Sunday, January 20, 2019

The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (2^nd Sunday after Epiphany)

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm: 36:5-10
Second Reading: I Corinthians 12:1-11
Gospel Reading: John 2:1-11

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

This is a grand story that far too easily we get hung up on the events of the story and miss the deep meaning.  Our consumerist culture leads us to a reduce this miracle to the silent question/desire – “If Jesus can make fine wine from water for the wedding feast, then when will Jesus do that for me?” Or similarly, “When will I be the recipient of the miracle?”  Such questions miss the large truth that we can glean from the story.

This is the Gospel of John, so we need to read the story not only in a human level sense of what is happening, but also on that larger spiritual reality of what is happening.  As the reader and as the insider in the story, we know the source of the really good wine.

This issue of the source of the good wine is more important than the miracle of water turned into wine.  The source is Jesus—he is the one in whom we discover the wonder and miracle that is the Word with us.  In the story the good wine can stand as a symbol of the abundance and goodness of God.  We are already recipients of the goodness and abundance of God.

As recipients of the goodness and abundance of God, we dare ask ourselves what kind of vessel we will be in the world.  Will we be the vessel that holds and shares the goodness and abundance of God?  Will we be for this hurting world the good wine?

On this weekend when we celebrate Dr. King, that same question can be put in language that he used.  Will we work and strive for the beloved community?  Will we be that kind of people?  Will we be that vessel for the beloved community that God intends for all humanity?

The source of the good wine and the source of the beloved community—that is the story.   Church, will we be the vessel for the source of the beloved community and the good wine?