"Mining for Wisdom Nuggets"

There are mining town all over this planet.  In your opinion what is the job of a miner.  What would you call the method a miner uses in his work?  What is the miner looking for? 

June 20, 2019 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11  Psalm 36 5-10 John 2: 1-11

Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian.  So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school.  When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week our lesson was about Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding.  The audience chuckled but Johnny trying to keep a straight face then said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy went silent for moment. It was apparent he hadn’t thought about this.  All of sudden he blurted out, "Well I suppose If you're going to have a wedding, it might be a good idea to invite Jesus!"

You know, that is pretty profound advice.  Jesus is, at least for those who claim to be Christian, a sign of God being present in your life.    Jesus brings God into the picture and kindles within us the Holy Spirit.   Both relationships, your relationship with God and the relationship with a spouse were meant to be lifelong.   The first one shouldn’t end with the placement of a ring on someone’s finger, unfortunately for many it often does.  This, to the unknowing couple, creates an incomplete and fragile crevice in their relationship.  The relationship with Jesus shouldn’t end either with the claim that one has found salvation.  This make Jesus to small and too incomplete.  These covenants are for daily living not just for moment in time, what do we say?  Until death do us part!  Jesus at the weeding is not only keeping the party going, his presences there is a sign of God’s life long and eternal love for the couple.    

So then, It is a good thing to have Jesus at wedding ceremonies, more so it is good to have Jesus show up in our daily lives not just on Sunday.   

Many followers and preachers often focus here on the miracle at Cana, and miss out on mining for the deeper nuggets of wisdom for our daily lives.  Here, the ancient Hebrew practice of Midrash can be effective for us today. We must become like a miner, digging for those hidden golden nuggets of wisdom.  They are not always visible at first read and are often hidden within the stories, you have to dig for them.   The miracle is really secondary to what Jesus brings to the gathering.  Upon closer observation, the first two verses reveal our first nugget.  In order to have Jesus present, an invitation must be extended.  Inviting Jesus in, sets the stage for not only their gathering, but we too, must extend the same invitation, to have him present in our gatherings and in our daily lives.  The second nugget can be found when we hear of the family’s most embarrassing moment.  Let us not turn Jesus’ presence in our lives into a show piece as the hypocrite does, we invited Him in because we know Jesus helps us through the ups and downs of our daily life.  He is the only one who can save us from ourselves.  

Just when the party gets going, they run out of wine.  This is not really a life and death situation folks, well at least for some of us, yet even here Jesus comes to the rescue.  Another Nugget:  There is no cry for help that is too trivial for Jesus if Jesus has been invited into your story, into your life.  We do not have to make detailed requests for the Universal Christ to understand our needs, Jesus knows even when we cannot ask.  His mother simply states a problem while staring at her son.   Has this ever happen to you as child, you know the stare, "your room is a mess" the urgency to do something about it may not have be spoken, but the message is loud and clear.

This miracle story it is a great illustration of what can happen when Jesus is invited into our lives, He is always there for us through the thick and thin.    We humans can get carried away with neglect and indulgence leaving God and Christ out of our live but, when we do, we do not see trouble coming.  How many extend a daily invitation for Christ to enter in?    

Jesus has been invited to attend this wedding and His presence has a profound effect on its outcome.    Mary, understanding the embarrassment the family was faced with, so she looks to her Son for help.  At first, Jesus show reluctance to fulfill his mother’s unspoken request, because it is not time yet to show His authority over life and death He tells her.  Yet because of the invitation, Jesus’ true nature, which is to be a servant to all, comes shining through.    Jesus never fails the voice of the one who asks for help.   
                                                   Jesus on the Main Line”

Signs as we all know point to something and the signs in this story testify to something that is greater than we are - and it is that greater thing we are meant to be mining for - not the miracle in itself.  The signs here point to many things about Christ and about His relationship with us.   Here are three: 

First  - In turning water into wine,  Jesus takes what is and shows us that it has the possibility to become something new.  What can that do for us here today?   Well for those of us who might feel anxious or tired, fearful, devoid of joy, empty or board, lacking in purpose – WE can be transformed by the power of inviting His presence into our lives.   WE can be turned into something rich, fragrant, and ripe with the fullness of joy through His presence and care for our lives.   There is a lot of gospel in that for all of us.  Who doesn’t need his care, who doesn’t need his presence, Jesus can bring new life, even to that which appears to be dead to life.   May I suggest to take the story of Lazarus for instant not as fact but as a metaphor and dig for its deeper meaning.   He was apparently dead for over three days yet still responded to the voice of Christ.  Hearing it he was able to walk out of his darkness back into the light where Christ reigns.  Our Hope is that Jesus will fill the dead emptiness in our lives.  He can take whatever it is that we bring to him - no matter how little or how much and utterly remake it into something way beyond the best that the world is capable of providing.   Our Nugget here is "Trusting".  Put your TRUST in Jesus for He can literally change your life.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonder face and the things of earth will grow strangely of dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Second -  John notes that wine, not just new wine but the best of wine came from thirty-gallon of water,  think of it, because of His generosity and their gratitude the time for celebration had once again begun.  Your new life awaits you because you have invited him in, now the seed must be planted so it can grow.  The soil which can grow this new relationship best is thankfulness.  Our nugget here you see is your Gratitude.

Thirdly - the Gospel story emphasizes the abundance of what Jesus can provide.  The wedding guests went from having no wine at all, to having almost enough to swim in.  By putting your trust in Jesus you too can share in His generosity of the abundant life.  One in which the wine of life will be the best ever - your cup will always be full to overflowing.  Thus this miracle was a sign pointing to the prize, the nugget here is: Jesus' is that prize.   He is the long-awaited deliverer of your life.   He is the one who will purify you and make the circumstances of your life palatable.   Jesus always provides more than is needed.  Isn’t that GREAT!!!!