Wine in Plenty
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
He had been
baptized. He had already called some of His disciples. And yet, at the wedding
in Cana, our Lord’s hour had not come. His
patient mother Mary, having waited all those years, had asked for nothing. She
only made a simple observation to her Son: “They
have no wine.” And for this prayer, she is rebuked: “O woman! What have you to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”
Mary’s life is a
life of faith. She must trust that God is good, even when it seems that He is
not. She has no right to complain, and so she doesn’t. She recognized that He
was the only One who could help. She had faith. And this is the life of faith
on this side of glory. The old Adam needs to hear the Law, to be knocked down so
that the Gospel might elevate the new man. This rebuke from her divine Son is
not damnation. He rebukes her so that she might repent. And it works. Her faith
is stronger for this preaching of the Law.
He did not promise
a thing. Even so, she believes. She remembers that all things will be possible
for Him. She knows that, whatever happens, He is God. He has come to save her.
That is what matters. So she says to the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” This is a clear confession of faith.
And so it is that He relents. He makes glad the hearts of men. He brings order
from chaos, joy from sadness, hope from dejection, wine from water, believers
from unbelievers. He is the Creator, present in His creation to recreate it, to
restore it, to redeem it! And His disciples believed in Him.
And what of us?
How often have we prayed sad, melancholy prayers? Have often have we complained
against God? How often have we bemoaned the fact that we are not richer,
thinner, healthier, or better employed? How often have we led ourselves into
the gloom of covetous depression, the jealousy that leaves us dissatisfied with
what we have? How often have we moaned out the lament against the God of joy, “They have no wine”?
Repent. Repent,
for we know that God is good. We know that His hour has come: nails were driven
into His hands and feet, and finally a spear pierced His side; the sun went
dark, the earth shook, and the dead rose. His hour is the hour He submitted to
the death of the old Adam within all of us, so that the restored Adam, the
baptized children of God, would live. He overcame that dark hour. He rose from
the dead, giving us life and joy.
He will answer
your prayers. He will even answer those you fail to pray. He prays for you! He
makes glad the hearts of men. He gives wine. He knows what you need. He knows
your heart’s desire. He knows what is best. He will teach you in the cross to
have joy in sadness, triumph in defeat, and life in death. In your own crosses,
your own suffering, your own obstacles and trials, you will learn to come to
His cross. There you will find perfect joy and peace beyond measure. You will
know that He is your only Joy, your only Hope. There—in Him, in His cross—you
will find contentment.
He is still
present in creation. He is with us always. His hour is delivered to us in the bloody
water of Holy Baptism, in His crucified flesh and blood in the Holy Supper, in
His Word of Holy Absolution. In these gifts, the fruits of His hour on the
cross are poured forth to cleanse the dirty hearts of men, removing the sadness
and the pain, making them glad again! You are united to Him in a bond that no one
can sever. All good things are given to you, even His blessed Name. All shame,
all guilt is removed. He does not fail. We have wine. Thanks be to God! In the
name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The
peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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