A sermon preached at Kowloon
Union Church on Sunday 20 January 2013 by the Rev. Ewing W. [Bud] Carroll, Jr.
The scriptures reading that day were John 6:56-69; I Kings 8 and Ephesians
6:10-20.
Something always seems to go
wrong at a wedding. Let me give you two
examples: One very personal. I was privileged to perform the wedding
ceremonies for both of my sons. Older
son John [who lives in Hong Kong] and Katie
were married in a very small university chapel - filled with classmates, family
and friends. There was tenseness in the
air; incredible expectation; a hush across the entire chapel. As John and Katie stood before me, I looked
at them, then to my service sheet – and - I couldn’t see a single word! No, it wasn’t nervousness on my part. I had forgotten my glasses! I had left them in a suit coat. People know stories where the bridegroom ran
away from the wedding service, but never the pastor! I whispered to John and Katie, “I’ll be right back.” Within a few seconds I was back to the
chancel area. I could see the audience
needed an explanation so I said, “Thanks
for your patience with an over-excited father of the groom. I forgot my glasses. Now, let’s get on with the service.”
Second example: while counseling a young couple soon to
marry, the pastor found the prospective bride very nervous. Not knowing the couple very well, the pastor
suggested that during the ceremony the Best Man read one of the NT lessons. The
selected passage was I John 4:18. The Best Man knew the couple very well, but
he knew nothing about the Bible. On the
appointed day, as the nervous bride and groom stood before the pastor and a
packed church, the Best Man read – not from
I John 4:18, [There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear.]; rather from the Gospel according to John
4:18 “You have five husbands and the one
you have now is not your husband…”
Jesus, his mother Mary and his
disciples were invited to a wedding feast in Cana, not far from Nazareth. Such feasts were a taste of joy and
excitement in people’s otherwise dreary and difficult lives. They usually lasted nearly a week. And economically poor as your family might
be, you were expected to provide the best food and wine all that time. But, like my two examples above, something
went wrong! Suddenly, all the wine was
gone. The bride and groom’s families
must have been deeply embarrassed. What
in the world could they do to fix this problem?
Jesus provided the answer.
John tells us Jesus turned water
in six huge 30 gallon stone jars into the finest wine imaginable. The waiters
were grateful to Jesus and noted, “Usually
people serve the best wine first, but you’ve kept the good wine until last.” But when we look more closely, the miracle in
this passage is not about Jesus changing water into wine, Ribena, grape juice
or soya milk. The miracle was/is, that
through God’s generous and gracious love in Jesus Christ, the “Old Me” and the
“Old You” can be changed into something incredibly useful and valuable for God
and for society. And so the question for
us today: “What happens when we allow Jesus to turn us from water to wine?” Put another way, “What happens when we say, “Yes” to Jesus?” Let me share two possibilities.
Firstly: Christ
wants to transform – or change our everyday actions in thought, word and deed.
The six stone jars had probably been used the same way day in and day out; year
in and year out. But Jesus changed all
that. He not only saved a wedding feast
from becoming a social disaster. To this
very day, this very moment, he also brings new hope, new possibilities and new
life for all who are prepared to “Just Say Yes” - and then to follow him.”
In the late 1800’s one of Russia’s last
czarist rulers was walking through a palace garden. No matter the time of day
or night, he noticed there was always a guard standing watch in one certain
place. When he asked the guards, “Why are
you standing there?” they replied, “Orders
from above, sir.” The same question
was asked to many different army officers.
Finally, one was able to tell the czar, “When Catherine the Great ruled Russia over a hundred years ago,
she had a rose bush planted on this spot.
Her instructions were ‘Be sure
to guard my rose bush.’ We’ve been
guarding this spot ever since.” The
rose bush was lone gone but nothing had changed.
Some of us are still guarding
the same spots in our lives. Little has
changed in our thoughts and attitudes.
We still harbor old fears, old guilts, old angers, old pride and frustrations;
old prejudices. [Look at the recent
anti-gay demonstrations held by a large number of HK Christians. In my view of the Holy Bible, total
distortions of God’s Words. God, my
friends, doesn’t make mistakes.] We find it difficult to “Let God and Let God.” But Christ can change all that. These words from an old Gospel hymn say it
well:
“What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came
into my heart.” On in the words of a
much newer song, “Change my heart, O God…”
In Revelations 21:5 John also
refers to the new life made possible by Christ:
“Behold, I am making all things
new.” Note the word “making.” Not made.
Christ is not finished yet!! In the
words of John Wesley, Christ is moving us on towards perfection. He continues to be at work in our lives; at
weddings; baptisms; funeral services, in classrooms and work places; in our
homes, and hopefully right here in this church!
Christ comes not to inform us,
but to change us. [Repeat] He doesn’t come to bring us new ideas; but to
make us new people. He doesn’t come to
change our looks, but to change our hearts.
Secondly: Saying “Yes” to Christ enables us to
experience God’s extravagant love. Sometimes we feel
like we’re running on empty. You who
drive automobiles know what I’m talking about – that little needle that tells
you the car is almost out of gas/petrol.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I have occasion to drive a
car, I’m tempted to just keep driving and see how far the car goes before it
runs out of fuel. Do we not also do this
in our own daily lives? But the
extravagant love of God in Christ Jesus, keeps us from “Running on empty.” Call it
abundance. Call it fine wine or whatever
– But know it for what it really is: God’s
miraculous love at work in our daily lives.
In recent days, many people
across the world are commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. They were recalling his remarkable
life: how, in a highly oppressive and
violent world, he lived a life of non-violence. We give thanks for the
sacrificial ways he preached, promoted and pursued God’s sense of racial equality; again, in non-violent
ways. Perhaps more than any other person
in recent history, Dr. King’s dreams
and actions continue to help change water stored in old stone jars of power and
prejudice, control and cruelty, stubbornness and selfishness, into new wines of
equality, justice and opportunity.
Because MLK, Jr. said “Yes” to God in the face of seemingly never-ending
difficulties, you and I – and countless persons across the face of the earth,
are now more able to experience God’s extravagant love.
A little girl’s visiting
Auntie asked her, “What did you learn in
Sunday School today?” She said,
she’d learned about Jesus’ miraculous changing of water into wine. Her auntie then asked, ‘”So, what do you think is the meaning of this story? “ Without
blinking an eye she replied, “If you’re
going to have a wedding, make sure Jesus is there?” [Repeat].
You know, she was right. Whether it’s a wedding, or the struggles, joys
and difficulties of daily life, in whatever you are doing, make sure Jesus is
there! Amen.
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Wednesday, January 23, 2013
