“Wedding at Cana” – Giotto 1305-1306
Today’s gospel story about Jesus is quite familiar and beloved, and with good reason.
“See, Jesus loved a good party!” people will say.
But the story is not without controversy.
After all, the Episcopalians are convinced that Jesus filled those six stone water jars with Port wine, while the Baptists insist that this “wine” was actually a very sweet, grape juice—more than likely, Welch’s.
But joking aside, I bet that the bride and the bridegroom remembered and were always so glad that they had thought to invite Jesus and the disciples to their big party!
Years later, people were still talking about their wedding, and the amazing thing that had happened there. In fact, we’re STILL talking about it, over 2000 years later.
Without Jesus, the wedding might have lived in the memory of the village for a few generations as “that wedding when the wine gave out,” but over time, it would have been completely forgotten, as so much of what happens in our lives, both good and bad, is forgotten after enough time passes.
So what would happen in your life if you made the conscious decision to invite Jesus to your party? Or into your messes? Or into your falling apart marriage? Or into your financial woes?
All too often, we just assume that God is there with us, just hanging out in our lives, helping us along, and that assumption is true.
But what I love about this story is that John tells us that Jesus and his disciples HAD BEEN INVITED to the wedding. In other words, the wedding party issued a specific invitation to him—we want You there.
When we intentionally invite God into our lives, we can be sure that God will not only provide in the moment, but the best really is yet to be because God is constantly at work on our behalves to bring the best to fruition.
We can live our lives with hope.
Even when that wine that brings joy to our lives seems to have run out, and we are overwhelmed with worry or sorrow, we can live in hope, because we KNOW that God’s deepest desire is to pour out God’s deep and boundless generosity on us.
And, when we invite God in, everyone around us benefits!
In today’s gospel, what must have been a good party got even better, with the best saved for the last—even more joy, laughter, and celebration than anyone had dared to imagine!
When we are intentional about inviting Jesus into our midst when we are together here in church, can’t you feel the love that gets poured around among us? Our exuberant peace is a great example of this love of God being poured out among us. We take the opportunity to celebrate our joy at being together!
And that love can’t help but go right on out with us through the doors of this place to get poured out into our homes, and our own communities for everyone’s mutual benefit.
Just imagine how your life would change if you intentionally invited Jesus to the party of whatever dull meeting you had to attend next.
What if Jesus came to that “party?” I guarantee that with your knowledge that Jesus is there with you, the meeting will be better than you could have imagined!
Jesus will transform even the most mundane parts of our lives into something joyful when we invite him in, and we can see in the most unlikely situations in our lives that God’s glory shines out
because we’ve invited Jesus in.
And–our faith grows stronger and stronger over time when we come to know for ourselves that the wine of God’s love never, ever runs out.
Now I know that this is an Episcopal church, but this is a very Baptist sermon, because I’m going to end here with a call. You don’t have to come forward, but please don’t wait.
In this moment,
Invite Jesus to come into your life!
Invite him in as often as it takes, because that invitation, offered over and over, will help you remember that yes,
Jesus IS with you, here and now, and always, and that his love for you will never, ever, run out—
And neither will our love for one another.
And maybe, just maybe, people will be talking about how God revealed God’s glory right here in Port Royal, 2000 years from now, because we have remembered to invite Jesus to be with us at this celebration, here, on this day.