What Happens When the Wine Runs Out?

John 2:1-11

I find it really interesting that in the Gospel of John, the ministry of Jesus begins with a wedding.  And if that were not enough, the centerpiece of the story is Jesus turning water into wine.  I asked a good Baptist friend how this text is received in his circles and Ron shared a quote from the evangelist Dwight L. Moody, “I don’t know if Jesus turned water into wine but I’ve seen Jesus can turn whiskey into food and clothing.”

This is a story of transformation.  It is a story surprising us with the good news that there is always time for God to step into our lives and make something out of nothing.  In John 1 Jesus has just gone through the process of choosing his disciples.  He was ready to hit the road and start his ministry.  Jesus knew he was operating on limited time schedule.  There was no time for parties and social events, but his mother asked that he make an appearance at a local wedding.  We don’t know anything about the bride, groom or family involved.  We only know this was a big deal for Mary.  I can’t imagine Jesus wanting to be there.  He probably thought he would make a quick appearance and then head out to more important things.  How was he to know there was no more important place for him to be?

Can we blame Jesus for his lack of enthusiasm?  Guys don’t really understand the significance of the wedding culture. I once made the mistake of joking I preferred funerals to weddings because there was no counseling afterwards.  I quickly found out one doesn’t make jokes about weddings, especially when there are mothers of potential brides nearby.  Weddings are sacred, and like it or not, guys, particularly guys who have daughters, need to understand this.  It starts early when little Janie buys her first Barbie.  As anyone who has had the Barbie experience knows, the doll is cheap.  It is the accessories that kill you.   First and foremost on the list is the “Wedding Dress”, which comes with or without Ken.  I understand recently Ken was dropped from the Barbie line.  But I bet Barbie still comes with the wedding dress.  To this day I believe the moment Barbie entered the Andrews house, plans were underway for the blessed event.  And we guys don’t get that.  Weddings are just a one day event for us.  But for brides, and especially their mothers, it is the experience of a life time, and nothing better go wrong.

So like it or not, Mary expected Jesus to make more than an appearance.  And then, when the party went south, Mary expected Jesus to intervene.  I suppose the miracle of turning water into wine can be explained as a way to keep the host from being embarrassed.  Wedding parties often went through the night and into the next morning.  The party was over when the wine ran out.  In this case the wine appears to have run dry well before nightfall.  Maybe folks crashed the party, maybe the host was unprepared; the reason hardly seems to matter.  Mary’s friend was about to be embarrassed and Mary knew her son had the ability to save the day.  The question was not, could Jesus turn water into wine.  The question was the timing.  Was this the appropriate time and place for Jesus to reveal himself?

Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned 80 year old Buddhist wrote, “When is it ever inappropriate to bring joy into one’s life?  When is it ever wrong to exhibit compassion?  Joy and compassion give hope.  Where there is hope, there is the possibility of an unimagined transformation.”

Jesus took the advice of his mother.  He had the steward fill some barrels with water and with a wave of his hand, turned them into wine that made the previous offerings pale in comparison.  Of the many miracles Jesus would perform, this was certainly the most insignificant, unless you happened to be the host of the party.  His reputation was saved and the wedding was remembered as a celebration of joy.

Nothing is too small for Jesus.  That seems like such an obvious statement. But the truth is usually we reserve the hand of God for the huge moments in our lives.   Thomas Merton helped me realize how important it is to find God in the small things. As you may or may not know Merton lived the majority of his life in solitude in a monastery in Kentucky.  Before beginning his morning chores he would get up before daylight and spend an hour in prayer.  He was asked if he had a prayer list or a ritual that he followed each morning.  Merton replied, “I pray mostly about nothing.  If God is active in the nothingness of my life, think how involved God will be should something happen.”

I think we make a serious mistake when we only involve God in our moments of crisis.  We remember Jesus best when he resurrects Lazarus, or when he heals the leapers, or when he feeds the 5,000.  But what about those times when Jesus was just walking along the road with his disciples shooting the breeze?  What about those moments that seemed insignificant to the gospel writers?  What about those times when nothing was happening?  Were those moments any less important? 

I want to tell you about an old man I meet a few years ago. His name was Eulan Sinclair.  Eulan was a builder. If you could imagine it, Eulan could build it. Eulan built houses, then he built a town. Everyone in the small town in which he lived knew if you wanted it done right, you went to Eulan. He passed those skills and principles down to his son Jimmy. I can say first hand Jimmy made his father proud. But Eulan had one last lesson to pass on to all of us. Not long after Eulan finally decided to get off the ladder and retire, his beloved wife Mary Lee began to show advanced signs of dementia. It quickly became evident that Eulan could not care for Mary Lee at home and so the family took her to the hospital. Weeks after the move, Mrs. Sinclair had no memory of anyone, including Eulan.  Until she died, this man who had been a leader in the community, a man known and respected by everyone, spent each day sitting in a chair on the second floor of Sampson Memorial Regional Hospital beside the bed of his wife. He would go home at night and come early the next morning. Once there he sit and softly talk to a woman who had no idea who he was. He would occasionally stretch his legs by walking the halls and offering hope to folks he barely knew. He inspired nurses, he inspired doctors and he inspired me. Eulan sat there, for four years, until she died, and then he want home.

A couple of years later, when Eulan died, folks still people marveled that this man who stayed busy his whole life took fours years and basically did nothing. Of course that’s not the truth. Eulan spent those four years doing everything. 

Jesus turning water into wine reminds me that Jesus chooses to sit beside us in what might appear to be our most insignificant moments.  In the regular old routine of life, Jesus is there.  When we grab the paper, eat breakfast, and start our regular daily routine, Jesus is there.  When we plow through a morning and the most significant thing might be thinking about what we will have for lunch, Jesus is there.   When the afternoon is so sublime that our eyes grow a little heavy, Jesus allows us to sleep. When dinner is little more than the leftovers, Jesus remains at the table.  And when we decide to turn in early because the only thing on the TV is reruns, Jesus sets the alarm so that we might repeat the whole process the next morning.   

For some that seems to be a life of sheer boredom. But for those of us who marvel at the example of Eulan Sinclair, we remember, “If God is active in our nothingness, think how involved God will be when truly needed.”

Sip each moment of your life, joyfully. It is wine waiting to be transformed.

                                                                        Amen.