Ordination Requirements Message - John 2.1-12

Ordination Requirements Message
 Sermon and Worship Service

● Submit a written transcript sermon for consideration. The sermon must be based on the Gospel reading of the lectionary scriptures for the Second Sunday after Epiphany from any of the 3 lectionary years. (it appears the scripture in mind is that of John 2.1-12, The Wedding at Cana)

● A video of the sermon must be uploaded and shared with the Board of Ministry. This video should be of the candidate preaching the sermon before a congregation during normal worship. A link to a YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo site is preferred.  (Please navigate your browser to my YouTube account to find the video of myself preaching this message.) www.youtube.com/revshankgmc

There is nothing better in this world than for a boy to do than to spend some time with his mama.

I know this personally. As a young child, my earliest memory is that of being at my little plastic school desk with the flip top lid and a board full of magnetic letters. It must have been early in the morning. I look over and my mom is half asleep on the couch. We were living in the basement of my grandparents house at the time. I did not have a father in the picture. That's a messier story for another time. What I did have was my mom. And, for a time, that seemed to be all I needed. We don't hear much about Jesus' life as a child. There was that one trip to the Temple when he was a boy. Getting lost in the crowd with his parents searching a whole day to find him. There was that visit to Temple on the 8th day after he was born. The priest, Simeon, shares word of blessing, He also pronounces something foreboding to Mary that must stick with her like a heavy meal of meat and potatoes. 

Jesus does have both parents there. Not all of us are that fortunate. 
Joseph and Mary both have had their visions and their angelic moments. They listen. They trust. They obey the direction and guidance given to them from above. Still, it cannot be easy to feel as if you are standing by, watching all of it unfold as if you have nothing to do with it and nothing to say about where it will all go. For myself, my mom, she would remarry and I would have a father in my life. He provided for me and my brother and I'm not sure where we would have been without his guidance and help. Nothing in this life is perfect. We don't always get the life we wanted or the blessings we think we are entitled. There is so much I'd like to know about Jesus' childhood. What he went without. What was he shielded from. What kind of things his parents intentionally did or did not do knowing what they knew from scripture and impressed on them by those messengers from the Lord. Maybe it's not important. What we need to know about Jesus is that which pertains to our salvation, I believe I have heard it said by a preaching voice down through the years. Ok, so what is it that we need to know from a passage like John 2 and this wedding in Cana that "pertains to our salvation"? Is there anything about that relationship with his mother that might play into what we need to know? What can we take from this sharing that could affect our lives and help us as we walk with the Lord in our journey? Quite a bit to contemplate. No time to delay. 

Jesus' parents must have played an essential role in his upbringing and in his development. Although, much of it seems out of their control. By the time the young boy makes it to the Temple that day at the end of Luke chap 2, it is speculated he would have been around 13 years old. He seems to know who his "Father" truly is and what his role is in this world. It would be interesting to investigate just how much his earthly parents needed to teach him or instruct him or whether he simply knew all along what he was here to do. The first couple of chapters of each Gospel lays the foundation for what will go on ahead. In Matthew, we see Joseph's family line and a moment where God speaks to this husband and father to be. In Luke, we see Mary's story unfold and her family line. God speaks to the virgin through the angel, Gabriel, and we see much more coming to be in her family as the aunt, Elizabeth, is pregnant with John. This child will do the announcing that the other is here to save the world, encouraging all to get ready. Mark's gospel jumps right into that prophetical declaration and begins with John already doing the work of baptizing for repentance. If we take the time to read across the gospel lines and put it all together, we see less of a need to know all the details of the young boy's upbringing. It's impossible to miss that God had been at work in the lives of both parents and especially Mary's side of the family since long before anyone was taking notice. 

John's Gospel starts in a most eloquent way. It's a Genesis kind of theological statement. Where the first book of the Bible speaks as to the creation of the earth and what it took make all of it happen, the work here in John's memory begins with what it took to get the Messiah here and into our world. Most likely, John did not pen these words himself. A disciple of John's is thought to have scribed these words for him. I can see the apostle declining, in his last days, recalling all that he knew. A history and a lifetime of sharing with others about his Messiah. Certainly he was not writing himself and magnanimously referring to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". He was there that day. That day at the wedding. It is where it all truly began. 

Joy. We have been covering the book of James on Sunday mornings as we started the New Year here at 6th Avenue. We have been hearing from the little brother of Jesus about what he recalls from all the teaching and preaching he has heard over the years. He starts off his own letter with similar words, wanting all his Jewish brothers to experience joy. 

What would be so hard about this "believing in Jesus"?
We've been covering James and referring to Paul and Pater and John and the letter they were writing to others in the faith. The church was going through persecution as they shared their belief and trust in this Messiah. John wants their joy, his readers joy, to be complete. It would not be easy to stand up in the midst of world that did not believe or share in their enthusiasm toward a Jewish Messiah born out of wedlock, born by the power of the Holy Spirit, walking this earth for three and a half years, defying the religious establishment by challenging their explanations about what to believe - about God, about life, about who to love and how much love to show. To a friend. To an enemy.  To the homeless and sick and the person living next door you really can't stand. 

What would be so hard about believing in Jesus?

Just ask his mom.

She knows. She knows that it has to start somewhere. 
Maybe he's trying to conceal her identity by referring to her as "woman". 
The footnotes say that it didn't mean any disrespect. We do know from Johns words that Jesus wasn't ready to get started. Maybe he wanted to wait longer. maybe someone will put it together that this is his mother... "Where you all from?" "This is your mom?" "You're all from Nazareth?" "Wait, doesn't scripture say something about the Messiah and where he comes from?" "Hey, wait come back..."

Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe it is as simple as this wedding discourse suggests. He knows that if he opens the door by performing this miracle, that there is no shutting it. She knows this too. She knows what he is here to do. The purpose in which he is sent. "Do whatever he tells you to do." A mother knows. He couldn't put this off forever. There is no "perfect moment". This wedding was the best place for him to get started. God, the groom. Israel, the bride. The intricacies just maybe were the best they could be. "His blood, poured out for the sins of many" as we say so often in our communion. Here is the cup. These basins that needed filled with water. He would change them in an instant. Drink to be shared with the guests. But, mother and son knowing the deeper cost. And, the pain and suffering it would take for the world to realize just how much they needed this Messiah in the first place. 

"Everyone brings out the choice wine first, and then the cheaper wine once everyone has had too much to drink; but you have saved the best wine until now." 

The way Jesus begins his ministry, the way his parents handled his upbringing, the way his disciples learned to follow and trust; it all makes me wonder just how much we are truly in control. What do we have control of? Do we have some sort of say in how this course of our lives and ministry will take? It makes me think that Mary, knowing that her son will give his life for the sins of her people, might feel like she has no say. So here she gets at least one mention. It's as if she cannot take it any more. "Get on with it." Maybe her intention is to give him that nudge. How many of us need that nudge? How many of us need to give up control and just let God lead the way? Into ministry? Into family? Into strife and trials? Into our world? 

I'm inviting you to think about these things as we gather around the table today and partake in some unscheduled communion time. There is no perfect moment to take communion. There is no "scheduled" time that it has to be. We are gathered here today, and God is with us. 

Shalom and Shalom.