Jesus turns water into wine. Why is this story in the Bible, and what does is it supposed to mean to me? Joy and deep peace in the midst of chaos and confusion. Joy and deep peace in the midst of chaos and confusion. It seems like Mary, the mother of Jesus had an idea. She saw something that need to be done at a wedding and she decided to bring Jesus into the picture to bring joy to the place.

There could have been some chaos at the wedding reception, some problems of not having enough resources for all the people that came to this wedding. Maybe they were short on other things, but they definitely were short on wine. Sounds like they were short on wine, and maybe they were short on other things, like joy and peace. Short on make the wedding a place of tremendous happiness and joyful thing that a wedding should be. Shouldn’t a wedding be the place of tremendous joy and hope for a bright future ahead?

Have you ever heard this story from Mary’s perspective? We usually hear it from what the story tells about Jesus. Looks like Jesus is a little put out, but he obviously sees something that his mother sees too, because he follows through on her request to somehow provide more wine. And, Jesus does the first miracle in front of his disciples and perhaps his mother. We do not know if it’s the first one in front of his mother, but it’s the first one we read about in the gospels.

We don’t know how fast the word got out that Jesus did this miracle. We know the chief steward knew, and his disciples knew, and his mother, and probably the groom and wedding party found out right away, and soon the entire place was beaming at this miracle that Jesus performed at the request of his mother. It was a joyful time.

The chief steward came to the groom and says: “Most people serve the best wine first and then when people are a little more relaxed, the cheaper wine is brought out, the not so good wine, the 2-buck-chuck bottle instead of $79.99. But you have saved the best wine until last. You have thrown tradition and custom right out the window and you have saved the best wine until last. And, by the way, where do you get wine like this? I know it
S not in the stores around Cana.

I am reminded of that other passage when Jesus says: You cant put new wine into old wineskins. Jesus does not put this wine into old wineskins. He turns the big vases set aside to only hold fresh water that was used for cleaning and drinking and all other ways water was used for at that time. Fresh containers, fresh wine.

The good wine of the Holy Spirit is available to us today. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, told her son, and Jesus is here in our midst today. And the message is this: I want you to have that new wine that is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, putting new wine into new wineskins. Jesus provides new wine thought the Holy Spirit to pour from the vats of wine into new wineskins. And you and I are the wineskins, the receptacles for this new wine of the Spirit. Renew your faith. Renew your joy.

In the midst of chaos. In the midst of confusion, In the midst of a disease that has taken over the world by force, and in the midst of debilitating sicknesses like coiner and other things that infiltrate the lives of those we love and sometimes our own lives, there can be deep peace and a calmness of Spirit, and the new wine will bring out that joy.

Bishop Tut was a man full of joy. It seemed like when he preached and talked it just bubbled up. The more he talked the more it bubble up, the higher his voice got, the laughter, and the joy would bubble to the top and boy, could he talk and could he preach. But bishop Tutu went through severe trials in South Africa, carried the nations in his heart. But, in the midst of it he came put, and he was a wonderful bishop to Gods people, and he brought the new wine for the people. The wine of new life, the wine of encouragement, the wine of healing, the wine that sets you free. The wine that in the midst of or your sorrows, in the midst of your troubles, and it will not always bring out-loud laughter, but will bring you a deep peace, peace like a deep running river of peace and rest for your souls..

There is a deep peace, and in the midst of chaos and confusion, Jesus Christ is here with us.

Amen.