whole, it's not a very exciting drink.
Wine is much more exciting, but it carries an element of risk. It's much less safe than water, and it's not necessary in order to sustain life. But when good wine is used properly, it can give a great feeling of well-being which water can never give, and wine can enhance health. But if wine is imbibed freely, it can also remove inhibitions so that we're seen for who we really are. And if it's abused, it can eventually damage health.
I believe Jesus still changes water into wine. I think he can take ordinary humdrum, unexciting, safe human lives, and transform them. Change them into something exciting and fun and enjoyable. But that change carries an element of risk.
It's not essential to life. You can live perfectly well without Jesus, and many people do. Many people live good, decent and happy lives without Jesus. And there's nothing wrong with that. But Jesus at the centre of life can give a great feeling of well-being which ordinary life can never give, and he can enhance health.
If Jesus is imbibed freely, he can remove inhibitions so that we're seen for who we really are. That can be quite threatening, but it's also immensely liberating. If you're seen for who you really are, you never have to pretend again. You never have to put on a good face, because everybody knows your real face.
But if the presence of Jesus in your life is abused in some way, that abuse can eventually damage your health. His presence can be abused by those who make all sorts of conditions before they will accept other people, and especially before they will acknowledge other people as Christians. His presence can also be abused by those who claim to follow him but whose behaviour is immoral in some way. And his presence can be abused by those who hold high positions in his name, but who don't actually know him.
So there's a risk in allowing Jesus to turn the water of your life into wine. There's nothing wrong with water, and there's nothing wrong with people's lives without Jesus. But like wine, life transformed by Jesus is so much more exciting, is full of fun and enjoyment and risk. And remember, no matter what the quality of the water, Jesus always produces good wine.
Nobody at a wedding is forced to drink wine, and Jesus never forces his presence on anyone. But the invitation is always there, and you might like to consider it when you receive wine, the blood of Jesus, at communion today, because when you receive that wine, you're imbibing Jesus. The invitation is this. Would you like your life to be changed from water into wine?
