Epiphany 2
Dear friends in Christ. In the Epiphany season we see exactly who that Baby was that was born on Christmas in all humility and lowliness but of whom and to whom the angels sang. In Epiphany, the Gospel readings are accounts of Jesus revealing Himself to be the true God. Today’s account is Jesus’ first miracle after He entered His public ministry by being baptized by St. John the Baptizer.
How does Jesus show who He really is? Is it a grand miracle healing someone from leprosy or blindness or by raising someone from the dead? Hardly! It is by turning water into wine. A quick superficial reading of this account would conclude this was a “throw away” miracle that merely saved someone some embarrassment for not planning well for a wedding; it would hardly serve as a huge announcement that there in their midst was the very God Himself—or would it?
Looking at this account a little more closely, we see that it takes place during a wedding feast. What is significant about a wedding? It brings us back to the Garden of Eden, Paradise, to the time before sin entered the world. It brings us back to the original creation when God created man and woman and gave them marriage for companionship and for the procreation of children to raise them in the fear and love of the Lord, in the holy faith. Just as He, the Son of God/ Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was there in Eden bringing Adam and Eve together as husband and wife, so was He, for His first public miracle, at this wedding. He begins His public ministry as He began human history—at a wedding.
But a lot of people were at that wedding: Jesus’ mother was there…and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. But more specifically look at the miracle—turning water into wine, a great abundance of wine! That is not just a reinforcement of the greatness and abundance of God creating the world, but an abundance of wine is also an image used to picture the time of when the Messiah would come. St. Amos [9.13] records: Look, days are coming, declares the LORD, when the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the one who stomps on the grapes will overtake the one sowing the seed. The mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it. By turning water into a great abundance of wine, a miracle only the true God/ almighty Creator of heaven and earth could do, Jesus shows that not only is He the almighty God but also that He is the long promised Savior: Look, days are coming, the days of the Messiah, when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it. But why wine? Isn’t water more vital? Absolutely! But when Jesus comes He not only gives us what is vital, what we need, but He also gives us joy—wine being a picture of joy. Joy follows Jesus’ coming—for where He comes and brings His blessings and gifts, joy is the result.
Today’s Gospel is a true Epiphany account because it reveals Jesus as the true God—the eternal God who was there at the creation; it reveals Jesus as the Savior who would bring joy and abundance—the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it [Amos 9.13]—because He would destroy the works of the devil. Now as His dear Christians, we are changed and renewed in Him. We are, if you will, water turned into wine. We are as St. Paul [2 Co. 5.17] writes: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. As Christians, we are new; Jesus has come to us and made us new. By the life we live by faith and full of good works, we are in our little corner renewing the world.
1. As Christians, we don’t flee the world but we live our Christian lives in the midst of it all the while Jesus working in us and through us. This is exactly what St. Paul is teaching us in our text. The first point he makes is that our renewed life as Christians is a life of faith.
Our text: We have different gifts, according to the grace God has given us. If the gift is prophecy, do it in complete agreement with the faith. 7If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. 8If it is encouraging, then encourage. If it is contributing, be generous. If it is leadership, be diligent. If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully.
What St. Paul is talking about in these verses is our life in the Church. These are different gifts that God gave/ gives His Christians to carry out in the Church: prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing, leadership, and showing mercy. The Lord gives and equips His Church/ His dear Christians with these gifts to carry out His will/ His purposes. What does this mean for us? It means that we are to be in church so that the Lord can serve us and renew us. The Lord doesn’t just “zap” us with faith, with an increase of faith, with renewal. Instead, what does He do? He works through the means/ instruments of His holy word and sacraments. The Holy Spirit is working in and through the word that we hear to increase and ground our faith; through the absolution we hear, the Holy Spirit gives us the faith to receive the forgiveness it gives; in the Blessed Sacrament we receive in our mouths the very body and blood of Jesus; He is in us and are in Him.
This is why we come together in church—so that we may receive the gifts that God gives us to forgive us our sin, to give us every grace and blessing in Jesus, and to renew us. How does God do this? –As we gather here in church around the altar and pulpit. That’s why God gives these gifts to His Christians and gathers them together in Christian congregations—so that fellow Christians may serve each other with their gifts and be renewed. And in a living and vibrant congregation like ours, as we make use of the various gifts the Lord gives us, His holy word is able to be preached, His holy sacraments given and received and so He renews us—bringing us to faith, keeping us in the faith, showering us with His every grace and blessing.
Notice here, neither in our text nor anywhere else in Holy Scripture is there ever any notion of just me and Jesus. Holy Scripture knows only of me, Jesus and the Church all together. Looking at the various gifts St. Paul lists in our text, we see that that list is not complete because he has other lists of gifts in other epistles. But the point is clear—whatever gift/s and ability/ies you have—use them in service to our Lord and His Church, His local congregation. If out of false modesty or laziness you say/ think you have none, you are calling our Lord and the holy apostle liars. You are called to use your gifts—that’s part of living your new life in faith and good works. That is right and well pleasing to the Lord. Not to use the gifts the Lord has given you as a Christian, is to flee the world and not letting the Lord use you to change/ renew the world—beginning here as His instrument.
