John 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
January 20, 2019
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’
His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. - John 2: 1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
I was thirty years old when I felt the nudge to come back to church. God’s Spirit was alive in that women’s study and began changing my life.
John’s Gospel is written to show us what the gift of God’s active love looks like in Jesus Christ so that we may have life in his name (John 20: 30-31).
After Jesus was baptized and anointed for ministry, John takes us to a special community event – the wedding in Cana. It is no coincidence that Mary, the disciples, and Jesus had been invited. Jesus and his mother knew the fabric of the community as they came to know Jesus and his disciples.
There are a number of women and men in the pews today who have the gift of hospitality. Those of us with this gift have an eye for noticing all the preparations for a special gathering.
I have always been curious about what Mary’s eyes were noticing at the wedding in Cana. Maybe her love language was serving others and so she noticed the beverage of choice was getting low.
You see clean water was an issue in the first century, so wine was often the common beverage. Something needed to be done so Jesus’ mother brought this her son’s attention.
In the days of ancient Israel, it was an unwritten rule for the wedding invitees to bring gifts of food and drink to the reception to help offset the costs [1]. You see wedding parties were celebrated with the community for one week, not just a few hours after the ceremony.
Mary knew her son was blessed to do great things as the Son of the Most High God. While Jesus’ response implied that he works on God’s timetable and not humanity’s, Mary knew Jesus would reveal God’s hospitality. Mothers always know best, right?!?! And so, she turned to the servants and said, “Do whatever he tells you.”
The wedding at Cana is where Jesus’ ministry began, for Jesus truly is the life of the party! His very first miracle of turning water in wine was a gift of God’s abundant grace to be received and also to joyfully participate in. Just as Jesus turned the water into wine with the servants’ help, so Jesus took two fish and five loaves of barley bread days later and multiplied it with the help of his disciples to feed 5,000 (John 6).
In both miracles Jesus revealed the gift of God’s abundance in the midst of human lack and scarcity. Jesus invited the stewards and the disciples to be a part of making the miracle of God’s grace tangible for others to see. When God’s grace is made tangible, it brings about opportunities for the community’s faith to deepen and to have fullness of life as God desires.
John’s Gospel shows us that the hallmark of Jesus’ ministry is servant leadership. Jesus sets for us an example that we also should do; to serve and not be served (John 13:15; Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Jesus’ servant leadership at the wedding in Cana was not about filling everyone’s empty glass. Jesus’ servant leadership was not about Jesus’ becoming well liked and popular.
Jesus’ servant leadership was and always is about putting the needs of others first and using God’s gifts to transform individual and communal lives that glorify God. Servant leadership is about seeing through Jesus’ eyes and looking for the places of humanity’s emptiness where God is calling us bring about Jesus’ grace.
The Apostle Paul tells us that God gives an abundance of gifts to be activated in everyone. “To each of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Together with our God-given gifts we join God in bringing about the advancement of God’s kingdom. That is what the common good means in the Greek language.
In this journey of faith God’s Spirit is on the move to open our eyes to discover and to hone our spiritual skills and talents. As we as individuals and as a community of faith are changed by God’s gifts, we also continue to listen for the unique ways God is calling us to work together like a symphony to bring about the melody of grace so that others may come alive to God’s glory, presence, and will.
As we gather as a community of faith in worship, hospitality, study, mission, and stewardship we pray for God’s nurturing Spirit to reveal what Jesus Christ is telling us to do in order to advance the kingdom as servants of God. Know that your baptism is sufficient for your calling to follow Jesus and to serve as the priesthood of all believers. Each of us is called to be a minister of grace. And we celebrate our common calling today!
Today we are also celebrating a unique church union as we affirm that God has called particular individuals to serve in ordained ministry. The second part of our Constitution says, “Ruling elders have particular gifts to share in the discernment of God’s Spirit and governance of God’s people…They are persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, having demonstrated skills in [servant] leadership and being compassionate in spirit. Ruling elders are chosen by the congregation to discern and measure [the congregation’s] fidelity to the Word of God and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life” (Book of Order W- G-2.0301).
Today we install a new class of ordained ruling elders to serve as spiritual leaders of the church. Vivian and Andy, God has bestowed upon each of you both common and unique gifts to be used in serving Jesus Christ and God’s people on session. You have seen these gifts of faith within yourselves and this congregation and I have seen them in your lives as well.
One of the key factors in putting our gifts of faith to use is having a healthy dose of humility. In his book entitled, “The Road to Character,” David Brooks says, “Humility is an awareness that your individual talents alone are inadequate to the tasks that have been assigned to you” [2].
This odd and wondrous calling of ordained ministry is certainly a humbling one. As our faith and trust grow in the One who has called us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, we learn the wisdom in the Gospel of John that Christ must increase, and we must decrease (John 3:30).
Vivian and Andy – today you will answer the constitutional questions for ordained ministry once again. They are vows that both our ruling elders and ministers of Word and Sacrament take in serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and God’s people . I encourage you and our ruling elders who will be actively serving with you to remember these things:
1. Prioritize your faith. As a spiritual leader of the church, we can only follow Jesus and lead God’s people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love if we keep in step with the Spirit. Sit in God’s Word daily. Ask Holy Spirit to daily shape your life by God’s faithfulness in Jesus Christ your Savior. It is in the daily reading of God’s Word that we grow in our obedience to Jesus Christ.
2. Pray. Open your heart and mind in a daily conversation with God. Pray to see God’s faithfulness in your life and in the life of your family. Also, pray to see God’s faithfulness in the life of this faith community and in the wider world. Pray for this congregation and your pastor even as we pray for you. Pray for your faith to seek understanding according to the Rule of Love in Scripture. Pray for the mind of Christ that in humility we may look to the interest of others and not self-interest. And pray for God’s will to be done so that we may glorify God and advance the kingdom of God here in this community.
3. Listen. The ministry of discernment requires the ability and commitment to listen. And listening values the humility required to grow in deeper relationship with God and one another. Listen for the Spirit of God speaking to you through God’s Word and through conversations in your daily life. Listen for the voice of Jesus Christ calling you to be curious to “Come and See!”; “Love one another as I have loved you”; and to “Follow Jesus alone.” Listen to understand from differing viewpoints so that your ministry will show the justice and love of Jesus Christ. Listen deeply so that we may do whatever Jesus tells us to do and join God in changing the world.
May it be so and may God always get the glory. Amen.
Sources Referenced:
[1] Lindsey Trozzo, “Commentary for John 2: 1-11” Working Preacher website, January 20, 2019
[2] David Brooks, “The Road to Character” (New York: Random House, 2015), p. 263.
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