In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Well, it seems that the old expression “Bad things come in three’s” has come true again this week.
We’ve all heard that phrase before. For example, just recently we buried a former President who spent his retirement shining the light of this faith by serving the needs of people across the world, who were among the neediest on the planet. We heard and watched the horrific fires burning and destroying countless acres of land in and around Los Angeles turning family homes into ash and we heard of a second round of wildfires about to begin around Los Angeles. A sham trial that began in Baku this week where fifteen Armenians have been wrongfully imprisoned for over a year living under the worst of conditions. Let’s take a moment to bow our heads and think of them.
Today a “third thing” happened in our Church Bible reading as well. It was just read to us a moment ago. Today, the Armenian Church calendar continues with a set of events that announced to the world who Jesus Christ is. Our Bible reading this morning tells us of a third Epiphany, or a third revelation) of Jesus Christ. We know that the first Epiphany happened to the three Wise Men and shepherds when they met the infant Jesus. The second was at His Baptism when the revelation happened again. The third takes place at a wedding in a town called Cana where Jesus revealed His first miracle and showed the world His authority over the “laws of nature.”
In today’s passage, He changed water into wine. Of course, this miracle is about much more than that. This miracle3 is about the power of Christ. It’s about the power of Christ not only over the natural elements of our world but over our lives as well. Today’s Bible reading calls this miracle “a sign” because it points out that God can change the everyday things of life into the exceptional.
The miracle of the wedding at Cana can be seen as a third Epiphany. The word “Epiphany” means to reveal or to expose. So when we put the story of the Wise Men and the story of His Baptism together with the story of Him changing water into wine, they can be seen as three Epiphanies revealing to the world who Jesus Christ is.
He is the Almighty God, the Creator of the world and the King of Kings. So what is the takeaway from this story? I think it is this. The Son of God can change much more than water into wine. He can change a dark past into a bright future. He can change our talents into skills that will benefit others and help make our world a better place.
One of the most important messages in this passage is this. God desires to do great things in this world through us like parents sharing their faith with their children, friends visiting someone in the hospital, the patience of a teacher working with a child who doesn’t understand, the time spent with a worried neighbor or offering encouragement to a grieving friend. These are all ways to bring Glory to God and He wants us to be a part of keeping our world the way He made it to be.
Let me end with this. Tomorrow, we remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King picked up on this teaching of Jesus and shared it in one of this greatest speeches. He said “Life’s most persistent question is this. ‘What are you doing for others?’” Our world needs God’s healing. Our world needs God’s help and our world needs us all to bear the fruit of our faith to help make it a better and safer and kinder and more accepting place. Yesterday it was about changing water into wine. Today, in our country He wants us to do far more meaningful things in His Name and show the world the continuing miracles of God which is that He can change our today’s into better tomorrows, that He can use our talents to help others and that He can turn the “everyday things” of our lives into things exceptional.
So, let’s ask ourselves: Are you open to allowing God to change the “everyday things” of your life into the exceptional and then use those blessings to make a difference in the lives of others?
Something for all of us to think about.
Amen.
