Let us pray! Lord Jesus Christ, at the wedding feast in
Cana, Your mother pressed You to ‘fix’ the situation. In obedience to Your mother You performed the
first of many miracles, but it was not just a miracle, but a revelation of Your
glory for Your people. May we who
partake of Your precious Body and Blood this morning receive, the miracle of
Your presence in, with and under the Bread and Wine and receive the greatest
gift of Your Precious Body and Blood and Eternal Life for all of us saints
gathered here at Emmanuel. AMEN.
This past Sunday, the football game
between the Denver Bronco’s and the Pittsburgh Steelers was for some an
opportunity to gloat. When the game
finally ended, we know the outcome, the Steelers season had come to an
end. Some claimed it was ‘destiny’,
others claimed it was a miracle. The
fact remains, Denver would continue playing in hopes of making it to the Super
Bowl and the possibility of earning the coveted ring. Interestingly the man who led the Bronco’s is
a man of faith, we know as Tim Tebow.
In this morning’s Gospel lesson, another
man of great faith, Jesus Christ, is not known in Cana of Galilee and is currently
without a target on His back from the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is attending a wedding with His
mother. What occurs, but Mary, enlists
Jesus in service to help the family because they, the family and friends, have
‘drunk’ all the wine that had been acquired for the marriage banquet. This is one of the greatest tragedies of a
family that is not prepared at the celebration of a marriage. Unlike the game last Sunday, Jesus mother
knew of the potential of Jesus, and “said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you,
do it.” ” With the faith not only of a mother, but a
believer who had carried Him in her womb and travelled to Jerusalem to dedicate
Him, fled for Egypt for sanctuary and safety and returned to Nazareth, Mary
believed in Jesus. What does occur, but
a miracle, the first recorded divine act of Jesus Christ. Jesus instructs the servants to fill the jars
with water and then draw a drink out to take to the headwaiter.
When I was in Israel in Cana of Galilee
there is a church that has been built on the site of this historic first
miracle of Jesus. In an alcove a jar,
similar to the one used in Jesus day sits and one cannot but feel a connection
with Jesus Christ Who walked those very streets over 2000 years ago.
This morning we partake not of a miracle
that is as tangible as water being turned into wine, but we partake of a
greater miracle. The miracle we partake
of is our partaking of the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. When the words of
institution are spoken, God reaches down from heaven and in, with, through and
under the earthly elements of bread and wine, reveals the greatest miracle we
are enabled to see today. No longer is
it just bread and wine, it becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, broken
and shed for each and every one of us for the forgiveness of sins. Unlike with the miracle of Cana in Galilee,
we sit on the front row and are called to be ‘active participants’ of the
miracle of the gift of eternal life for all of us.
Yet, what is our response? We know from the Gospel, the response of the
headwaiter who tasted the Wine, ““Every
man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk
freely, then he serves the
poorer wine; but you have
kept the good wine until now.”” So to with the feast we receive this morning,
what is your response? How do you
receive the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ? Will you continue as if nothing changes? Or will you after having been fed by Jesus
Christ precious Body and Blood, which gives the forgiveness of sins and eternal
life, be changed, be transformed or be renewed for service in God’s Kingdom?
Just as Jesus first miracle revealed His power and
possibilities of the future of His ministry, we as well have the opportunity as
well in the service of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I ask you now as you come forward this
morning to receive the miracle of Jesus Christ in the Bread and Wine as the
precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to work in God’s Kingdom and be active
participants here at Emmanuel. If you
don’t know how God can use you, whether you are 7 or 77, I would like to walk
with you down the path of discernment and let God through the work of the Holy
Spirit mold and shape you to be the child of God that you are destined to
become. You could be a greeter, reader,
usher, coffee host, council member, board member or any capacity you feel led
to serve in, but more importantly, God through His precious Body and Blood,
broken and shed for you feeds you for His service in His Kingdom here at
Emmanuel. It is my prayer that we can do
this together and through the power of the miracle of Jesus precious Body and
Blood transform our lives our ministry and our church into the divine work that
God has in store for us here in Goodland, KS, for all of us saints gathered
here at Emmanuel. AMEN.
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