John 2:11 What
Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which
He revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (NIV)
Even these days, a person who could
turn water into wine, would be very popular and handy to invite at any wedding.
Despite this, Christ’s first miracle seemed to be unknown to most of the
wedding party, in the midst of all the celebrating and carousing at Cana. Only
Mary, the mother of Jesus, Christ’s disciples, and a few house servants knew
that a miracle had taken place. Everyone else was oblivious to what had
occurred; all the other guests had no earthly idea about the heavenly event
that had just taken place.
In church, we sometimes experience
something similar. Miracles of healing, God-answered prayers, gifts of beautiful
blessing frequently occur in our congregations, no matter how big or small.
People of Christian faith, from many different backgrounds, have actually known
of individual miraculous moments in their lives. Sadly, the rest of the world
appears to miss out on these special events because folks are too busy, too distracted,
too distant, or too unconnected to God to be able to realize, or even recognize,
that miracles are taking place in churches all around the globe.
Each time I come across and re-read
the story of the wedding in Cana, Jesus continues to make me smile because I
know that He is still in the miracle business, taking empty lives and filling
them with His beautiful Spirit. He makes the best out of the worst. He turns
critical moments into miraculous events. He changes sinners into servants, as
well as making dedicated disciples out of the most desperate and disastrous of people.
In other words, He still turns ordinary water into the choicest wine.
Personal questions: How has Christ wrought changes in
me? Where have I seen His miraculous works in my church and community?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the miraculous
changes that You constantly make throughout the world. Thank You for turning
our lives around by allowing us the opportunity of becoming Your servants. Be
with us and help us to carry on Your great work of changing the world. In Your
Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin
Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make a comment
or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. If you should ever find yourself in Knoxville on a Sunday morning, Erin
Church people would be delighted to welcome you to their 11:00AM worship
service.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest silhouette drawings called “Moon Catcher.” If you
would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Moon
Catcher.
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