Scripture text: John 2:1-11
Some years ago, we pastors in Davis took our combined youth groups from the mountains to the not-so-big city of Charleston, WV to “Winterjam.” Winterjam is a traveling Christian festival that performs each weekend in a different city in the country throughout the winter months. It features Christians rock bands and speakers, preaching and worship. The whole nine yards. It’s a big production and a lot of fun for the kids.
As we joined into the crowds, thousands of us, marching inside the venue for this event, we all noted two people standing outside in the cold holding signs and placards. “Christian rock is the music of the devil.” Put not your faith in these musicians. They will lead you astray.
Not quite the same group, but a similar one troubling students at DePauw University
All I could do was eye-roll. Although I’ll confess I was very tempted to do more. I’m curious how this Depeche-Mode-fan (hardly the epitome of “Christian” music, since the bandmates are atheists) who’s also a preacher and who also probably knows the Scriptures better than they do would fare in a battle of wits with these protesters. I refrained however. But it was tempting to knock these guys down a peg or two.
There has always been this strain in Christianity that anything that feels good must by definition be evil and of the devil. Christians who believe this stuff I swear must be allergic to fun or something. We can’t sing that song. It’s too upbeat. We can’t dance. We can’t play games. We can’t party. We can’t feast. We can’t enjoy ourselves. And God forbid any loving couple enjoys the pleasures of the marriage bed. It’s all of the devil I tell you. Fun is forbidden!
I’ve been critical of the Church in my sermons of late and much of that criticism is related to this sort of thing. We’ve turned the Bride of Christ into a moral scold; its purpose to shake a disapproving finger at anything and everything in society that might be seen as unrighteous or immoral. We’ve been this way for a long time, largely because we’ve allowed Christians like these protesters to run the show. And what’s been lost in the meantime is our true purpose: to spread the Gospel and to reveal God’s kingdom of love and mercy to the world.
Now if there is ever a passage of Scripture that these anti-fun Christians would abhor, it has to be today’s Gospel lesson: the wedding of Cana. Jesus is at a party. He’s at a wedding feast. He eating and he’s drinking and he’s hanging out with his family and his disciples and he’s having a good time. That’s what you’re supposed to do at a wedding feast. It’s not that different today. When a couple gets married in this day and age, they have a reception and it’s often with food and drink and dancing and music and toasts and celebration and a lot of fun.
Jesus having fun! What could possibly be more anathema to these anti-fun Christians than that. Well, let me tell you, it gets better still.
Somewhere along the line, as we know from the story, the wine runs out. Jesus is approached by Mary, his mother, to do something about it. And while he’s a little reluctant at first, Jesus eventually caves and gives instructions to the servants about what to do. The miracle happens. The wine flows and the party continues.
You see, not only does Jesus enjoy this party but he performs his first miracle here on Earth in order to keep said party going...and going...and going. Energizer Bunny like. The evangelist John makes very clear just how much wine Jesus makes. Six jars holding 20-30 gallons of water each. Do the math. He made upwards of 180 gallons of wine. That’s one heck of a party.
The Evangelist, as is his wont, calls this event a sign. Signs point to things and Jesus’ miracles in all the Gospels are meant to be little snippets of what the Kingdom is really like. A party that has more wine than anyone could ever reasonably drink and the best vintage at that. What does that say about what God wants for his people?
There’s an old story about a preacher giving a children’s sermon about heaven. One little girl, in a bright pink flowery dress, looks at the pastor and deadpan tells him “I don’t want to go to heaven.” The pastor is flabbergasted; how could anyone not want to go to heaven? The girl explained. “All they ever do in heaven is sit around in white dresses and play harps. That’s BORING!”
Well, if that’s what heaven is, I don’t blame that little girl. I don’t think I’d want that either. But I also don’t think it’s anything like that. Jesus’ miracle at Cana shows us otherwise. Heaven is a party, one that lasts forever. Joy eternal. Now that I can sign on for.
But the Church is meant to reflect that reality and we here on Earth need to remember that Christianity is not supposed to be dull or trite or boring. This is a place of celebration, of joy, of fun. We echo the reality beyond. We are here to show the world that it is God’s pleasure to give us pleasure, whether it be in the wonder of music, the beauty of his creation, the comfort of good friends, family, and a loving spouse.
God does want us to be happy. He hates it when the burdens and trials of life make us not so. To that end, this is also a place of solace. A place where we can cry out our deepest despair and yet do so in the hope that the pain of this world is but temporary. We come here for comfort. We come here for joy. We come here for hope.
And Jesus delivers. In his miracles, then and now. The healing of the sick. The wonder of a rainbow. The power of a perfect chord. The cry of a baby. The stone rolling away. All of it is meant to give us joy and hope against a dark world. A party that will go on forever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment