Epiphany 2

February 1, 2016 in Sermon by Scott Landrum

Isaiah 62:1-5
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
John 2:1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

“Do whatever he tells you,” Mary the mother of Jesus said to the servants. There they were, Jesus and his disciples along with Jesus’ mother at a wedding. A festive occasion to be sure, one blessed by God himself to create an estate between a man and woman that among other things provides mutual care, respect, joy, help and an appropriate environment for intimacy and procreation. And Jesus interrupts the celebration. He does this at the prodding of his mother who refused to mind her own business not because she was a busy body but because she had been around Jesus enough by now to know that whatever he spoke happened. About this she could not keep silent and so she stood in a long line of preachers to include the likes of Isaiah who also could not keep silent. Isaiah knew also that for God to speak is to do and so he preached, he couldn’t rest, he preached and an odd sermon it was. Jerusalem was destroyed, its streets desolate, its land laid waste yet Isaiah was singing about salvation, vindication, and beauty. He could not keep silent.
He could not rest because he knew that when God changes your name from azubah, that is “forsaken” and shemamah, “desolate,” to Hephzibah, meaning “my delight is in her” and Beulah, that is “married,” well then that is exactly how it is no matter how it looks to you or anybody else. This is none other than God interrupting and being God. He can do that you know. God isn’t bound by us. So there at the wedding, reality said there was no wine only shame and embarrassment and guilt for lack of planning and resources but Mary knew there was hope when God interrupts.
And God’s interruption was a great reversal. “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk,” is how the steward put it. In other words “you got it backwards Jesus.” That is always the plight of the interrupting God. He comes to his own and his own know him not. His interrupting is always a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness for Gentiles because everybody knows you get what you deserve right? Everybody knows God helps those who help themselves right? Who ever heard of serving the best wine last? Who ever heard of forgiving the guilty unconditionally? Who ever heard of grace trumping law? Well you, after all Jesus’ hour has come. That is what Mary was preaching and so am I because I can’t keep silent. No need for alarm clocks, I can’t rest when it comes to giving you this promise. God is interrupting you this morning so listen up. What is it that you see when it comes to you? Shame, guilt, pride, weakness, old, fat, skinny, sick, ugly, dying, failure, pervert, addict, azubah, shemamah, out of wine . . . what is it that you see? Well this sermon is for you, “do whatever he tells you.” If he tells you to fill the water jars then you do it. If he tells you to take up your mat and walk well then you take it up. If he tells you to go to the pool and wash then it’s worth your time. If he tells you to destroy this temple and he will raise up again in three days then I wouldn’t bet against him. If he tells you to feed my sheep then you feed them. When you find yourself in a grave dead and stinking and he calls you out then you come out. When he takes your sin and gives you his righteousness then you take that promise and run with it. When he gives you water in the baptismal font, bread and wine at the communion rail and a preacher that says I forgive you the entirety of your sin for Jesus’ sake then you say amen. If he says you are my beloved and I am pleased with you then you bask in it. If he calls you Beulah then you write it on your name tag and say call me Beulah. For you see, the true miracle at Cana wasn’t water turning to wine but that his disciples believed in him. He interrupted their lives and in a great reversal of what they deserved instead gave them something to believe in. He gave them a word that does exactly what he says it will do, make a sinner into a saint, a new creation out of a dead one, a promise that Jesus Christ had come for them and so it is for you. Amen.