2. Our renewed life is centered in the congregation where the Lord renews us by His holy word and Sacrament and as we, renewed by the Lord, then serve here our fellow Christians so that they too may continue to be renewed. Our renewed life is a life of faith; but it is also a life of love. Listen to the holy apostle in our text: Do not just pretend to love others. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another with brotherly love. Think of others as deserving more honor than yourselves. Do not be lagging behind in zeal, but be fervent in spirit, as you continue to serve the Lord.
Our life of faith is united with a life of good works—a life of love. Our love as Christians is a true love because it is grounded upon God’s love for us first. We recognize that by our sin, we earn only God’s wrath and condemnation; that there is nothing in us that forces God to love us. But He loves us fully and fervently. In His grace and mercy He forgives us our sin for Jesus’ sake, on account of His holy life and innocent suffering and death. In fact, it was in love that He sent Jesus to be our Savior to begin with. It was in love, fervent love, that He brought us to faith in Jesus to receive His gifts and blessings and to be renewed. We are renewed by the Lord, filled with faith in Him, and He dwells in us. That’s why we can live lives of love. We are led and empowered by the Lord; but we also still have our old sinful self in us that wants nothing to do with the Lord and wants to live only for self. That’s why we still fight against sin and daily and often fall into sin and lovelessness. And then we hear in our text: Do not just pretend to love others. Even what outwardly looks like love sometimes isn’t. As sinners we have to recognize that our love is easily tainted. Perhaps we love/ show some kindness because of some advantage to us; or perhaps we can put on a good show about love but not really love in both word and deed. How often we must confess that our love falls short!
St. Paul in our text tells us the mark of genuine love: Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. As we live out lives of love, we realize that not everything that tries to pass itself off as love is really love. How many sins are committed in the name of love! Lest we fall into that deception, love of God and His word and will must remain supreme. May we hate what is evil, that is, flee from sin as from the devil himself if it tries to pass itself off as love; instead, may we remain steadfast in true godliness cling[ing] to what is good. Living a life of love means seeing the other person with the eyes of God: having infinite worth and as ones for whom Jesus died; no matter how lowly they may be to regard them as higher and better.
Be devoted to one another with brotherly love. Think of others as deserving more honor than yourselves. How difficult this still is for us! How we still need daily renewal! We so easily become tired of loving and our love cools. But the vital thing to remember is that love is not a mere sentiment but love is where the battle for our life of good works is fought. Do not be lagging behind in zeal, but be fervent in spirit, as you continue to serve the Lord. The Holy Spirit provides us the fervor and as we live lives of love, our sinful flesh is put down and subdued; as we desire to serve the Lord, we put down thoughts of glory for ourselves.
It is precisely in this life of love, which is grounded in and flows from faith, that the world is renewed; that by our love we shine the love of God into a world so desperately in need of it and then we have the opportunity to share our faith with those who ask us a reason for the hope that we have [1 Pt 3.15] and so can tell the good news about Jesus.
3. Our lives as Christians are lives of hope. Our firm and certain hope of a gracious God, the forgiveness of sins, heaven give us cause for joy even in the midst of suffering. Be joyful in hope. Endure trials patiently. Persist in prayer. Our hope gives us courage and stamina in our sufferings and trials; our hope in trial is grounded in and grows from trust in God’s fatherly goodness and mercy toward us. And this leads us to have a heart for and be sympathetic toward others, especially our fellow Christian: Share with the saints who are in need. Be quick to welcome strangers as guests. Love causes us to put ourselves in the position of others. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing; weep with those who are weeping. Their need becomes our need, and we take it on—just like Jesus took our need upon Himself and came into this world to suffer and die and be our Savior.
Our hope created by Jesus’ promise of His return and blessing enables us to endure persecution and even bless our persecutors because our mouths are filled with the word of the Lord. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.
The Christian’s firm and certain hope of Jesus’ return helps us put everything into the proper perspective. Because we know there is an end, our joys and sorrows lose their significance: our sorrows will give way to the joys and blessedness of heaven; and our greatest joys will pale in comparison to the joys of heaven to be with our Lord beholding Him in all His glory with the angels and saints. This frees us so that in whatever state/ condition we are in, we will be content. We can in love enter into the joys and sorrows of others; we can place others before self because of our sure and certain hope we aren’t the center/ focus of our thoughts. Have the same respect for one another. Do not be arrogant, but associate with the humble. Do not think too highly of yourselves.
Dear Christian, Jesus came into the world to make all things new. That’s something the miracle of the water into wine shows us. He can and does make a complete change in us. He comes to us and completely renews us. Now that we are Christians, we don’t huddle off to ourselves. Instead, renewed by Christ, we live a life of faith—in church where Jesus continues to renew us by word and sacrament and where we serve and are served by fellow Christians; once renewed, we don’t flee the world but live a life of love toward all, our firm and certain hope in Christ renewing us. And by this we become a blessing to the world around us and through us the Lord works to bring that same life and renewal to others. INJ Amen