Mistaken Identity

Second Sunday after Epiphany

John 2:1-11

What are we supposed to learn from this sort of odd story?  Let’s ask the Spirit to reveal the lesson we are supposed to hear this morning.

It seems pretty cut and dry.  If the wedding had occurred in the south, here’s how I envision it going down:

Jesus’ mother wants to go to this wedding (maybe it was a neighbor, a cousin, a friend’s son or daughter…who knows).  So she talks Jesus into going with her, and he talks his buddies into coming with him. They run out sweet tea.  Mary turns to Jesus in shock and says “oh bless their hearts they’ve ran out of sweet tea. How embarrassing.  Oh I feel so bad for them.  What can we do?”  To which Jesus says, “Whelp…now’s a good a time as any to hit the road”, which Mary responded with a look that only a mother can give (you know those looks…I think they teach new moms that look before they’re discharged from the hospital…), and Jesus says “Mama, it ain’t our issue, and this ain’t the time nor the place”.  So, like any helpful mom, Mary tells the servers “this is my son Jesus and he’s agonna fix this; just do what he says and it’ll all be ok”.  While giving his mom side-eye (y’all know what side-eye is, right?  It’s when you’re not happy and you’re not going to justify the situation with full blown stink-eye, so you lazily peer out of the corner of your eye in contempt).  So, with this side-eye and a (exhale), he sees the six 30-gallon drums filled with water.  They were there to wash water for your hands.   (How many people were at this wedding to need 180 gallons of water!?)  So Jesus told them to fill the drums up to the brim and now scoop a cup of it up and take it to the wedding planner…and they did.  And when the wedding planner took a drink and said “well my goodness this is better than my Mama’s sweet tea…why did we save this to the last?”

And turning water into sweet tea better than mama’s (because let’s face it… mama’s sweet tea is the best there is), and this was his first “sign”, even to his disciples.

There’s a lot we can take from this story.  My biggest question was around the jars of water.  The part of the world where Jesus lived was and still is arid.  Water is a commodity of high value…and they had 180 gallons of water for purification (which consisted of the men dipping their fingertips in, ceremoniously).  They couldn’t have had this much water in anticipation of a ton of guests…because in contrast, why would they severely under plan the amount of wine they would need?  Unless, they invited some serious, professional drinkers.  Why does Jesus not want to help save the host, the bridegroom, from the social embarrassment of not having enough to drink for his guests?  Why does Mary turn to her son for help?  What did she want him to do – take up a collection and run down to the liquor store and get some more wine?  When he said no, why did she push, even to the point of cornering him up?  Did she know something he didn’t? 

I think so. 

My hour has not yet come he said.  This isn’t the time.  Mary knew her son was capable of great things…and destined for even greater.  What had she experienced that made her know – that gave her the faith in her son’s abilities? 

I think his in essence “no” response to acting in this situation had nothing to do with the situation (alleviating the embarrassment from this social faux pas), or with wine, or marriage, or many of the things you and I relate in this story; maybe his response was rooted in a place of  inadequacy.   Self-esteem issues…doubting himself.  Maybe “it’s not my time” was really an “I’m not ready” or a “not yet”.  And I understand that completely.  When the DS asked me to take this circuit, my exact answer was “oh no – I have no idea what I’m doing; not yet”.  When the MCMA asked me to preach the Thanksgiving service, my response was “oh…that’s not going to happen; I’m not ready”. 

But when Christ said it’s not time, his Mother, probably his biggest supporter, the strongest earthly relationship he had…she said it is time.  So what did she mean by that?  Was it to boost his self-esteem?  Maybe some…but I see something else ….

If I were to say…Hi my name is Tim and I’m a fighter pilot, raise your hand if you believe me.

How about a cowboy?  Or an astronaut?  Race car driver? 

How do you know I’m not these things (if you’ve ever been behind me in traffic you know that the race car driver thing ain’t true).  Is it because I don’t act like a cowboy?  Or I’m not dressed like an astronaut or a fighter pilot? 

So, right here right now, if I said Hi, my name is Tim and I’m a pastor…raise your hand if you believe that (and y’all all better get to raising your hands).  So what makes you believe that?  The fact that I’m wearing a clerical collar?  That I’m up here, in the pulpit of a church preaching? 

They were proof driven people.  Seeing is believing.  Show me the money.  I’ll believe it when I see it.  For whatever reason.  So maybe Mary knew that it was time for the world to know who her child is.  Maybe it was time for his glory to be proclaimed.  Maybe it was time for Christ to stop saying he is the son of the Most High…and maybe it was time he showed them. 

So how does this story impact us here in Marshall County in 2019?  Quite simply.  Without Facebook posts, without bumper stickers and t-shirts…do people know you are a disciple of Christ?  Do they know you have chosen a life of service?  Do they know you follow the peaceful leadership of Jesus?  In your speech do you exalt others?  Do you do no harm, do you do good?  Does the love of Christ shine through you for all…ALL to see? 

I want to close with a joke…that at first made me laugh, and then my laughter faded into somber realization….

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy street.  Suddenly, the light he was approaching turned yellow, and he did the right thing and stopped behind the crosswalk, even though he could have ran the red light. 

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, and when he looked in his rear view mirror he could see the woman screaming at him in frustration as she missed her chance to speed through the intersection.

As she was still mid rant, the man looked and saw the blue lights, and watched as a police officer cautiously approached the woman’s car and ordered her to “get out now and get on the ground!”.  She was cuffed, her car impounded, and she was taken to the police station and finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. 

After a few hours, a different police officer came and opened the door to the holding cell, and escorted the woman back to the booking desk where the arresting officer stood with the woman’s belongings. 

He proceeded to say to her “I’m very sorry for this mistake.  You see, I pulled up behind you while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.  Then I noticed the left bumper sticker on the car that said “What Would Jesus Do”, and the bumper sticker on the right of the car that said “Follow Me to Sunday School”, and the license plate holder that said “God Is My Co-Pilot” along with the fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally I assumed you had stolen this car”.

We tell the world who we are by our actions.  Who do your actions portray you to be? 

I bring you this message in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.