Thursday, January 18, 2018

Always Invite This Person

This is such a great account of an event and it is only found in one book. Some stories are retold in different ways in different books but not this one. I love Jesus' anonymous standoffishness...

"On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.' So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." - John 2:1-11 ESV

Inviting Jesus is always a good idea is one thought I got from this.

Another is that the host seems to know that there won't be enough wine but invites Jesus and His disciples anyway. This is Jesus' first recorded miracle so there is no way they could have thought He would help them but they wanted Him there because He was there in the time of need joy was manifested. Wine often represents joy in the scriptures.

Perhaps we think, 'If we are going to have people over we must have more than enough food and get extra so there will be enough.' That isn't a bad thought. It is very practical but Church life often seems more like a potluck affair. Everyone brings something and Jesus is there so whatever might be lacking emotionally is provided for. Jesus makes the joy in the vessels designed for sanctification.

Lastly. Jesus had disciples and even though He did what He did in a very incognito fashion so that the master of the feasts attention was on the bridegroom these disciples knew who was really responsible. I want to be the person who looks and sees what Jesus does. It is easy to evaluate based on sight and sound and perhaps criticize the details but I want to be the one who recognizes God in the room. It really isn't about the quality of the party people throw. Is God in attendance? Yes. God is everywhere present but He also shows up in special ways at special times when people ask Him to or when a life-changing event or celebration is about to happen and He is invited.

A church is like this sometimes I think. We have invited 100 people but we only have 30 packets of saltine crackers. Jesus and His disciples are coming so we know there will be enough for everyone in the end.

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