Introduction: “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” We’ve all heard it. Many of us try to practice it. We encourage others to do it. There are even books about it. We are supposed to stop worrying about the small stuff and just let it go. There’s just one problem with that; most of life is made up of the small stuff.
I’m not saying that we should spend our time worrying (Jesus even condemned that). I’m not saying that we should let our lives be consumed by the small details and all of the insane business of the little things that make up our lives. But I am saying that the small stuff matters and when it comes to being compassionate, caring and loving towards others…we would do well to spend time on the small stuff.
This morning, as we continue to look at this compelling portrait of Jesus I want us to notice that he genuine concern for the little things. Things that may have matter at the moment, but in the scheme of things carried no perceived importance…these things mattered to Jesus. The smallest issues in the lives of people mattered to Jesus.
Today I want us to look at the first recorded miracle of Jesus. In this snapshot from the life of Jesus we see him at a wedding turning water into wine. The book of John records the details for us.
Before we look at this passage though, we need to understand a few things about John. John was a Jew. His background, upbringing and culture were thoroughly Jewish. However, John was writing to a primarily GREEK audience or to Jews that were in Greek communities. The Greeks thought differently than the Jews. They had different beliefs. Their ideas regarding deity and humanity and the interaction between the two was very different from that of the Jews. So John is focusing on helping Greek readers understand who Jesus was and believe in him. In fact, John clearly states his purpose for writing this letter.
In John 20:30-31 he says,
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31 (NIV)
Everything that John wrote down in his record of the life of Christ was for the purpose of helping people know/believe that Jesus was indeed the Son of God – the Messiah. So John chose carefully what he included in his account.
Something else we need to understand about John. He wrote in layers. John recorded historical events, but more than that he couched them in such a way as to tell a “Story behind the story.” (This was very Jewish) Every story John included had a factual, historical level, but underneath that he had deeper spiritual meaning that he wished to convey and the images he used to tell his story would convey that spiritual meaning to those who were familiar with first century Jewish and Greek cultures.
It’s important to understand this dimension of John’s writing when we explore his accounts of the life of Jesus.
Let me read you this account and then we’ll dive into our exploration of it.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
John 2:1-11 (NIV)
The Historical Event – Water to Wine
The first level of this story is the actual historical account of Jesus attending a wedding at Cana in Galilee and working the miracle of turning water into wine.
[RECOUNT STORY AND EMPHASIZE KEY DETAILS]
• How a wedding worked
• How important it was to provide wine
• There could be legal consequences (a lawsuit) on top of the social embarrassment for running out of wine (failing to properly provide for guests at such an event)
• What were the stone water jars used for
• The interaction between Jesus and his mother
• “My time has not yet come.”
• Pots were filled “to the brim” – no chance of slipping some wine in later
• The best wine was saved for last
• Jesus revealed his glory and his disciples put their faith in him.
All by itself this is a pretty remarkable story, but as I said, John isn’t just recounting an historical event. He has a deeper meaning in everything that he writes. Let’s take just a minute to look at the story BEHIND the story.
John’s “Story Behind the Story”
John is a careful writer and he doesn’t include or leave out any detail by accident. Everything he includes in the story is there for a reason. Remember, John’s entire purpose for writing his account of the life of Christ is that the readers might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
His whole point is to carefully reveal the truth about who Jesus is…the Messiah who came to save the Jews, and anyone else who would believe, from their sins and restore them to their God-given destiny of being a people who would represent God to the world around them.
The fact that this miracle took place at a wedding is no coincidence. Many times throughout his ministry Jesus refers to the celebration that will take place at the culmination of history as a wedding feast. The imagery of the first century Jewish wedding is used over and over again. He refers to himself as the bridegroom, the church as the bride, the celebration as a wedding feast. He refers to the coming to take the church to be with him as a bridegroom coming in the night to receive the bride. He refers to going to his fathers house to prepare a place and then coming back to receive his bride. THAT JESUS PERFORMED HIS FIRST MIRACLE AT A WEDDING WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE
John points out that there are 6 stone pots for ceremonial washing. In this reference he is painting a picture of the law and of Jewish tradition. Jewish law demanded that a person be ceremonially clean before they partook of any meal and often they had to re-cleanse themselves between courses of a meal.
