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First Lesson: Isaiah 62: 1-5 Responsive Reading: Psalm 36: 5-10 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 Gospel Lesson: John 2: 1-11 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Once upon a time, there was a couple who was out for their Sunday afternoon walk when the sky suddenly turned[1]. The couple decided to seek shelter in a nearby church. As soon as they got inside, they overheard the sound of children. Sunday School was taking place! The couple then accidentally hears the lesson. The Pastor proceeds to ask the children: “What is a miracle?” One little girl raised her hand and proceeded to put every pastor and Seminary professor to shame as she declared a miracle to be: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Author Karen Blixen tells the story of two elderly sisters who live in a small remote fishing village in 19th Century Denmark. The sister's whole life has been defined by devotion to their faith, being the daughters of a Pastor, even being named Martine and Phillipa after the Lutheran Church’s greatest reformers Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon[2]. The sisters never married as their father denounced all their suitors as not worthy of marriage. Now fifty years had passed and the sister's life consists of spending their time in a dwindling congregation all of white-haired believers[3]. Their congregation despite their extensive prayers and Bible study was like any other congregation with bickering spouses and friends angry with each other. The sisters’ remaining years seemed sealed with an inevitable fate. One day though a mysterious visitor shows up at their door. Her name is Babette; she is an acquaintance of one of the sisters’ long lost French suitors. Babette wanted to flee France in the wake of their violent revolution, so she ended up in remote Denmark with a recommendation to work as the sister’s housekeeper. The sisters had no means to afford such extravagance. Babette though offers to work for free in exchange for shelter[4]. Here’s what you need about the sisters, they ate the same thing nearly every meal: dry boiled fish and ale bread[5]. Babette though being an experienced cook gradually improved the sister’s dining options over time. Babette becomes a great blessing to the sisters. One day the arrangement seems destined to come to an end. Babette wins the lottery. She wins 10,000 francs a life-changing amount of money in 19th Century Denmark; the sisters are convinced Babette is off to bigger and better things[6]. Babette though wishes to do something with her winnings for the sisters and members of their congregation. Babette wanted to prepare for everyone an authentic French meal, sending a nephew to Paris to pick up the ingredients[7]. The meal was like nothing ever served before in Jutland, Denmark a table was decorated with linen, china, crystal, and silver to serve wines, soup, quail, pig, cheeses, fruits, and the most tantalizing desserts that you can imagine[8]. Something strange happens throughout the greatest meal everyone gathered have ever eaten: relationships begin to mend and a great hope comes over the room that seemed not to be present before. The sisters upon the conclusion of the meal believe their outcome was predetermined. Babette was now going to leave their presence, never to be seen again. The sisters are shocked when they find out Babette will be staying. In her former life in Paris, she was the chef at one of its finest restaurants and had just spent all 10,000 Francs preparing a similar meal to the people of this small fishing village in Jutland[9]. A miracle had taken place within this small fishing village in Jutland whether it was apparent or not. Grace in the midst of a great feast had been given to those who badly needed it. A group of aging believers through Babette’s presence had been transformed into a channel to proclaim God’s great grace to their community and ultimately the whole wide, world. Indeed a miracle is “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Today’s Gospel lesson further illustrates this theme[10]. It’s the story of the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry taking place at the Wedding in Cana. Here’s what we do know about the wedding: Jesus attended with his mother, the wedding ran out of wine, the reason that wine was so prominent in Jesus’ day is that drinking water was often unsafe[11], the problem with wine is that it takes months to actually make. So the wedding runs out of wine and with no places to purchase wine[12], the wedding seemed destined to end as a disaster. Jesus’ mother then begs him to intervene, only for Jesus to say he wasn’t quite ready: “My hour has not yet come[13].” Mary’s role in the story of Jesus’ first miracle can’t be underestimated[14]. Mary believed now was the time for action regardless of any circumstances that declared turning water into wine is impossible. Mary’s faith causes Jesus to perform the first miracle of his public ministry. So Jesus orders six nearby twenty to thirty gallon stone jars to be filled with water. Jesus then commands a cup be drawn and brought to the master of the banquet. A miracle is; “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” The bride and the groom instead of tasting water then begin to drink the best wine anyone at the Wedding in Cana had ever tasted. The good wine had been saved indeed! People were overjoyed! Now here’s the thing Cana was an odd sight for Jesus’ First Miracle to take to place. Cana was in the hearts of backwoods Galilee. Galilee was known for being the home to ordinary fishermen. Cana was as far from Jerusalem as remote Danish Jutland was from Paris. It was here in remote Cana that the purpose of all miracles in producing faith was first given. Roy Harrisville III describes the faith produced by this miracle as such: “Faith is not a matter of coercion but of wonder at the miracle of Christ. It is an overwhelming gift in which the Giver Himself resides[15].” Today is a big day in the life of Sychar. We gather for our annual meeting. We discuss ways that we can reach our community more effectively in the years ahead. We face many of the same challenges faced by the tiny Lutheran church in Denmark with graying hairs. We face many of the challenges of the people of Cana in seemingly being too remote a place for God to act. Like Mary the Mother of Jesus within Our Gospel lesson, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a role to play in our faith community when it comes to God shaping and giving faith through the greatest of miracles. Babette never imagined her talents as a chef would bring peace to a small, aging congregation of Danish believers. We never know what ways God can ultimately change the ministry of this congregation in the years ahead[16]. What our water into wine might be? Let me close with one final story. William Jennings Bryan was the only three-time failed Presidential Candidate to be nominated by a major party. Bryan was most known for two things: his deep faith and being an extremely gifted public speaker. Jennings Bryan understood the meaning of a miracle being: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Jennings Bryan one day was eating watermelon[17]. He noticed that the watermelon is a beautiful fruit and began to ponder its origins. Jennings Bryan calculated that it would take 5,000 watermelon seeds to weigh a pound. He then started to multiply assuming a forty-pound watermelon. How it only took one of these 5,000 seeds put into the ground, warmed by the sun, and moistened by the rain to produce a miracle. One tiny seed ends up creating a melon that is tens of thousands of times its own weight. This one tiny seed scatters other seeds throughout the watermelon each capable of producing new life. We cannot explain the watermelon, but we can enjoy eating it. I can verify that if a watermelon is put before me, it lasts about ten seconds! The message of our Gospel lesson Today is rest assured even if we don’t see water being turned into wine; this doesn’t mean miracles aren’t taking place within the world around us, even this congregation. Both the Wedding and the Watermelon tell stories of God’s infinite power giving this world an abundant harvest of God’s grace many times over. We are indeed an imperfect church made for imperfect people, for all that we can’t do, Jesus ultimately can. Amen [1] This illustration originally appeared in Christian Herald. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019. [2] Axel, Gabriel. “Babette’s Feast (1987) – 1: Creation, Delight, Wonder.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Web. Jan.7.2019. [3] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 11.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.7.2019. [4] Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [5] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. 14.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. [6] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. [7] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [8] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. [9] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [10] John 2:1-12. [11] Zingale, Tim. “Signing Us.” Sermon Central. 9.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. [12] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Jan.7.2019. [13] John 2:4. [14] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle. [15] Harrisville, Roy III. “Commentary on John 2:1-11.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul. 17.Jan.2010. Web. Jan.7.2019. [16] Emerson, Keith. “The Bread of Life at Babette's Feast.” Check Out the Sermons. 12.Aug.12. Web. Jan.7.2019. [17] This illustration was given by William Jennings Bryan. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019. Comments are closed.
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