The clay pots represent the law. Some have made a big deal about the fact that John tells us that there are 6 ceremonial washing pots. Six was a number that indicated imperfection or incompleteness to the Jewish mind. Those who pursue this line of thinking claim that John, in identifying 6 stone jars for ceremonial washing, was indicating the law and Jewish ceremony were imperfect and incomplete, but Jesus was able to complete that which was incomplete.
The fact that the wine had run out symbolized a need or that something was lacking and Jesus commanded the servants to fill the ceremonial washing pots with water. The pots representing the law and the water representing less than the best. But once Jesus got hold of it everything changed. Where the law was unable to satisfy…Jesus provided the new wine of Grace in place of the law. And it wasn’t cheap wine either…it was the best. Wine was an important feature at the Jewish wedding. Rabbi’s were known to say, “Without wine there is no joy.” The ceremonial washing jars…filled with water…could not bring joy, but Jesus and the new wine of Grace could.
John is illustrating the spiritual truth that Jesus, the Messiah, is able to accomplish what the law could not. The law was important but imperfect…incomplete…and unable to fully satisfy our spiritual needs, but Jesus, with the new wine of Grace and God’s Kingdom is able to satisfy beyond our ability to exhaust his resources. This was just the FIRST sign Jesus would use to begin revealing himself as the Messiah.
What Does This Story Reveal About Jesus?
While the spiritual truth…the “story behind the story” is important, there is another facet of this story that I want us to focus on this morning. I want us to explore what Jesus “looked like” as he saved the day for this bridegroom and his family.
And whether we choose to focus on the historical fact of the story or whether we choose to focus on the “story behind the story” it’s important to notice how Jesus went about ministering to those present.
Running out of wine would certainly have been a big deal for the families involved. The social consequences were very real, but in the scheme of things…life…marriage…The Kingdom of God…salvation and sin…coming up short on wine isn’t real that major. In the scheme of Jesus’ ministry, whether or not this couple had enough wine at their wedding probably would have made little difference. BUT it would have matter to this couple and their parents. It mattered to the guests and because it mattered to these very real people…IT MATTERED TO JESUS. JESUS WAS WILLING TO CONCERN HIMSELF WITH THE LITTLE THINGS. And that is a beautiful part of our compelling portrait of Jesus.
Jesus is very interested in the little things. If it matters to me and it matters to you…then it matters to Jesus.
As Jesus ministered at this wedding, notice several things about his approach.
• He was comfortable being at the party (He wasn’t afraid of being defiled by those around him who were “worldly”)
• He was happy…I don’t see Jesus being a kill-joy. He was there to celebrate with joy this wonderful event in the life of the couple
• He had compassion in that he was willing to act on behalf of another (the bridegroom)
• He was self-less…he cared about the wellbeing of the bridegroom and his family. Knowing what a social embarrassment this would be and know that there could even be financial and legal issues he selflessly intervened and protected the family from disgrace and possible hardship.
Jesus cared enough about the small stuff to allow himself to be inconvenienced. He responded with kindness, compassion, joy and selflessness. And in so doing…he revealed his glory and people put their faith in him.
So What?
If our goal in revealing this compelling portrait of Jesus is to use that portrait as a measuring stick for our own lives…then we need to stop for a moment and consider how we handle the little things. Not the little things in our own lives, but those things in the lives of others that we are tempted to say “that’s no big deal” when it truly does matter to the other person. Are we willing to exhibit risky behavior and, like Jesus, be concerned with the small stuff?
Are we willing to take an interest in the needs of others…even the seemingly small and insignificant issues? Are we willing to respond with love, compassion, kindness, joy and selflessness? Are we willing to get our hands dirty?
IN CARING ABOUT AND IN CARING FOR THE LITTLE THINGS IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST SHINES THROUGH US…REVEALING HIS GLORY.
And that’s what it’s all about. When we care…when we let love prevail…we offer something that is more perfect, more satisfying than the law (do this, don’t do that) and we reveal the glory of Christ…opening the door for others to put their faith in him!
WHAT WILL YOU DO TO CARE ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF?
Let’s Pray
